“Still Love Every Lap” – Jimmie Johnson Takes up Kart Racing Before Final NASCAR Race at Texas

Jimmie Johnson will soon bid NASCAR adieu. This weekend, he heads to the Texas Motor Speedway for his last ever NASCAR race on that track. Johnson has an impeccable record at the track with 7 wins under his belt. Although he is 45-years-old, Johnson still wants a last hurrah at the fabled track.

With Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin on 3 wins, it doesn’t seem like Johnson’s record is going to be broken anytime soon. The first of Johnson’s Texas wins came in November 2007 against Matt Kenseth.

The two of them dueled fiercely for 6 laps and were even side-by-side for those 6 laps. Eventually, Johnson made his play and pounced immediately, but Kenseth did not give up without a fight; however, the #48 car eventually prevailed.

The next win came in November 2012, after a monumental battle against Brad Keselowski. Both of them were fighting for the championship at the time and traded the lead several times, bumping and barging.

Keselowski grabbed the lead for a while, as Johnson came under attack from Kyle Busch. However, with 2 laps to go, Jimmie Johnson nailed the final restart and pulled away from Keselowski. Once he hit the front, he never looked back and went on to win his second Texas race.

Jimmie Johnson showed that he is the king of Texas

A year later, he was back at it on Texan soil and that time around, he had virtually no challengers. Little did anyone know that it was only the beginning, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver went on to take 3 more back-to-back triumphs at the Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson to Run Special Paint Scheme for Texas Race, Designed by His Fan-Turned-Designer

His final win came in 2017, and that only cemented his place as the king of Texas. Second-placed Kyle Larson had no answer for the 7-time Cup Series Champion. Although he was faster on a few occasions, he simply ran out of laps and time.

Fast-forward to 2020, and the veteran driver is gearing up for his last ever Texas race. Truthfully, NASCAR, his adoring fans, and his contemporaries will miss him terribly. However, he is ready to start a fresh chapter in the IndyCar series in 2021, and we couldn’t be happier.