BROOKLYN, MI – Jimmie Johnson's last race weekend in the Irish Hills of Michigan came with limited fanfare, as the seven-time champion prepares to retire at the end of the season.
The 44-year-old California native sniffed the lead at the start of Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400, moving up to second in the early laps behind Clint Bowyer. But Johnson wasn’t a factor for the race win, finishing 11th in his final Michigan International Speedway race.
He finished 12th in Saturday’s race at MIS during the doubleheader weekend. Johnson sits 26 points behind the final playoff spot.
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“I had a lot of fun racing over the last two days (at MIS),” Johnson posted on Twitter after the race. “Hopefully we can make something happen in these next 4 races and get into the playoffs.”
While Johnson has 83 career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, only one of them came at MIS, in 2014.
The No. 48 has had speed at the track over the years. In his very first MIS race in 2002, Johnson lost the lead with 15 laps to go, but had a chance at the win. He restarted in second with three laps to go, but ultimately fell to 14th.
Johnson looked poised to win both MIS races in 2009, but ran out of fuel while leading with less than three laps to go in both events.
Sunday’s 11th place finish is Johnson’s best at the track since 2017. He finishes his MIS career with 38 Cup races, one win, five top fives, 13 top 10s and 700 laps led. He collected more than $3.4 million in winnings through 2015, when NASCAR stopped reporting earnings totals.
A champion, even in the losing seasons
Kevin Harvick – who won both races this weekend – said Johnson is the type of driver young racers should look up to.
“He’s acted like a champion in the year of a (championship) and acted like a champion in the years of not being the champion,” Harvick said. “He still represents himself as a class act.”
Michigan didn’t get to wish Johnson a final farewell, as the grandstands and infield were closed for fans all weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MIS still found a way to honor Johnson, naming a nature trail in the Graves Family Campground after the driver.
"Jimmie's very active, he rides his bike when he comes (to MIS)," MIS President Rick Brenner said. "He's an icon in our sport and we thought the active lifestyle that he has when he's not racing was represented nicely with the trail."
It’s awesome and thank you for the honor! https://t.co/qsEKYmmCKv
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) August 9, 2020
Brenner joked that it’s too bad the milled trail isn’t 4.8 miles. Johnson is known for his athleticism, running the Boston Marathon in 2019 in less than 3 hours and 10 minutes.
“Fitness is high priority to me and to have this trail in my name means a lot,” Johnson said in a news release. “Fans for generations to come will be able to enjoy ‘Pure Michigan’ and experience the racetrack at the same time. I have always loved the area, fishing close by with my girls and cycling on Saturdays during race weekends. I am very thankful to the folks at Michigan for this thoughtful honor.”
Ironically, bikes aren’t allowed on the trail.
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