Jimmie Johnson, recognized as one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers, has addressed speculation about his prolonged slump, stating that the infamous 2017 Pocono crash was not the cause of his late-career struggles. His comments come after years of debate over whether the incident marked the turning point in his otherwise stellar racing journey, putting to rest persistent claims and shining a light on his true reasons for stepping back from full-time competition.
Jimmie Johnson’s Unparalleled Achievements and Surprising Decline
Jimmie Johnson stands tied for sixth on the all-time NASCAR wins list with 83 victories and is one of just two drivers to claim seven Cup Series championships, a feat that cements his legacy among the legends of the sport. Johnson has made 700 Cup Series starts, a milestone achieved by only 22 drivers in history. Despite this illustrious resume, Johnson’s performance took a sharp downturn in his final years as a full-time driver. From 2018 through 2025, he has not recorded a single race win and has only managed 11 top-five finishes across 121 starts, whether racing the full season or part-time.
His brief stint in IndyCar between 2021 and 2022 was equally challenging, resulting in zero wins, only one top-five, and just one further top-10. This abrupt loss of competitive form startled fans and analysts alike, coming on the heels of Johnson’s remarkable 2016 season, when he captured three wins in the last seven races and achieved his record-tying seventh championship. In 2017, he even secured three wins in the first 13 races, signaling continued dominance. However, after that strong start, his fortunes reversed with an unprecedented winless drought.
Pocono 2017: The Crash That Transformed the Conversation
The pivotal moment cited by many occurred during the Axalta Presents the Pocono 400 on June 11, 2017. Despite having just notched his 83rd Cup Series victory a week prior, Johnson suffered brake failure as he entered turn one. In an effort to reduce speed, he steered into the infield grass but ultimately collided nearly head-on with the outside wall. The impact left Johnson visibly shaken; he knelt beside his wrecked Chevrolet before sitting down against the wall to regain his composure. The incident strongly echoed a similar crash he had experienced years earlier at Watkins Glen, also caused by brake failure, but on that earlier occasion he was quick to climb atop his car to demonstrate he was unscathed.
While Johnson emerged from the Pocono crash only needing time to steady himself, the remainder of that season signaled clear struggles. Competing without apparent physical setbacks for the rest of 2017, he qualified for the Round of 8 in the playoffs, yet managed just six top-10s and one top-five in his final 22 races of that year. The No. 48 team that had been one of the sport’s fiercest contenders began to falter. In subsequent seasons, Johnson failed to recapture his form: in 2018 he reached the playoffs as the 15th seed but was eliminated early and failed to win all year. In 2019 and 2020, Johnson missed the cut for the postseason entirely.
Johnson’s part-time return to NASCAR in 2023 did not revive his earlier glory. Out of 14 starts, he recorded six DNFs (Did Not Finish) and finished outside the top 25 in 13 races, with the notable exception of an impressive third place in the Daytona 500, a rare highlight among mounting setbacks. Observers increasingly pointed to the 2017 Pocono incident as the moment when Johnson’s legendary career began its slide.
Johnson Rejects the Notion that Pocono Was the Turning Point
Despite ongoing conjecture, Johnson has clearly pushed back against the idea that the 2017 crash at Pocono Raceway set him on a downward trajectory. The topic resurfaced recently on his podcast “Never Settle” alongside ESPN’s Marty Smith, when a fan directly questioned whether the incident had shaped the remainder of his career. Johnson gave a candid and somewhat humorous response to dispel the myth:
“I without a doubt disagree… I got out and had to sit down, not because the impact was so bad, but because my crotch belt was too tight. And for any man, you’ll understand what happens in the crotch area with a high contact rate. People think I was having all these other issues. Sitting down seemed like a great option!”
—Jimmie Johnson
He continued to describe the eventual loss of momentum experienced by both himself and his team, attributing his retirement from full-time Cup Series competition to a fading desire to endure the rigorous 38-week schedule. Johnson also pointed out that the No. 48 car he left behind remained a championship-caliber machine, as evidenced by Kyle Larson driving a nearly identical car to the 2021 Cup Series title. In Johnson’s view, the shift in results stemmed more from changes within the team and his own motivation than from any single event or crash.
The Mystery Remains: What Really Caused Johnson’s Decline?
This honest and direct discussion marks the first time Johnson has publicly countered the theory linking his struggles to the Pocono incident, leaving fans and analysts with more questions than answers. Some believe Johnson is simply downplaying the psychological or physical impact of such a traumatic crash, while others see a legendary driver candidly admitting the natural challenges and closing chapters that come with a long and successful career.
It is possible that the debate itself offers fans a way to process the decline of a once-dominant competitor, searching for a “what if” moment rather than accepting the realities of sport and time. While Johnson is likely the only one who fully understands his own journey, the numbers and timelines continue to fuel the conversation. The events of June 11, 2017, will long serve as a touchpoint for those wondering if fate, bad luck, or an unexplainable loss of drive kept Johnson from claiming an unprecedented eighth NASCAR Cup Series championship.
As Johnson continues to make select appearances in NASCAR, the debate over his post-championship struggle endures, underlining the powerful emotions that surround the end of dominant eras in sports. His willingness to address these rumors at last allows the conversation to move forward, putting the focus on the entirety of his extraordinary legacy—and perhaps, on what the future may still hold.
