Relive the 2016 championship speech given by Jimmie Johnson after winning his seventh NASCAR Cup Series title.
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00:00Wow, this is, this is insane.
00:07I'm, there's just so many thoughts going through my heart, my mind and my heart, and now I've
00:12got a script and I'll do my best to follow it.
00:15But to start, I just want to say thanks for the fun times, Tony.
00:20So many have said it tonight in this room, you've brought so much personality to our
00:25sport, you've done so much for auto racing in general, and please don't grow up.
00:29You don't want to be like me, I promise.
00:31We want to be more like you.
00:34By the way, Eddie Vedder is here, this is insane, it's awesome.
00:40So when I say this, I mean it really is no joke.
00:47My goal growing up was to win a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race, or win a NASCAR Sprint Cup
00:53Series race.
00:54Just one.
00:56To be here on the stage tonight with our seventh championship, I'm going to be honest,
01:02it's still sinking in.
01:03This is mind blowing.
01:07Heart and loyalty and a never quit attitude are the foundation of our success though.
01:12Add that with Mr. Hendrick's leadership and the unwavering support from Lowe's, put it
01:18all in a Chevy, good stuff happens.
01:22We've been through a lot over the years, ups and downs, winning and losing, joy and heartbreak,
01:29and actually even a golf cart incident.
01:31Amongst it all, we're still together and more unified than ever.
01:36I consider it a huge accomplishment that it's been one owner, one sponsor, one manufacturer,
01:43one driver, one crew chief, and one car chief for 15 years.
01:52To the Lowe's employees everywhere, it's an honor to represent you each and every weekend.
02:03Thank you for your support.
02:05Melanie and Robert Kniblock, you're incredible partners and great friends, and I can't thank
02:09you enough.
02:10Chevrolet, I've raced a Chevy my entire career, like every lap of every race of my professional
02:17career, nothing else.
02:19It's mind-blowing to have that experience just with you.
02:23Canals, dude, really, is this happening?
02:29This is so insane.
02:30If people could have heard myself and Chad and the team on the front stretch in Homestead,
02:35we're just beside ourselves.
02:36I've experienced this all with you, buddy, and I love you like a brother.
02:40Thank you so much, and Brooke, thank you for all the great times and many more to come.
02:50This race team is full of the most dedicated and talented guys I've ever been around.
02:58As I mentioned, the celebration on the front stretch and in Homestead was the ultimate
03:02moment for all of us.
03:04We were absolutely losing our minds, and that moment in time will forever make me smile.
03:10Thank you, guys.
03:18Something else I'm extremely proud of is the relationship I have with Hendrick Motorsports
03:22and especially my teammates, Greg and Dale, Casey and Keith, Alex Bowman, Alan and Chase,
03:29and a big congratulations to Chase on Rookie of the Year.
03:33Thank you guys for just being amazing teammates and friends.
03:37To Jeff Gordon, thank you for being a mentor and a friend, and I will be forever grateful
03:43for this opportunity.
03:45I want to thank NASCAR, the officials, and the France family.
03:50As we all know, Sprint is moving on from our sport, and I want to thank you so much for
03:54everything you've done for us, and also thank you for the amazing collection of trophies
03:58that I have.
03:59The list I'm about to mention were instrumental in winning this year's trophy.
04:05To start off, that would be with Cobalt Tools, Valvoline, Exalta, Bank of America, Blue Cross
04:11and Blue Shield, Bosch, Freightliner, Siemens, Gatorade, Goodyear, Sunoco, Seiko Watches,
04:19Blue Bunny Ice Cream, of course the fans, and certainly the offices of Jimmy Johnson
04:24Racing, my family, and my friends.
04:28Linda and Rick Hendrick, thank you for making me a part of your family.
04:32There's no other way around it.
04:34This was an emotional one.
04:36Seven, the emotions that went with seven, I love you guys.
04:42To my buddy, Ricky Hendrick, I felt your brother.
04:46You were there those last few laps, without a doubt.
04:49I can honestly say that was the most spiritual experience I've ever had in my life.
04:56My family, as any parent knows, life gets busy when you add little ones to the equation,
05:01and Team Johnson is wide open.
05:03I'm so blessed and thankful for Lydia and Genevieve.
05:06They're everything to me.
05:08The one who keeps this whole thing on the tracks is Shannie.
05:11Thank you so much for your love and support, and the sacrifices you make for our family,
05:14and to let me go out and do my thing on the racetrack.
05:26So in closing, I spent some time trying to study up for this, this night, and fortunately
05:32could find Dale Earnhardt's acceptance speech.
05:35I took a quote from his speech, from the person bringing him to the stage in 1994 after
05:41he won his seventh.
05:43He quoted Dale as saying, I might have won as many championships as Richard Petty, but
05:48he will always be the king.
05:50I completely agree and must say, I might have won as many championships as Richard Petty
05:55and Dale Earnhardt, but I will never be the king or the intimidator.
06:00I'm just a guy from California who always wanted to race.
06:03Thank you all.
06:04Have a great night.