In 1992 to 1994 Jimmie Johnson started his racing career as an off-road racer and won championships at the Mickey Thompson Stadium Championship. In 1998 he was awarded the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series Rookie of the Year Award and in 2001 had made less than 100 stock car starts in his career heading into the season. In 2001 Jimmie Johnson debuted in his first three Winston Cup starts in which he scored his first Nascar Busch Series victory in his fourth season racing stock cars preparing to advance his career to the next racing level.

In his first start at the Lowe`s Motor Speedway he qualified a very impressive 15th, His best finish was 25th at Homestead. He concentrated on keeping his top-10 standing for Busch Series point standings. Jimmie Johnson had a limited number of stock car races on his resume; where he was the third man in the 2000 Busch Series rookie invasion, He ended his impressive rookie season with a contract from Hendrick Motorsports to compete in the Winston Cup Series in 2002. Johnson finished 10th overall in points with six top 10 finishes in his 31 races. Jimmie Johnson`s consistency earned him his point position, with twenty-four top 25 finishes and average finish of 20th place, the image of him from his 2000 crash right through the Styrofoam blocks because of a turn one brake failure at Watkins Glen. The great seasons by other rookies Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday, Johnson placed third in the rookie of the year standings.

In 2002 Jimmie Johnson`s Winston Cup rookie campaign was one of the best in recent memory for car owner Jeff Gordon. The three wins including a sweep at Dover. Johnson`s 21 top-10 finishes tied him with Tony Stewart for second in the series and led the Winston Cup standings following the late September race at Kansas. Johnson was taken out of title contention because of two finishes outside the top 30 in the final six races of the season but he did manage to finish fifth in the overall standings. He placed second to Ryan Newman in the rookie of the year balloting. In the 2000 season, Johnson was selected as one of People Magazine`s Sexiest Men In The Fast Lane, along other Winston Cup and Busch Series drivers.

In September of 2003, Jimmie Johnson`s fuel strategy leads to a win at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Johnson and the Hendrick Motorsports team made a fuel stop with 25 laps to go. The other leaders were forced to pit for gas while Johnson edged closer to the front and regaining first place on the 294th lap. The other drivers were not able to compete with Johnson the second year Winston Cup racer. Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line with his Chevrolet Lowes Car with a 10-car lengths lead ahead of Ricky Rudd. The race was almost taken away from Johnson during a pit stop on the 128th lap during the first caution flag. Johnson was in second place behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., before debris was spotted on the track by Nascar. All the lead cars pitted and Jeff Gordon tried to squeeze between Johnson who was in his pit already. Michael Waltrip was heading to his pit behind Jeff Gordon and in front of Johnson. Michael Waltrip didn`t see Gordon in front of him and hit his car sending him into the front of Jimmie Johnson`s car knocking out Johnson`s tire changer and tire carrier into the air. Three crewmen were bruised but not hurt enough to stop working.