CONCORD, N.C. – When Jimmie Johnson won his seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship, it placed him atop the all-time list alongside Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.
Now, Johnson is also a seven-time winner of an award named for Petty.
The National Motorsports Press Association voted Johnson the winner of the 2016 Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award. The driver was named on 62 percent of the ballots cast.
Johnson won five races in 2016, including the championship-clinching finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
He previously won the award in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2013.
But it wasn’t the only honor Johnson has taken home this offseason.
In addition, the San Diego Hall of Champions is honoring Johnson as one of its Professional Stars of the Year for 2016.
The Hall is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating outstanding local athletic achievement. Johnson hails from El Cajon, California, just outside of San Diego.
“I’m proud to represent Southern California and El Cajon in the sport of NASCAR,” he told the San Diego Union-Tribune.