Jimmie Johnson’s racing career captured in photos in new book
As Jimmie Johnson turns the page on his racing career, the Sons of The American Legion member has created a book that recaps his spectacular racing career, including his two seasons in the NTT INDYCAR Series with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Johnson, who was the face of The American Legion’s “Be The One” Campaign in 2021 and 2022, has returned to the NASCAR Cup Series as an ownership partner in Petty GMS Racing.
Racing fans and members of the Legion who want to remember his career that includes seven NASCAR Cup Series Championships have the opportunity with an impressive coffee-table book that tells his story in racing.
“One More Lap: Jimmie Johnson and the #48” is a hardcover book is published by Rizzoli and sells for $48 – an appropriate number that has been on Johnson’s cars in both NASCAR Cup and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
The book went on sale on Sept. 27, the day after Johnson announced he was stepping away from full-time racing in INDYCAR to pursue a “Bucket List” of races in 2023. Since that time, Johnson has become an ownership partner at Petty GMS Racing, joining fellow seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty and primary owner Maurice J. Gallagher.
Johnson was introduced as the ownership partner of the Nascar Cup Series team at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 4. By then, Johnson’s book was entering its third printing.
According to Rizzoli, “One More Lap is a photo-biography of legendary race car driver Jimmie Johnson, starting with his childhood years racing motorcycles and buggies and trucks and onto his NASCAR years where he achieved unparalleled fame and now on to his newest endeavor, INDYCAR racing.”
The book has epic photos from top sports and lifestyle photographers – from the finish line, the victory lap, fans in the stands and celebrations in the pits. There are also behind-the-scenes photos of race prep and family photos, coupled with stories and remembrances from a legendary career that has more races to run.
Most importantly to Johnson, it’s a chance to show his fans and supporters a photo album of his life and racing career.
The book is produced by Condé Nast Corporate Photography Director Ivan Shaw. It is 272 pages and features 175 photographs from nine celebrated photographers.
NASCAR team owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan, owner of the Charlotte Hornets, wrote the forward of the book.
It is currently the No. 1 best seller in the “Celebrity Photography” category at Amazon.com.
“This is a passion project, a labor of love,” Johnson said. “I’ve always been a huge fan of photography. Chani (Johnson’s wife) and a collaboration of her world in mind led me to this. Ivan Shaw, who produced the book, was staying at our house for a book signing at Chani’s gallery with another artist of hers. I shared with Ivan that I had all these images and he asked me, ‘What are you going to do with it?’ I said I didn’t have a clue.
“Over coffee one morning before he was on his way to a book signing, he wanted to see the images and know more about it. Ivan has had a successful career as a photo director. He was at Vogue for a long time and is now over all of Conde Nast’s photo editing. He has had many side projects making books for various people along the way. We collaborated on his. He put in all the hard work behind the scenes. We put the book together and brought Rizzoli on board and we ended up with this team of people working on the book and editing hundreds of thousands of photos.
“The early photos, I was more involved with. There were a few I knew I wanted in there. The other photos I left up to them. I had so many photos to choose from. It was daunting to me to think about digging into all the files and thinking about them all.
“Carvana’s interest in telling the story, and The American Legion, fans followed and wanted to be a part of it. Here we are with a book that is already on a third run, that’s crazy.”
When Johnson announced that he was stepping back from full-time racing, he expressed a desire to run a “Bucket List” of races in 2023. He is expected to compete in five NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023.
The American Legion will continue to support Chip Ganassi Racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as a primary sponsor on the No. 10 Honda for 2021 INDYCAR champion Alex Palou of Spain. The Legion will also be a sponsor on defending Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson’s No. 8 Honda at CGR.
Johnson is now an active member of the Sons of The American Legion and will continue to support its causes.
“I feel like I have built a relationship with The American Legion that will continue for many years to come, and I hope those experiences continue to happen,” Johnson said. “To be a member, to have family members that have served, is a wonderful honor. The time I have spent with everyone. It’s an awesome organization.
“The ‘Be the One’ campaign and knowing our racing program is making a difference in that area is super rewarding. I’ve built some great friendships with the company, too. I hope there are still things we can do together.
“With all of their members, it wouldn’t hurt book sales one bit, either.”
Johnson has experienced the greatest highs in racing, from 84 Cup Series victories to a record-tying seven NASCAR Cup Series Championships. He also struggled to adapt to the much-different Indy car but showed tangible improvement from his first race at Barber Motorsports Park in April 2021 to his final race at WeatherTech Raceway at Monterey, California in 2022.
The highlight was a fifth-place finish at Iowa Speedway in the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 on July 24 on the short oval.
“I wouldn’t have changed a thing,” Johnson admits. “It’s all part of the journey. I don’t think anyone would feel sympathetic for me if it had been different. I’ve had this incredible career, been able to experience so much and work with so many great people.
“Each mistake made has only made me better and learn from this.”