| Jimmie Johnson does not receive the media attention | | | | When asked if he was too nice for his own good, he |
| that other drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony | | | | responded by saying, "It’s a great problem to |
| Stewart, or even Jeff Gordon demand. In fact, | | | | have. I think the world’s changing. The days of |
| despite his accomplishments, Johnson sometimes | | | | flash, I don’t think people are so interested in |
| takes a back seat to younger drivers such as Carl | | | | those stories anymore. So maybe it’s the year |
| Edwards and Kyle Busch, as they are considered | | | | of number 48 in that respect, and the year of Jimmie |
| spitfire personalities as opposed to Johnson’s | | | | that respect." |
| nice guy, sometimes robotic image. | | | | While fans and media typically flock in droves to |
| Nevertheless, the three-time defending Sprint Cup | | | | storylines that entail controversy and hullabaloo, it is |
| champion does not allow it to bother him. He does | | | | nice to give the good guys their due as well. Having a |
| not fret over his standing in the sport, but he will | | | | nice guy image does not take away on track |
| admit that he deserves some sort of recognition due | | | | achievements. Johnson is still NASCAR’s top |
| to him and his team’s hard work, even though | | | | driver at the moment. After all, he owns three Sprint |
| there may be more colorful personalities in the sport. | | | | Cup championships and forty career wins in only |
| "This is my moment in the sun too. I’m out | | | | seven full years on the circuit. |
| there doing my job, trying to win races. There are | | | | Jimmie Johnson is not the only nice guy in NASCAR |
| other guys that are the characters and start the | | | | that is sometimes disregarded. The 2003 champion |
| fights and say things and keep it colorful and | | | | Matt Kenseth often flies under the radar, even more |
| entertaining. And I certainly enjoy watching those | | | | so than Johnson. Kenseth opened the 2009 NASCAR |
| guys do their thing as well but I’m here to do | | | | Sprint Cup season with wins at Daytona and |
| my job and try to win as many championships and | | | | California, yet he is not ‘The Story’ in |
| races as I can," he said in a recent interview. | | | | NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Jr’s rough week in |
| Johnson is regarded as one of the good guys. Most | | | | Daytona, as well as a possible Jeff Gordon |
| of his fellow competitors admit that they have a | | | | resurgence seems to pique the interest of media and |
| difficult time disliking him because he is such a nice | | | | fans alike. |
| guy. He is not the driver that is going to intentionally | | | | When their careers come to a conclusion, Jimmie |
| wreck you, or punch you in the face if he feels that | | | | Johnson and Matt Kenseth will be in the Hall of Fame, |
| you said or did something that bruised his ego. There | | | | and they will be remembered as a couple of |
| are times when Johnson may refrain from saying | | | | NASCAR’s good guys, proving that ‘Nice |
| exactly how he feels because he is simply not the | | | | guys finish last’ is nothing more than an off |
| controversial sort of individual. | | | | beam adage. |