CHARLOTTE, N.C. — History and the NASCAR Hall of Fame will not separate Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus.
The two men, whose drive and success defined the sport for more than a decade of its 75-year history, were selected by voters to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
“I was really hoping this opportunity would come about,” Johnson said of entering the Hall with Knaus.
“It’s an honor to be here with Jimmie,” Knaus said. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jimmie Johnson.”
They represent the Modern Era. Voters chose Donnie Allison to the Hall of Fame class from the Pioneer Era ballot. The three men mark the 14th Hall of Fame class and increase the number of inductees to 64.
MORE: Nate Ryan’s Hall of Fame ballot
Johnson was selected on 93% of the 57 Modern Era ballots cast. Knaus was on 81% of the Modern Era ballots. Harry Gant finished third in balloting, followed by Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards. No vote totals were given for those three.
No NASCAR Hall of Famer has been unanimously selected.
While Johnson said “it doesn’t matter” that four voters did not have him on his ballot, Knaus called it “extremely” baffling.
“If this man right here,” Knaus said, sitting next to Johnson, “isn’t a unanimous vote, I don’t know if anybody ever will be. He’s the nicest guy. Best racecar driver to ever sit in a NASCAR race car. A huge contributor to our sport, contributes to society in so many different ways with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. He is the ideal picture of a Hall of Fame inductee.”
Allison was selected on 53% of the 57 Pioneer ballots cast. Banjo Matthews finished second. No vote total was given.
Johnson, Knaus and Allison all were on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.
The Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to NASCAR goes to Janet Guthrie, the first woman to drive in a Cup superspeedway race and first woman to compete in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Jan. 19, 2024, at the Charlotte Convention Center.
“I cannot imagine a more fitting moment than Jimmie and Chad being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the same class,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsport and Hall of Fame member, in a statement. “As individuals, they’re truly unique, with different personalities, strengths and approaches to their craft.
“Each is a champion and generational talent in their own right. But together, they were pure magic. All of us at Hendrick Motorsports were fortunate to see greatness up close as they re-wrote the record book. On behalf of our entire organization, congratulations to two of the fiercest competitors – and best people – our sport has ever seen. We look forward to celebrating their unprecedented achievements.”
#NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024 pic.twitter.com/JrSeiIK2Yf
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) August 2, 2023
It has been quite a journey from California to the Hall of Fame for Johnson, whose parents were a school bus driver and heavy machinery equipment operator. Johnson came to North Carolina in 1997 when he got a Late Model ride. He stayed at the home of Ron Hornaday Jr., a member of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018, for about three months.
Johnson’s career in what was then known as the Busch Series, was unremarkable. He had one win and finished no higher than eighth in the points the two seasons he ran all the races.
He might have been as well known for his harrowing accident at Watkins Glen in 2000. He lost his brakes and crashed head-on into the barrier in Turn 1. Johnson climbed out of the car, stood on the roof and raised his arms in triumph.
While the results might not have been stellar, Jeff Gordon saw Johnson’s talent racing against him in the Busch Series and convinced Hendrick to sign Johnson. He ran three Cup races in 2001 before moving to the series full-time in 2002. Johnson was paired that season with Chad Knaus, who had formerly worked at Hendrick Motorsports and left to be a crew chief. Knaus had served as Stacy Compton’s crew chief in 2001.
Knaus and Johnson were together from 2002-18. They won seven Cup championships together.
Johnson’s seventh title came in 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, tying him with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for most Cup titles by a driver.
“I just wish dad was here to see it, shake Jimmie’s hand,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that day after Johnson’s seventh title. “I really wish dad could have met Jimmie. There’s things that happen in this sport that you wish dad was a witness to and this is definitely one of them.’’
Johnson and Knaus won a record five consecutive titles from 2006-10. Johnson finished in the top five in points nine consecutive seasons with Knaus. Johnson scored 81 of his 83 victories with Knaus, who missed two wins while serving a NASCAR suspension for a rules violation.
Knaus, the son of a racer, was destined to be a crew chief. He served that role at age 14 for his father’s Late Model team.
Knaus’ ingenuity made Johnson’s car fast, led to rule changes and penalties. He pushed the sport and competitors.
“We can’t pull back,” he said in 2015 after returning from a suspension. “If we do that, we are going to get beat. And if we get beat, I am out of a job. There are rules and regulations, we are going to follow … and we are going to do everything we can to stay within NASCAR’s bounds. But we have got to build the best race car out there.”
Knaus remains at Hendrick Motorsports as vice president of competition. Johnson is part owner of Legacy Motor Club.
Donnie Allison, a 10-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and1967 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, joined brother Bobby Allison and nephew Davey Allison in the Hall of Fame. Allison may be best remembered for the finish of the 1979 Daytona 500 when he and Cale Yarborough crashed racing for the lead on the last lap.
“I felt one day down the road I might be inducted,” Allison said.
Modern Era Ballot nominees (2 selected to Hall of Fame)
Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories
Tim Brewer, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief
Jeff Burton, won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s
Carl Edwards, winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion
Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500s
Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief
Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion
Chad Knaus, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief
Larry Phillips, first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion
Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400
Pioneer Ballot nominees (1 selected to Hall of Fame)
Donnie Allison, 10-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, 1967 Cup Series Rookie of the Year
Sam Ard, NASCAR Xfinity Series pioneer and two-time champion
AJ Foyt, won seven NASCAR Cup Series races including the 1972 Daytona 500
Banjo Matthews, built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships
Ralph Moody, two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as mechanical genius of Holman-Moody
Landmark Award nominees (1 selected for 2024)
Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race
Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.
Lesa France Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice Chair and one of the most influential women in sports
Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway
Les Richter, long-time NASCAR executive oversaw competition, helped grow the sport on the West Coast