"I always hated Jimmie Johnson": Harrison Burton opens up about his feelings towards the 7x champion 

With seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson returning to the sport at the upcoming 65th Daytona 500 after his brief stint in open-wheeled racing, several young drivers are looking forward to racing alongside the 47-year-old.

Debuting in the sport 22 years ago, Jimmie Johnson was destined to make it into stock car racing's history books. Over his illustrious career in the sport, Johnson has gone up against 270 different drivers, with this year's field only sporting a few names who have not raced against the former Hendrick Motorsports driver.

Known for his dominance in the highest echelon of the sport during his heyday, Jimmie Johnson also manages to bring out emotions from other drivers rarely seen between competitors.

One such example comes in the form of Wood Brothers Racing driver Harrison Burton, who elaborated on what he thinks of Johnson's return, and said:

“I always hated Jimmie Johnson when I was a little kid because he would win all the races I wanted my dad to win and win the championships that, my dad, I wanted him to win. So, I have to beat him to avenge my dad, right?”

The 22-year-old is the son of former Cup Series driver Jeff Burton. Harrison Burton further spoke about how recording his first win was his goal in the Cup Series, and that wrapping one's head around a seven-time champion on the same track can be difficult. He said:

“It’s really cool for a young guy like me to race someone that has won seven championships in our sport. When you first get into Cup, that’s not even like a thought in your brain that I want to win seven championships one day. You just want to win your first race.”

Noah Gragson elaborates on his experience being teammates with Jimmie Johnson

The Legacy Motor Club's three-driver lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season includes rookie Noah Gragson, Erik Jones and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

Speaking about what it feels like to advance into the Cup Series alongside a name such as Johnson as his teammate, Noah Gragson, 24, said:

"It’s going to be an incredible opportunity for a young guy like myself, a rookie to be able to lean on a seven-time champion. Incredible person, friend, mentor that Jimmie has become to myself."

The 65th run of the iconic Daytona 500 goes live from the tri-oval this Sunday at 2:30 pm ET.