Jimmie Johnson might as well be one of the finest drivers that NASCAR has ever had in history. However, there doesn’t seem to be a simple answer to this riddle, especially when it comes to choosing across all motorsports. Be it Michael Schumacher’s five consecutive (seven in total) titles or AJ Foyt’s four Indy 500 wins, there have been many throughout the history of racing who have set unbelievable records in their respective series. But who is the best driver in all of motorsports? Even Jimmie Johnson does not seem to have a clear answer to it.

Jimmie Johnson dodges the ‘greatest driver’ debate

Will Buxton, joined by former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, popped the question to Jimmie Johnson. Johnson said:

“There is that itching question. But, as a competitor, when we’re out there and we’ve got Formula 1, IndyCar, all these folks that are with us, we’re at Daytona in the draft,” he said. “As Cup guys, we know we got them. Like, when I’ve done Race of Champions, and we show up, we’re driving rally cars, and I’d line up against Marcus Grönholm, I’m like ‘Ah, you know, we’re in the Pujo world rally cars. I think he’s got me.’”

There doesn’t seem to be a clear answer to this debate. The drivers who dominate open-wheel series might not be so good with stock cars, and vice versa. This is the nature of racing. The years of training drivers go through as children largely shape their skills for a very particular style of driving, and hence, the answer is not that simple, as Jimmie Johnson highlights.

“There are some elements of that, but the amount of time you get with the other drivers and the respect that’s built, there’s an intangible kind of element of respect that helps transcend sport and brings respect into the others, and that’s key.”

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The debate can go on forever. A simple example is Valentino Rossi. Arguably, one of the best drivers MotoGP ever witnessed. He later moved to GT3 racing, and well, he wasn’t as strong on the track. This becomes the defining character of the “all-time greatest” debate.

Johnson, too, has not limited himself to just stock racing. In fact, his endurance runs have been rather impressive.

Johnson’s racing journey outside of NASCAR

Jimmie Johnson retired from full-time NASCAR racing at the end of the 2020 season. With him, he carried seven Cup Series championships,  83 race wins, and 375 top-tens. While many considered this to be his racing career’s end, he returned to the track soon enough, running the Rolex 24.

Now, he had run the race in previous years as well, but he didn’t have the Cup Series to care about now, and he finished the 2021 race in second place, running with Ally Cadillac Racing. He ran once again in 2022, finishing twelfth.

The following year, he tried his hands in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is one of the most challenging races in all of motorsports. However, his race ended quite early.

But in 2022, Johnson’s motorsports portfolio expanded massively. He also ran the IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing. While the performance wasn’t impressive, he did manage to clinch two top-10 finishes.

As it looks, Johnson did not have the best of performances outside of NASCAR. This pretty much sums up the debate. No matter how strong a driver is in a series, it becomes difficult to replicate that success in a different type of racing. This is exactly what Jimmie Johnson mentioned, and it might now be the time for fans to end the debate and settle with the many greats motorsports has been blessed with.