By Bob Pockrass
Jimmie Johnson won’t rule out running the occasional NASCAR race, but his run as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver has just six races remaining.
And he’ll “retire” from NASCAR being his full-time job at the same time the crew chief tied to his success will do the same.
Chad Knaus, who won 82 races and seven Cup titles as Johnson’s crew chief through the 2018 season, announced Tuesday that he would not return atop the pit box for 2021. He has six final races as crew chief for William Byron before heading to an executive position as the Hendrick Motorsports Vice President of Competition.
The news Tuesday adds to the storylines as the season winds down. It might not be as dramatic as the playoffs, but the end of the season does bring the end of some notable driver eras.
The first of course is Johnson, an undeniable first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2023 who won five consecutive titles from 2006-2010 and then added to his championship trophy case in 2013 and 2016. The Hendrick Motorsports driver rides a winless streak of 124 races into the last six events.
Johnson, who barely missed qualifying for the NASCAR playoffs this season and sits 17th in the standings, has said all season he’s not worrying about numbers.
“Where everybody’s focus is – to try to send me out with a trophy,” Johnson said prior to the playoffs.
Knaus has a trophy, as he got one with Byron at Daytona in August to qualify for the playoffs. But Byron’s playoff run was short-lived as he got knocked out following the first round.
“After all these years, my competitive desire has not changed at all, but now I have a family that deserves my attention,” said the 49-year-old Knaus, who joined Hendrick in 1993 and has worked there most of his career.
“This new executive role will allow me to compete in a different way with all four of our teams while spending more time with my wife and two young children.”
Johnson and Knaus aren’t the only champions who could be competing in their last events in their current rides.
Matt Kenseth, 48, has driven for Chip Ganassi Racing since May following the firing of Kyle Larson. The 2003 Cup champion probably figured he was getting into a solid ride, as Larson had run well before his abrupt dismissal for using a racial slur during what he thought was a private chat during an online race.
But Kenseth has just one top-5 and two top-10s with an average finish of 19.8. The season just hasn’t gone as he wanted, and Ross Chastain has already been named driver of the No. 42 car for 2021.
Kenseth has not sought after any ride the last three years but has taken phone calls and done select substitute or part-time roles. Expect him to be even more selective after this experience.
In addition to Kenseth and Johnson, one other driver eyes the end of his career and another veteran faces uncertainty.
The race Sunday at Talladega will mark the final Cup race for Brendan Gaughan, who has only driven at Daytona and Talladega and some road courses in recent seasons. He flipped during the Talladega race a year ago and still came back for one more year driving for Beard Motorsports.
“I did not expect to have these last four years in NASCAR,” the 45-year-old Gaughan said. “The Beard family gave me something that was completely unexpected.
“They gave me this last little bit of fun and it’s been phenomenal. I want to go try and win one. I’ve got one more shot to win a Cup race and I’m gonna do my damndest to do it.”
Finally, these last six races could be the final full-time ones for Clint Bowyer, who is not signed with Stewart-Haas Racing for 2021. SHR driver Chase Briscoe has won eight times in the Xfinity Series, and while Bowyer has advanced to at least the second round of the playoffs in each of the last three years, Briscoe could end up replacing him.
“I want one of those [title trophies] and right now that’s the only thing that matters,” Bowyer has said recently about his future.
All of these drivers could come back and race again. Gaughan says he’s done but drivers tend to make exceptions to their retirement pledges. Knaus could get back atop the pit box if needed in an emergency or substitute basis.
But it possibly won’t be the same, especially if they’re not vying for championships.
So here’s an idea – how about Johnson and Knaus teaming up for one final race at Phoenix in the finale at November? Fans on Twitter have rallied for it, but Johnson said that’s not happening.
“Our programs are so locked in and we’re on a path with our teams and all of that that as good as that might feel from a sentimental standpoint, it’s just not a reality,” Johnson said.
On The Air
Saturday
Truck Chevrolet Silverado 250 (Talladega), 1 p.m. ET, FS1
Xfinity Ag-Pro 300 (Talladega), 4:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN
Sunday
Cup YellaWood 500 (Talladega) 2 p.m. ET, NBC
Stat of Note
NASCAR’s Cup race on dirt at Bristol will be the first Cup race on dirt since 1970. That race at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, N.C., was won by Richard Petty.
Social Spotlight
They Said It
“We're not done. There's 2022 and beyond where we'll continue to look at making changes that we believe are in the best interest of the sport in key markets and key iconic race tracks as well.” – NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell on the changes to the 2021 schedule
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