“I just can’t help but think of the plane crash,” When Jimmie Johnson recalled how deadly HMS tragedy tainted his Martinsville triumph

Jimmie Johnson once shared his thoughts about returning to Martinsville Speedway in 2014. The driver admitted that he couldn’t help but think of the tragic 2004 plane crash that claimed the lives of some of Rick Hendrick’s family members whenever he raced on the track.

Johnson, now 49, is an American professional racing driver who earned 83 NASCAR Cup Series victories, all of which were came in the No. 48 Chevrolet of Hendrick Motorsports. He also won the 2004 Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on the same day the HMS airplane incident happened.

In a report by The Augusta Chronicle, Johnson talked about thinking of the crash during race weeks at Martinsville, saying:

"I flew up. It's overcast. It's cloudy. The whole week leading into Martinsville, I've been excited about coming here to race and feel like we have a great chance to win. I wake up this morning and it's overcast, and I just can't help but think of the airplane incident."

The seven-time Cup Series champion recalled seeing police officers instead of NASCAR officials in the pit lane after the race.

“I look back on that day a lot and think about how things went down," Johnson said. "NASCAR called all four cars to pit lane. We get to pit lane, and there are police officers standing around our cars, and I'm like 'What in the world has happened?' Normally there are NASCAR officials, not police officers.”

He added:

"I walk through that from time to time. I hope to never ever go through anything like that again."

Jimmie Johnson winning the 2016 Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway (Source: Imagn)

The plane crash, which happened on October 24, 2004, took the lives of 10 people, including team president John Hendrick and his two daughters. Ricky Hendrick, the son of team owner Rick, was also on board when the incident happened.

Following the plane crash, Jimmie Johnson’s celebration of his 2004 Subway 500 win was cut short. It was his first of nine victories at Martinsville Speedway, one of the oldest tracks on the NASCAR calendar.

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Rick Hendrick named Jimmie Johnson as one of the best former drivers on his team

Jimmie Johnson was named one of the two best former Hendrick Motorsports drivers by team owner Rick Hendrick. The other driver was Jeff Gordon, a former HMS driver who also earned several championships with the Concord-based outfit.

The duo won combined 11 of the 14 NASCAR Cup Series championships, with Johnson winning seven titles and Gordon securing four.

In an episode of the Sports Legends of the Carolinas podcast, Hendrick praised the Californian driver for his contributions to the team.

“Jimmie was the guy that could pick the car apart. If you listen to drivers today, they’ll say (very detailed instructions about what the car needs). ... Nobody ever did that until Jimmie Johnson came along. And so he would start running over 200 in a corner, loose and out of control, telling Chad (Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief) what he thought the car did, what needed, and what it was doing. His attention to detail and his talent — he was unbelievable,” he said.

From left to right: Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson (Source: Imagn)

Johnson tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. for the all-time Cup Series championship record with seven titles. He also tied Cale Yarborough for sixth place in the Cup Series race win record with 83 victories.