Jimmie Johnson reflects on his career as he learns of his induction to the 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
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00:00 Please join me in welcoming Jimmy Johnson to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
00:06 It was great to hear my name called and then to watch the video that played in
00:10 the room upstairs here that I was I was in. They had so many key moments to
00:16 this 19-year career I had that's led to this opportunity to be in the hall and
00:20 those emotions just started running through through my brain through my mind
00:24 and then right in front of me was Brooke and Chad and to to see so many images
00:30 with Chad and I together I'm like oh gosh I hope I hope he gets in right
00:35 that's that's the other component to this that I was I was really hopeful for
00:38 and you know a lot of very deserving names on the ballot I am a bit biased
00:43 and very thankful that Chad and I are going in together. We both had our final
00:47 year at the same time so that works right you have to have that timing of
00:49 five years and we you know 17 years together in the 19 that I was in the
00:55 sport we always worried about the next race or you know when the offseason would
00:59 hit sure we'd have a little fun but the next season was always looming and I
01:03 don't think we savored the moments like we should and I don't think many many
01:07 athletes and or teams have that opportunity but there really isn't a lot
01:12 left right so I think we can savor this moment this experience together and I'm
01:18 so thankful we're going in together. To have a vote from your peers has a
01:22 different feeling to it it's one thing to go out on the track and drive a car
01:25 in anger and and win something but to have your peers vote on you has a much
01:31 more special feeling. I'm in the you know hour hour and a half I've had to reflect
01:35 on being nominated you know the the faces and names really I've been running
01:41 through my mind for my wife and kids and their support of course Chad Rick
01:45 Hendrick Jeff Gordon I go back to moments along the way where I thought I
01:51 was out of a out of a job and never gonna get to NASCAR and I think of the
01:55 Herzog's think of John Nelson and his race team Chevrolet and in all their
02:01 support through my career and really guiding me to the Cup Series so and then
02:05 there's just countless names and folks I've worked with along the way some I
02:10 got along with some I didn't you know there were also a lot of positive
02:13 lessons learned and then some tough ones in there as well it helped shape me into
02:16 and do I am today and this opportunity. I hope they you know recognize that I'm a
02:21 real racer at heart and I know it looks like I I did drive for the best company
02:28 out there but it was a long road to get get to get to Cup from racing dirt bikes
02:34 in Southern California and and along that journey you know my dedication and
02:38 commitment to the sport is what I feel separated me created the opportunities
02:42 plus how I treated people so I hope that that story kind of all bleeds together
02:46 and you know lives on here in the hall.
02:51 (electronic music)