Relive the moment Jimmie Johnson joined Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in the history books by winning his 7th NASCAR title at Homestead

NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson won his seventh title in the Cup Series in iconic fashion to tie the record with greats like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

The 48-year-old had a very slow start to the 2016 season but managed to leverage his experience and skill behind the wheel to position himself in the season-finale at Homestead Miami Speedway that year.

The legend himself had accepted that he wasn't the best driver that year but realized that he had a shot at winning the championship in the final moments of the title decider.

He snapped back into reality and was confident that he would win the title after he passed Kyle Larson with two laps to go. The commentator Rick Allen uttered on the air the now iconic lines as Jimmie Johnson crossed the checkered flag:

“Jimmie Johnson has never won at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but he’s never been in a position where he’s had to win for a championship. Make room, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt—there’s another seven-time champ!”

Jimmie Johnson speaks on his experience of leading a team in NASCAR in 2023

Jimmie Johnson revealed that he found owning a team to be a much different ball game compared to racing competitively on the track.

The NASCAR icon who hung up his gloves in 2020 claimed that he didn't completely grasp the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. Speaking with NBC, he also spoke about being more involved this year and said:

“I have a better sense of the sport a year later. Being gone two years (while racing in IndyCar), with the new car coming in, the way the (manufacturers) have such an influence on team development, data and all that stuff, last November, I didn’t really grasp in totality. To live it this year and understand where you need to race, how you race, it’s just a much different NASCAR than it was my final year in 2020.”

He added:

"I really thought I would be deep in the competition department, in the world that I lived in. I’ve been more in the front office and more on the business side, on the branding side, new partners. That whole aspect, which is new territory for me. The two years I had in IndyCar, I saw more of the front office side and was inspired by it and enjoyed it.”

Jimmie Johnson is the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club and is in his first year of his new job.