Jimmie Johnson

Birthday: Sept. 17, 1975
Hometown: El Cajon, Calif.

YEAR-BY-YEAR NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RECAP

2007 -- Won second consecutive series title. ... Finished with 10 wins, 20 top-fives, 24 top-10s and four poles. ... Became first driver since Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon in '97 and '98 to win consecutive series titles; also the first since Gordon in '98 to win 10 races in a season. ... Became 15th driver to win multiple titles in NASCAR's premier series. ... Became 14th driver in series history to win consecutive titles. ... Four consecutive wins late in the Chase for the Sprint Cup solidified title run. ... Came from 68 points behind Gordon following season's 31st race to win title by 77 points in front of Gordon. ... One of only two drivers (Matt Kenseth is the other) to qualify for all four "Chases".

2006 -- Won the series title. ... Finished with five wins, 13 top-fives, 24 top-10s and one pole. ... His 24 top-10s led the series. ... Spent all 36 weeks of the season in the Sprint Cup top 10. ... Won Daytona 500. ... Also won his first events at Talladega Superspeedway (in May) and at Indianapolis (in August). Other two victories came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. ... Pole came at Martinsville (in April).

2005 -- Finished fifth in series points. ... Won four races in his fourth season in the Sprint Cup Series, including the season sweep at Lowe's Motor Speedway, which included a third consecutive Coca-Cola 600 win. Johnson is the first driver to win three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s. ... Other victories came at the September event at Dover and Las Vegas.

2004 -- Finished second in series points, only eight behind champion Kurt Busch, in the closest championship finish in Sprint Cup history. ... Led points for nine race weeks during season. ... Led series in wins with eight and top-fives with 20. ... Started Chase for the Sprint Cup fifth in the standings, and dropped to ninth after first three races of Chase. ... Rallied by winning four of the year's last six races, including three consecutive (Charlotte-Martinsville-Atlanta). ... Had three season sweeps, winning both events held at Darlington, Charlotte and Pocono. ... Repeated as Coca-Cola 600 champion and also won the Southern 500. ... String of 70 consecutive weeks in series' top 10 ended in Week 2, after 41st-place finish at Rockingham.

2003 -- Finished second in series points. ... Spent all 36 weeks in the standings' top 10, the only driver to do so. Started 2004 with a string of 69 consecutive weeks in the points standings' top 10, best among active drivers. ... Finished two spots above his car owner, Jeff Gordon, in the top 10. ... Season highlight was winning rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 in May at Charlotte, one week after winning the all-star event, a non-points event also held at Charlotte. ... Swept season events at New Hampshire. ... Ended season by finishing in the top three in the last six events to secure runner-up finish in series championship.

2002 -- Finished fifth in series points as a rookie. ... Won Daytona 500 pole in fourth career start. ... First career victory (at California) came in 13th start. ... Won three races (California and both Dover races). ... Became first rookie in series history to sweep both races at a track. ... Led point standings for one week following Kansas in September.

2001 -- Finished 52nd in series points. ... Made series debut with three starts, best finish 25th at Homestead.

PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY

Finished eighth in Nationwide Series points in 2001, driving for Herzog Motorsports. ... Earned first career Nationwide Series victory in the series' first race at Chicagoland Speedway. ... During first full season in the Nationwide Series, had six top-10 finishes and finished 10th in the point standings. ... In 1999, started five Nationwide Series races, led 22 laps and collected one top-10 finish. ...Won rookie of the year honors in the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series in 1998. ... Johnson won six off-road racing championships, including two MTEG Superlite championships (1992, '95), the 1992 Miller Challenge Superlite title, the 1993 SCORE Class 10 Desert championship, and two SODA Winter Series overall titles (1996, '97). ... Also was named 1991 MTEG rookie of the year in the Superlite Class and 1995 SCORE rookie of the year. ... Began racing in motocross events at age five.

NOTEWORTHY

Johnson and his wife, Chandra, founded the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in 2006 to assist children, families and communities in need throughout the United States. ... During the 2000 season, Johnson was selected as one of People Magazine's "Sexiest Men in the Fast Lane," along with other NASCAR drivers. ... Johnson was the youngest driver ever in the Mickey Thompson Stadium Truck Series. ... Johnson and Jeff Gordon joined World Superbike champion Colin Edwards in Europe, and won the 2002 Race of Champions Nations Cup, an annual event pitting the world's best rally, motorcycle and circuit racers against one another in head-to-head competition.