Driver

His seven NASCAR Cup Series championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016) tie him for the most ever with inductees Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt and put him squarely in the conversation for the Greatest of all Time. His five in a row (2006-10) has never been equaled. His 83 wins, including two DAYTONA 500s (2006, 2013), put him sixth on the all-time list. (Nearest active pursuer: Kyle Busch with 59.) His streak of 16 seasons with at least one victory ranks fourth all-time. (Petty is #1 with 18.) And he did all this during arguably the most competitive era in NASCAR history. The El Cajon, CA native began racing motorcycles at four. After high school he became one of the top off-road racers, winning rookie of the year in the SCORE, MTEG and SODA series and going on to accumulate six championships. Transitioning to stock cars in 1998, Johnson captured ASA Rookie of the Year honors and was noticed by inductee Jeff Gordon, who recommended him to inductee Rick Hendrick. The rest is history.