NASCAR Cup Series

Jimmie Johnson pays tribute to 'the true bad-ass' he's running down

Published Jun. 5, 2015 2:51 p.m. ET

Tom Jensen

Jimmie Johnson is rapidly catching the late Dale Earnhardt in terms of race victories and championships, but Johnson knows he can never eclipse Earnhardt's legend.

The two are awfully close statistically right now: Earnhardt won 76 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and seven championships, while Johnson's victory last week at Dover International Speedway gave him 74 wins, along with his six championships.

Friday morning at Pocono Raceway, Johnson acknowledged Earnhardt's impact on the sport.

"I, unfortunately, never had a chance to race against Dale," said Johnson, who began racing in the Sprint Cup Series in 2002, a year after Earnhardt's death. "Definitely, there's a void there in my mind and my career that I didn't have that opportunity. I did meet him a couple of times and he did a fantastic job of intimidating me and scaring the you-know-what out of me in both those instances."

Johnson said he will be properly respectful of Earnhardt's legacy if he catches and passes him.

"If it does happen, I of course want to handle it in the right way and pay tribute to Dale and what he's done for our sport, the true bad-ass he was in our sport, and if and when that does happen, it will be an honor to be there in that status with him," said Johnson.