Why Jimmie Johnson stands apart from Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty in the seven-time champions club

Three NASCAR icons stand alone in the history books as the only drivers to win seven Cup Series championships. Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson each have a record-tying seven titles to their name, and all stamped themselves as one of the greatest racecar drivers to ever compete in NASCAR.

Johnson was the latest driver to join the seven-time champions club in 2016, and it's safe to say his championships stand apart from those won by Petty and Earnhardt. Petty won seven titles across 16 seasons, winning his first in 1964 and his last in 1979. Earnhardt captured his seven titles across 15 seasons, with his first coming in 1980 and his last in 1994.

All of Petty's and Earnhardt's championships came under the Winston Cup points format, where the driver with the most points at the end of the year was crowned the champion.

Johnson, on the other hand, won all of his championships under a playoff format. He won seven titles across 11 seasons, with his first in 2006 and his final coming in 2016. Perhaps more impressive, he won championships under three different playoff formats. His five straight championships (2006-2010) were won under the first playoff format, where the season's top 12 drivers raced for the title through 10 races.

Johnson won the 2013 Cup title under the "wild card" playoff format, which was similar to the first format but tweaked with implications such as the "wild card" drivers. In 2016, Johnson won in the third season of the 16-driver playoffs, where four drivers were eliminated from the playoffs every three races, leaving four to race for the title in the last race of the season. While it doesn't take away from Petty and Earnhardt's achievements, Johnson was able to adapt and win championships under various playoff formats.

Jimmie Johnson won an unprecedented five straight championships from 2006-2010, a feat that arguably won't ever be replicated. The closest anyone has gotten to such an accomplishment was Cale Yarborough when he won three straight championships (1976-1978).

Petty won back-to-back titles twice (1971-72, 1974-75), while Earnhardt did the same (1986-87, 1990-91). Winning one championship puts a driver in elite category, much less winning multiple consecutively. The fact that Johnson was able to win five straight speaks to how he was able to separate himself from the rest.

How many times has Jimmie Johnson raced in 2025?

Jimmie Johnson retired from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. However, the seven-time champion continues to compete on a part-time basis behind the #84 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club, a team co-owned with fellow seven-time champion Richard Petty.

Johnson has competed in two Cup Series races in 2025. He kicked off the year with a third place in the season-opening Daytona 500, recording LMC's best finish in a Cup Series race.

Yet, Jimmie Johnson had a much different result in last May's Coca-Cola 600 when he crashed out of the race and finished 40th. As of now, they are the only two races he planned on running in 2025.