"The bottom line has moved so much": When Jimmie Johnson shared how financial factors influenced his NASCAR retirement

Jimmie Johnson once talked about how financial challenges impacted his decision to retire from the NASCAR Cup Series. In an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2021, Johnson shared that the drivers struggled to afford insurance due to the league’s financial crisis.

Johnson retired in 2020 following a two-decade-long career in NASCAR. The now 49-year-old driver secured seven Cup Series championships, tying the all-time record with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Jimmie Johnson was asked about how economics influenced his retirement in the period when drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. also left the sport.

“NASCAR’s been going through quite a bit of a change since Tony, even prior to Tony’s retirement. The playoffs changed a couple of times. Rules continued to change, and a lot of that is to help the bottom line. And ultimately, the bottom line has moved so much because the way fans consume our sport has changed a lot in the last 15 years or more.” [2:17]

The seven-time Cup Series champ said that his earnings dropped by about 50 percent due to the changes.

“I would say that through earnings and potential for a team, it’s been down probably 50 percent,” Johnson said. “I would say that from a driver contract standpoint from 2015 to probably where it is now is probably half.” [2:38]

Jimmie Johnson commented on the rumors saying that non top drivers couldn’t afford insurance amid the financial challenges in the mid-2010s, saying:

“The great fortune being a top driver and 50 percent reduction, it's still a big number, and the sport has been evolving, and actually kind of on a downturn. And now I believe it is ticking up but on that downturn, the guys on the bottom side, I heard rumors where these drivers can’t afford permanent or temporary insurance, which is kind of standard issue in a sport with so much risks. You hear drivers, ‘I can’t afford it, I’m not going to do it.’” [3:49]

After retiring from NASCAR, the former No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver joined IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing from 2021 to 2022. The driver also competed in the IndyCar 500 in year two. He qualified in 12th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but crashed on lap 194 of the race.

Today, Johnson owns Legacy Motor Club and drives part-time for the Statesville-based outfit. The team fields Erik Jones in the No. 43 Toyota Camry and John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 car.

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Jimmie Johnson reflected on not holding up to the core values amid decision to retire

Aside from financial challenges, Jimmie Johnson opened up about mental struggles in his final years in NASCAR. He reflected on not holding up to his core values, which led him to the decision to leave the sport.

In the same interview with Graham Bensinger, Johnson said he felt grumpy in his final Cup seasons for several reasons, including not winning a race for a long time.

“The grind, more than anything, kind of changed me. And I wasn’t holding up to the core values that I can hold for myself. I was just grumpy for the last couple of years.” [0:07]

Jimmie Johnson concluded his NASCAR Cup Series career with 83 wins, sixth on the all-time list tied with Cale Yarborough. In his 686 starts with Hendrick Motorsports, the driver bagged 36 pole positions, 232 top-5s, and 374 top-10s.