One more last season for Jimmie Johnson, retirement at the end of 2020

Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and one of the most successful drivers in the North American racing history, announced today that he will compete in his 19th and final full-time Cup Series season in 2020. He made the first announcement on social media and then explained his decision on a press conference on Thursday.

The 44-year-old Johnson is one of the greatest champions in motorsport. His record-tying seven Cup titles, which include five straight from 2006-2010, are equaled only by NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

Jimmie Johnson spent his entire career with Hendrick Motorsports

He won 83 NASCAR Cup Series races, all of them in the #48 Chevrolet of Hendrick Motorsports. They include two victories in the prestigious Daytona 500, four at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a record eleven at Dover International Speedway, nine at Martinsville Speedway and eight at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He has led nearly 19,000 career laps and qualified for NASCAR’s playoffs in 15 of the 16 seasons since the format’s inception in 2004.

A native of El Cajon, California, Johnson began racing motorcycles at age 5 followed by off-road trucks and eventually cars on pavement. He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in October 2001 at Charlotte. Until this past Sunday, he recorded 651 Cup Series starts.

Jimmie Johnson with fans

Photos: Liz Kreutz, Jared C. Tilton, Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images,