What makes a true NASCAR superstar? Dominance on the track, or something more? According to Richard Petty, it’s the former, who said that the sport needs a “fox” for the dogs to chase. But veteran broadcaster Kenny Wallace believes in the latter, as he used Jimmie Johnson’s example to deflate Petty’s stance.

Only talent isn’t enough, according to Wallace

“Richard Petty says that NASCAR is missing that guy,” Wallace mentions. “I have to agree with Richard today. There is no driver that stands out. But there was a driver who stood out. Jimmy Johnson. Whatever happened to Jimmy Johnson?”

Wallace mentions how Johnson had the skill, the dominance, but a personality is equally important to carry the sport. Being a rough driver, having a “rowdy” personality (like that of Kyle Busch) got you lifelong fans. Something that Wallace feels Johnson might have lacked.

“Johnson should not be able to walk through the garage area without fans chasing after him. Jimmie Johnson was that driver. It just seems like Jimmie won those championships and left. And he is back. But it is like he should be doing things for the sport. What is going on here?”

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Seemingly, Jimmie Johnson is not huge on ‘marketing.’ Initially, his neutral personality in NASCAR did not get him many die-hard fans, as mentioned.

Moreover, by the time he retired from the Cup Series, Johnson was past his prime. His last race win was registered back in 2017, and he continued to race for another three full-time seasons. He was understandably silenced by the more competitive drivers at the time.

Although he has returned to the field with his own team, Legacy Motor Club, Johnson doesn’t advertise himself a lot. Despite his regular Daytona runs with the team, he does not seem to make the entire race about himself.

He remains a modest driver. Just like he was back in the day. However, there is still something that he regrets from his racing days to date, which might as well have made him more popular.

Could an Indy500 win make him unforgettable for fans? Johnson reflects on a major regret

While Jimmie Johnson enjoyed his career peak and currently seems to be living a relatively low life, there is still something that he regrets from his racing days. When asked about it, he revealed that he missed a major chance to have a competitive run in the Indy500 back in the late 2000s.

“I had a legitimate shot to run with Roger at the speedway. They were, I think, Honda-powered only, and my Chevy contract was a problem with that.”

OEMs have always been rather restrictive in motorsports. It just so happened that when Jimmy Johnson had the chance to run the Indy500 with Roger Penske, he was signed with Hendrick Motorsports. This was his career peak. Winning consecutive championships, dominating the Chase format and the field, there seemed to be no other driver who could top him.

HMS, as it has been for a long time, worked with Chevrolet. Now, Johnson, being a Chevy driver, could not drive Team Penske in the IndyCar race because Honda powered them. Ultimately, he missed the chance.

“I ended up doing the 500, but you know, just when I was a little bit younger and more brave, I think I would have had a better result in the 500. And that’s one of those moments that slid by,” Johnson added, speaking to Will Buxton and Kevin Harvick.

Understandably, this was his career peak. Back in 2022, after his retirement from full-time racing, Johnson ran the entire IndyCar season, but being past his athletic prime, he could not pull off a very competitive result.

Despite this, there is no doubt that Jimmie Johnson has a wide fanbase. He recently also opened up about the surprising revelation he had in Europe when running the endurance races. This goes to show that even though the likes of Richard Petty don’t feel that NASCAR no longer has a ‘face’ of bold personality, perhaps Johnson does not need to market his legacy to be loved by the fans.