I will never forget that Watkins Glen crash. As soon as I saw him hurtle into that wall and destroy the barriers, I remember saying: "Oh no...that guys dead." When he miraculously climbed out of the car, onto the roof, and raised his arms in triumph, I knew two things at that moment: 1. I was a Jimmie Johnson fan, and 2. He would be champion.
Yeah, that was it. I thought he was in deep sh1t when he started to cut across the infield, since the only way out of that is basically a 90 degree impact with the corner exit wall...
@@JackCallSports guys get soft once there hitched and have kids. More to risk.....my family's been in racing our entire lives. Seen it happen to the best of them.
@@Dooguy Kyle Larson flies in the face of your statement. Kyle Busch is another one. It was definitely a severe crash coupled with the fact that we know more (and yet less still) about concussions. Such severe crashes have derailed careers if not outright ended them.
100% agree. I feel like a lot of fans would agree, more so than not. There will be some who would say otherwise. But he never won another race after that hit. Just one week after winning his 11th at Dover. He went on to have 11 tops 5 finishes and 39 top 10's in his final 130 races
And a follow up to my previous comment. His final stats in the last 130 races was better than most drivers whole careers. Jimmie was special. Looking back on old me, who was a jealous Jeff Gordon fan, I wish I could have realized what we were witnessing. Now I get to be a jealous Chase Elliott fan, watching Larson these next 10 plus years
I didn't like Jimmie Johnson while he was driving in NASCAR, but the older I get, the more I realize that he's an elite driver and one of the best drivers in the modern era (hell, maybe ever)!
After the Pocono crash he might have lost his nerve. Some think that's what happened with Darrell Waltrip in 1983 after his wreck at Daytona. Dale Earnhardt was plagued by injuries since 1996, but rebounded in 2000 and probably would have won one more championship. Age just caught up with Richard Petty. Bobby Allison wasn't even finished with racing, but a bad wreck at Pocono in 1988 ended his career. Just circumstances coming together and leading to unforseen events.
similar thing happened with Ryan Newman after that crash at Daytona in 2020. I know he was getting old and I know Roush isn't that good anymore, but his first year with the team he had 14 top tens. After the crash, he only had 6 more top 10s in all of 2021 and the rest of 2020.
@@nascarandbowlingfan3888 I think he was overrated as a pure driver as well compared to Stewart, Gordon, Busch. That said, he won titles based on the format given so he has to get credit for that. In the big scheme of Nascar greats my top five is Petty, Pearson, Gordon, Dale Sr and Johnson.
Pocono did nothing to jimmie, doug duchardt leaving hms and ron malac moving up to from the 48, greg ives going to jrm from building the 48 cars and also kenny francis being vehicle director didnt help which is why HMS had to put Darian Grubb in that position to fix them god awful camaros in 2019 for the 2020 season when they didnt have practice b.c of c-l9. Thats alot of key players and the average nascar fan thinks the crew chief setup the car? Lmao ok
When he stood up on the roof with his hands up is when I became a fan for life. I also remember the Baja crash. 😬 So glad all ended up good.
Me too. He looked like Rocky
I will never forget that Watkins Glen crash. As soon as I saw him hurtle into that wall and destroy the barriers, I remember saying: "Oh no...that guys dead."
When he miraculously climbed out of the car, onto the roof, and raised his arms in triumph, I knew two things at that moment: 1. I was a Jimmie Johnson fan, and 2. He would be champion.
He was actually going 203-204 at Pocono when the breaks failed until he downshifted (on video) and he hit around 120. He was never the same again.
Yeah, that was it. I thought he was in deep sh1t when he started to cut across the infield, since the only way out of that is basically a 90 degree impact with the corner exit wall...
His career ended, from a competitive standpoint, when he had a stuck throttle at Pocono. Never the same after.
Nah.......wife and kids ruin every driver. One exception. Dale Sr.
@@Dooguy wtf is this comment
@@JackCallSports guys get soft once there hitched and have kids. More to risk.....my family's been in racing our entire lives. Seen it happen to the best of them.
@@Dooguy dude they’re the thing that they love to come home to after a long hard race
So you don’t want support from your family?
@@Dooguy Kyle Larson flies in the face of your statement. Kyle Busch is another one. It was definitely a severe crash coupled with the fact that we know more (and yet less still) about concussions.
Such severe crashes have derailed careers if not outright ended them.
That Pocono crash killed his career. So strange how big of an impact it played but he was never even close afterwards
100% agree.
I feel like a lot of fans would agree, more so than not. There will be some who would say otherwise.
But he never won another race after that hit.
Just one week after winning his 11th at Dover.
He went on to have 11 tops 5 finishes and 39 top 10's in his final 130 races
And a follow up to my previous comment. His final stats in the last 130 races was better than most drivers whole careers. Jimmie was special. Looking back on old me, who was a jealous Jeff Gordon fan, I wish I could have realized what we were witnessing. Now I get to be a jealous Chase Elliott fan, watching Larson these next 10 plus years
I didn't like Jimmie Johnson while he was driving in NASCAR, but the older I get, the more I realize that he's an elite driver and one of the best drivers in the modern era (hell, maybe ever)!
After the Pocono crash he might have lost his nerve. Some think that's what happened with Darrell Waltrip in 1983 after his wreck at Daytona. Dale Earnhardt was plagued by injuries since 1996, but rebounded in 2000 and probably would have won one more championship. Age just caught up with Richard Petty. Bobby Allison wasn't even finished with racing, but a bad wreck at Pocono in 1988 ended his career. Just circumstances coming together and leading to unforseen events.
Waltrips winning days were nowhere near over in 1983. The mid 80's was the prime of his career
@@codyC423 and age caught up with Richard way before he retired. At least Jimmie stopped before he was a backmarker.
similar thing happened with Ryan Newman after that crash at Daytona in 2020. I know he was getting old and I know Roush isn't that good anymore, but his first year with the team he had 14 top tens. After the crash, he only had 6 more top 10s in all of 2021 and the rest of 2020.
Pocono was more than an "Oh shit". Glad he was Ok.
The Pocono race is what killed his career he could of very easily won 8 but just impact scared him
My idol ❤️❤️
He looks like Jeff Gordon to me.
Even Jimmy Johnson. The great. The goat. Can fall asleep at the wheel. Even in the most heightened state of motor racing. That’s serious.
Not even top 5 all-time Jimmie was overrated just benefited from a cheater crew chief and gimmicky format
@@nascarandbowlingfan3888 can respect your fanhood. I’m a keselowski guy so I can’t talk lol.
@@tylerhoopes my favorites since I became a NASCAR fan
95 -01 Dale Earnhardt
01-17 Dale Earnhardt Jr
18- to now Chase Elliott and brad k
@@nascarandbowlingfan3888 I think he was overrated as a pure driver as well compared to Stewart, Gordon, Busch. That said, he won titles based on the format given so he has to get credit for that. In the big scheme of Nascar greats my top five is Petty, Pearson, Gordon, Dale Sr and Johnson.
Why do they look like Fraternal twins ??
😂😂 I kinda see it
I wish you asked about his Pocono crash
There are only three true sports: bull fighting, mountaineering and auto racing, the rest are merely games-Ernest Hemingway
Pocono did nothing to jimmie, doug duchardt leaving hms and ron malac moving up to from the 48, greg ives going to jrm from building the 48 cars and also kenny francis being vehicle director didnt help which is why HMS had to put Darian Grubb in that position to fix them god awful camaros in 2019 for the 2020 season when they didnt have practice b.c of c-l9. Thats alot of key players and the average nascar fan thinks the crew chief setup the car? Lmao ok
Didn't he have a wreck at Indy where he needed to gather himself?
Did anyone else notice the pocono pic as the thumbnail & that wasn't even in this video? lameeee
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