"He would light Mrs. Hendrick up" - $160M Jimmie Johnson recalls Snoop Dogg's 'world-class' performance at HMS 2016 championship party
Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson recently recalled a fond memory of music sensation Snoop Dogg performing at his seventh championship party back in 2016. The co-owner of Legacy Motor Club said the star rapper's performance got the approval of Linda Hendrick, car owner Rick Hendrick's wife.
In an article by Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, the 83-time Cup Series winner was asked what his favorite celebratory moment was, whether it be a championship party or time spent with someone after the championship.
The driver of the #84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota cited the 2016 championship party, where the 53-year-old music icon put on a great show and smiles on the faces of those who attended.
"In our seventh championship, we had Snoop Dogg play our championship party for Hendrick, and that was world-class," Johnson said. "He put on a great show and just a ton of fun. Spent some time with him. He was so gracious and stayed in the party afterward, just socializing and hanging out."
"He was great. He’s so comfortable with being himself. It's phenomenal. It just flows and can transcend all age groups, which is amazing. He would light Mrs. Hendrick up, put a smile on her face, and then turn and talk to whoever. He’s just cool that way," he added.
That 2016 championship would be Johnson's record-tying triumph as he's tied with Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series championships in history. The $160M-worth (via Celebrity Net Worth) Jimmie Johnson wheeled his #48 Lowe's Chevrolet to victory at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, besting Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards in the championship race.
Jimmie Johnson plans to keep racing in 2025 while keeping his team in mind
Jimmie Johnson isn't done in the Cup Series yet as he said after the Las Vegas race that he plans to make a few appearances in 2025. However, the owner-driver said that he'd do this only if his team isn't financially impacted in a negative way.
When asked by Frontstretch reporter Dalton Hopkins whether or not he'd be back in the car next year, Johnson replied:
"I've thought about it. We're just trying to make sure that it's not costing the team anything, it's not hurting the 42 and 43 [cars]. We don't have it put together yet, but I'll be out there a few times at least." [1:05 onwards]
Legacy Motor Club fields two full-time Cup Series cars, with the #42 driven by John Hunter Nemechek and the #43 piloted by Erik Jones. Johnson, meanwhile, makes part-time appearances in the #84 machine.
Jimmie Johnson has struggled to produce strong results as he's posted a best finish of 28th three times in 2024. The 49-year-old is scheduled to run the season finale race at Phoenix in two weeks.