Getty Jimmie Johnson has recommended reducing the NASCAR schedule.
The NASCAR Cup Series schedule has featured 36 races since the 2001 season, but Jimmie Johnson believes that it could be shorter. The seven-time champion said during an appearance on “In Depth With Graham Bensinger” that 25-28 races “would be ideal.”
Johnson made the comments during a sitdown with Bensinger that covered a wide variety of topics. He discussed the NASCAR garage supporting Bubba Wallace at Talladega in 2020, the rift between him and crew chief Chad Knaus, and crashing during the 1995 Baja 1000. Though a key moment came when he discussed the number of races that the schedule features.
“I’ve always firmly felt that there’s just too much racing in NASCAR,” Johnson told Bensinger. “That’s my opinion and I’ve had that conversation with executives at NASCAR. Reducing the schedule down to 25-28 races I think would be the ideal way to go about it.”
The Cup Series featured a staggering variety of races from the first season (1949) until the end of 2000. Some had 37 races, others had 49. A stretch from 1974 until 1978 sent the drivers to the track for 30 different events.
There was no definitive number until Bobby Labonte won the Cup Series championship in 2000. He capped off a 34-race schedule by holding up the trophy and then NASCAR moved to a 36-race schedule the following year. This schedule has remained ever since.
NASCAR Switched the Schedule When Johnson Joined Cup
The seven-time champion never competed in a NASCAR season that did not feature 36 races. He made his debut in 2001, the first year with 36 races, with a three-race schedule for Hendrick Motorsports. He then suited up as a full-time member of the team in 2002.
Johnson became the permanent driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet and locked up three wins as a rookie. This season was the first in a 16-year run in which Johnson won at least two races, including the 10-win 2007 season.
Johnson started all 36 races from 2002 until 2019, winning seven Cup Series championships in the process. The only race that he missed in his career took place during the 2020 season when he tested positive for COVID-19. He was unable to compete in the last Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but he returned the following week for the trip to Kentucky.
Johnson Also Provided a Glimpse at His Various Collections
While the majority of the appearance focused on conversations about championships, crashes, and NASCAR finances, Johnson also took time to show Bensinger around his warehouse. This sightseeing trip included glimpses of vehicles from past competitions, eight of Johnson’s nine Martinsville clocks, a recliner with an engine, and a sizable number of helmets.
There are several classic automobiles in Johnson’s collection, which serve as the centerpiece of the warehouse. He specifically showed off his wife’s 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, his 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1951 Mercury with shaved door handles, and a classic Woody Wagon.
To cap off the warehouse visit, Johnson showed Bensinger his collection of championship trophies. He focused on one, in particular, which had a special meaning. His seventh trophy — from the 2016 season — was the one that he used to honor Rick Hendrick’s son, Ricky Hendrick, who passed away on October 24, 2004, in a plane crash.
“Going for my seventh [title] and honoring Ricky Hendrick — he had a thing for seven,” Johnson said. “It was a wild experience in the race, feeling he was present in there. When I heard ‘clear’ on the back straightaway coming to take the white flag, I was convinced he was riding in the car with me.
“It was wild. I was overcome with goosebumps, I could feel him,” Johnson continued. “I thought he was there. Ran another lap and a half and won my seventh championship.”
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