Jimmie Johnson talks about his maiden NASCAR Cup Series win at Fontana ahead of second race of the season

Jimmie Johnson won his maiden Cup Series race on April 28, 2002, at what was then known as California Speedway. Fontana's 2-mile track is currently known as the Auto Club Raceway

During his NASCAR Cup Series career, Jimmie Johnson had the good fortune and opportunity to win 83 races. He still has happy memories of his first, nearly 21 years ago in his home state, and the unforgettable celebration that accompanied it.

Auto Club is simply unique. Big things seem to happen there for whatever reason, and it's demonstrated to have a knack for being a place for milestone triumphs, with Johnson eventually passing Earnhardt on the all-time Cup win list at the track in 2016 en way to his seventh title.

It is also the location of Kyle Busch's maiden Cup victory - at just 20 years and 125 days old, he was the youngest series champion ever at the time - and subsequently, his record-tying 200th national series victory to tie Richard Petty.

The victory was not only a homecoming for Jimmie Johnson, but it also helped vindicate Hendrick Motorsports and team co-owner Jeff Gordon's choice to cast Johnson as a rising star in the No. 48 Chevy after a relatively successful Xfinity Series run. That gave Jimmie Johnson a sense of security that would persist for the next two decades.

During the NASCAR 75TH anniversary interviews, Johnson said:

"So to cross the finish line and win, the big exhale that I had when I finally crossed the finish line was really more about knowing I’d be employed, Jeff just won the championship the year before in this equipment that I was driving that day."

"And the team, they never put that pressure on me, but in my heart, I felt like if I didn’t win, I wasn’t going to be back in ’03. So to win 10 races into my rookie season, 13th race ever, that was a huge moment, and I felt like I’d keep the job for a few years.”

Johnson had already made a solid start to his first season when Auto Club was added to the calendar in 2002. He won his maiden pole in the season-opening of the Daytona 500, then added another pole (at Talladega) and six top-10 finishes in the first nine races.

Jimmie Johnson is looking forward to visiting home and being back on track again:

“Of course, I’m back home, first time there as a Cup driver, friends, family in the stands, I think we stopped through San Diego, see some people and hit my favorite taco stand before I went up to the race."

"Just a good check-in at home. I hadn’t been there in a while, so to have all that energy and excitement to go to the race track, to perform and run well all race long.”

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Jimmie Johnson on NASCAR's Comeback

After making his return to the NASCAR Cup Series, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson has weighed in. Despite finishing the Daytona 500 at the infield care center, he made it apparent that he had a great experience driving the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro.

During his media duties, Jimmie Johnson reflected on his NASCAR return. He said to Bob Pockrass:

I had a blast. That was fun. That was so nice not worrying about stage points and I even got a few and not really worrying about anything. It was just about trying to get to the finish for the checkered flag, and I was one lap away.”