Even though statistically Jimmie Johnson had the worst season of his career in 2014, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has proven extraordinarily lucrative for the six-time champion.
NASCAR has not yet released the final numbers for Kevin Harvick's winnings this year, but in the first 10 years of the Chase, Johnson has had the five richest championship seasons.
In fact, Johnson's six championship seasons produced winnings of $88,804,087. For his entire career, Johnson has now won $141,991,052, which trails only his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, who has earned $144,640,677.
Interestingly, Gordon's richest single season came in 2007, when he finished second in points to Johnson and won $10,926,687. In 2001, when Gordon won his most recent championship, he earned $10,879,757.
Most lucrative NASCAR Sprint Cup championships:
2006, Jimmie Johnson: $15,875,125
2007, Jimmie Johnson: $15,313,920
2008, Jimmie Johnson: $15,170,464
2013, Jimmie Johnson: $14,663,155
2009, Jimmie Johnson: $14,388,237
2005, Tony Stewart: $13,578,168
2010, Jimmie Johnson: $13,393,186
2011, Tony Stewart: $12,671,071
2012, Brad Keselowski: $12,106,255
2004, Kurt Busch: $9,677,543
