3 times Jimmie Johnson knocked on NASCAR championship’s door only to be turned away

Former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson, famously known for piloting the #48 Chevy Camaro, is one of the three seven-time Cup Series championship winners in NASCAR history. Johnson has had a vast career, from stock car racing to the Le Mans 24 Hours and IndyCar series, showcasing his dominance on various tracks.

Johnson debuted in the Cup Series in 2001 with Hendrick Motorsports as a part-time driver and competed in three races before earning his full-time seat in 2002. With his full-time season as a rookie, he made his goals clear to everyone.

Jimmie Johnson came close to winning the championship title a few times but failed. Let's take a closer look at these instances when the title slipped from the hands of the seven-time Cup Series champion.

#3. Jimmie Johnson lost the 2003 Cup Series title to Matt Kenseth

Jimmie Johnson drove as a full-time driver for HMS in 2003, delivering a remarkable performance. The governing association used the traditional point system back in the day and drivers needed to score points while maintaining consistency to win the title.

Johnson scored 4932 points in the 2003 Winston Cup Series season. He bagged two pole positions, 14 top-five, and 20 top-ten finishes, followed by three major wins. But his on-track rival Matt Kenseth outperformed Johnson in scoring points with one win, 11 top-five, and 25 top-ten finishes. Kenseth won the title in 2003 with an astonishing lead of 90 points over Johnson.

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#2. Johnson's 2004 Nextel Cup Series

In the 2004 Nextel Cup Series season, NASCAR changed the racing format and introduced Chase for the championship format, which implemented a 10-race playoff configuration to determine the winner. Only the top 10 drivers with the most points on the grid competed in the playoff races, with their points resetting to 5000. By the end of the season, the driver with the most points in the last 10 races won the title.

Jimmie Johnson had a slow start in the final 10 races, with three finishes at the end of the grid. His 36th-place finish at Richmond Raceway, 37th at Talladega Superspeedway, and 32nd at Kansas Speedway derailed his chances of clinching his first title.

Meanwhile, Roush Racing driver Kurt Busch dominated the races, securing P15 at Richmond Raceway, P5 at Talladega Superspeedway, and P6 at Kansas Speedway.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver ended the season as the runner-up with 6498 points while Kurt Busch won his first and only title with a mere difference of eight points.

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#3. Brad Keselowski's win over Jimmie Johnson in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season

In the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, the same 'Chase for Championship' format was followed but the points were reset to 2000 by the end of the regular season. Jimmie Johnson qualified for the playoffs and dominated the GEICO 400, Sylvania 300, and AAA 400 races, clinching top-five positions in each race. The Hendrick Motorsports driver also held back Brad Keselowski's aggressive driving.

However, things went south at Homestead in the final race of the championship. Johnson received a pit road penalty followed by a gear malfunction, prompting him to finish in P36, shattering his chances of winning his sixth championship title. Brad Keselowski won the title in 2012, Clint Bowyer finished the season as the runner-up, and Johnson came third in the drivers championship.