Jimmie Johnson has always been considered an all-time great, a 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and a deserving winner of the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award. Fans subject his best performances to the 2003 and 2013 All-Star Race wins, his 2006 and 2013 Daytona 500 wins, and his milestone 700th Cup Series start in the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But which race stood out for the Hall of Fame driver throughout his career?

Early in the 2002 NASCAR Cup Series season, Johnson found himself on the critical verge. 23 years ago, his rookie campaign was off to a promising start with strong showings, but he still felt the weight of expectations, especially racing the iconic No. 48 car now driven by Alex Bowman. “The big exhale that I had when I finally crossed the finish line,” Johnson said as part of a series of NASCAR 75th anniversary interviews. 

When asked about his favorite win throughout his career on the Happy Hour podcast by Kevin Harvick, Johnson couldn’t help but reflect on the nostalgia of California. The 49-year-old said, “I’d have to say my first win was in California. Hometown, Home track, I guess it’s probably a better way to say it. We’re on two tires. Kurt Busch is stalking us, and he had a better car throughout the day.”

On April 28, 2002, in just his thirteenth career start and tenth of the season, Johnson hit the track at California Speedway in Fontana for the NAPA Auto Parts 500. The 2-mile, D-shaped oval set the stage for what was about to unfold. Weather conditions were mild, with temperatures reaching nearly 76°F and moderate winds that kept the racing surface stable and predictable. 

He started from fourth, but early in the race, he demonstrated control, taking the lead on lap 22 and holding it for 44 laps. Meanwhile, Kurt Busch proved to be Johnson’s stiffest competition, dominating a race-high 102 laps while leading from the front for much of the day. As the laps ticked down, a pivotal call by crew chief Chad Knaus came into play. It was a split-second decision to go for fuel only during the final pit stop. That gamble paid off handsomely. While others, including Busch’s team, took two tires, Johnson emerged with a fresher track position that would prove decisive. 

“We ran well, but he’s back there stalking us, and seeing the white, I’ll never forget the feeling and the tingles like ‘Don’t screw this up.’ Get it around, come down the front straightaway, had family around, and also knew that I was going to have a job and stay employed. It had all these different layers that were just unreal,” he added.

The lead changed hands multiple times, totaling 20. But when the dust settled with just 14 laps remaining, Johnson reclaimed the lead and held everyone off with tactical soundness and unwavering focus. He crossed the finish line with a margin of 0.620 seconds, sealing an unforgettable win. The moment transcended mere victory. For Johnson, it meant more than winning; it was his first Cup Series triumph, and it happened in front of a home crowd. 

That race didn’t just add a name to the winner’s board; it marked the turning point for a rookie who would go on to become one of NASCAR’s all-time greats. From that day forward at Fontana, Johnson’s trajectory soared. He would go on to win five more times at the very same track and would repeatedly return with confidence.

While Johnson is known for his achievements in NASCAR, the Legacy Motor Club owner has ventured into other spaces as well.

Jimmie Johnson brings “Blue Blaster” back to life in Seattle

Jimmie Johnson’s legacy has long been tied to asphalt, but in Seattle, he stepped into an entirely different arena: the world of hydroplane racing. “Climbing into the Blue Blaster was such a full-circle moment. The power, the history, the speed, it was pure adrenaline. It was such an honor to pay tribute to a hero of mine, a legend of the sport, and the Muncey family. This event was 46 years in the making. The speed in the water was so much greater than it is on land. In a car, the faster you go, the downforce just plants the car to the pavement. In the boat, the faster I went, the more I thought it was going to fly away. It was wild,” Johnson told SpeedwayMedia post-event.

At Seafair, Johnson piloted the restored “Blue Blaster,” the legendary boat once driven by hydroplane icon Bill Muncey. For Johnson, the experience wasn’t simply an exhibition run; it was a tribute decades in the making. Muncey, a 62-time race winner and four-time Gold Cup champion, left an indelible mark on American motorsports before his tragic death in 1981. His “Blue Blaster” remains one of the sport’s most revered machines, a symbol of power and speed on water. 

Johnson, who grew up idolizing racers across multiple disciplines, was invited to honor Muncey’s legacy by taking the historic craft back onto the water 46 years after its competitive prime. “I’m so thankful to the Muncey family and Carvana for their support,” Johnson continued. “Even my Dad (Gary Johnson) made the trip to Seattle to see this thing go full circle.” The challenge was unlike anything Johnson faced during his NASCAR career. On the track, downforce plants a car more firmly the faster it goes. When in water, however, speed creates lift that constantly tempts the vessel to launch into the air. 

Johnson admitted the sensation was more precarious than any stock car he had driven, adding a layer of respect for Muncey and other hydroplane legends. “Chip Hanauer, David Williams, and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum here in Washington, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and Seafair were all so great to work with, so I’m just thankful to all who made this dream a reality for me,” he added. The effort came together through the support of the Muncey family, Carvana, and organizations like the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and Seafair. With his father in attendance, Johnson’s run was a full-circle celebration, one that blended family, history, and sheer adrenaline on Seattle waters.