Prepare to be shocked! The racing world is buzzing with controversy, and we're about to dive into a hot topic that has NASCAR fans talking. Jimmie Johnson, the legendary seven-time Cup Series champion, has been ranked as the eighth-worst active driver in the NASCAR Cup Series by iRacing Studios' new video game, NASCAR 25.
But here's where it gets interesting and a little controversial...
NASCAR 25, the highly anticipated racing game released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, offers a unique twist. Unlike its PC counterpart, iRacing, which focuses on real-person competition, NASCAR 25 centers on an immersive single-player experience featuring AI-controlled drivers. And these AI drivers aren't all created equal.
Racing games based on real championships often use driver ability ratings to simulate realistic race outcomes. These ratings are usually hidden from players, but NASCAR 25 takes a different approach, following the trend set by sports video games like EA's Madden NFL series.
So, what does this mean for Jimmie Johnson's ranking? Well, it's a bit more complex than just his on-track performance.
When Johnson retired from full-time competition after the 2020 season, he wasn't the dominant force he once was. His last two full-time seasons saw him finish 18th in points, a far cry from the elite level he once dominated. Even his impressive third-place finish in this year's Daytona 500 doesn't change the fact that, as a part-timer with Legacy Motor Club, Johnson is currently ranked around 40th.
And this is the part most people miss: iRacing Studios seems to have plotted every active Cup Series driver on a curve from 40 to 100. William Byron, the 2025 regular season champion and back-to-back Daytona 500 winner, received a perfect 100 rating, despite not having a Cup Series championship title. Byron is the current top dog, but is he really that much better than Johnson? The developer applied a similar rating system to other series in the game, like the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the ARCA Menards Series. For instance, this year's ARCA champion, Brenden Queen, was given a 99 rating. Would Queen really be that close to the top of the Cup Series field?
So, is Jimmie Johnson really the eighth-worst driver in the Cup Series? Or is this ranking a reflection of the team he drives for now? These questions spark an interesting debate. What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! We'd love to hear your take on this controversial ranking.
