Maggie Mackenzie Thu, October 15, 2026 at 11:13 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands of NASCAR fans will make their way to Phoenix Raceway this weekend for Sunday's Freeway Insurance 500. Along the way, some might notice a familiar name on the street signs leading to the track.
Jimmie Johnson Drive isn't a coincidence. The road leading to Phoenix Raceway was named in honor of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, whose remarkable career included one of the most dominant stretches in the track's history.
And there's a story behind why the Arizona facility decided to put his name on the map.
In November 2020, the City of Avondale and Phoenix Raceway announced that a portion of Indian Springs Road would be renamed Jimmie Johnson Drive.
Johnson was preparing for his final race as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver, bringing an extraordinary 19-season run with Hendrick Motorsports to a close.
Rather than simply recognizing him with a ceremony, local officials gave Johnson a permanent place in the track's history.
New signs welcomed motorists to Jimmie Johnson Drive, including one near the Avondale Boulevard Bridge and another near El Mirage Road.
Phoenix Raceway's official address became 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive, Avondale, Arizona.
The honor recognized both Johnson's seven Cup Series championships, tied for the most in NASCAR history, and his success at the one-mile desert oval.
Johnson wasn't merely successful at Phoenix. For several seasons, he was almost impossible to beat there.
Driving the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson won four Cup Series races at the track, including three consecutive events between November 2007 and November 2008.
His fourth victory came in November 2009, when he led 238 of 312 laps on his way to Victory Lane.
Across 37 career Cup Series starts at Phoenix, Johnson compiled:
Those numbers help explain why Phoenix chose to honor him. Only Kevin Harvick has more Cup Series victories at the track, while Johnson remains Hendrick Motorsports' winningest driver there.
Phoenix also hosted Johnson's final full-time Cup Series start on Nov. 8, 2020.
He finished fifth in a special silver No. 48 Chevrolet, while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott won the race and secured his first Cup Series championship.
It was a fitting conclusion to Johnson's full-time NASCAR career, especially at a track where he had enjoyed so much success.
Six years later, the street signs remain.
And as NASCAR returns to Phoenix this weekend, fans traveling to the track will once again pass a reminder of one of the greatest drivers ever to race there.
Source: Sports
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