How good is Jimmie Johnson?
Jonathan Ferrey, Getty Images On a sunny January afternoon, the biggest names on the roster for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona crowd into Victory Lane for a photo op billed as “A Gathering of Champions.” Four Indianapolis 500 winners mill about with victors from F1, Champ Car, Superbike, motocross and other series followed by only the greasiest gearheads. Dario, Danica, Montoya—they’re all here. Even celebrity racer and prime-time champ Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy) struts by. At this moment, there is no greater concentration of cocksureness anywhere else on planet Earth. That’s how racers are. They believe—know—that they are smarter, quicker and cooler than everyone else around them. They refuse to believe that they can be beaten in equal equipment under equal conditions. And they don’t hand out praise. All of which makes the next few minutes all the more jaw-dropping. As Jimmie Johnson strides through the wrought-iron gate, he shakes his head at the throng. “These are the kinds of ev
