Jimmie Johnson is rapidly writing his name all over the NASCAR record books. And with just six seasons and more than 220 races under his belt, the El Cajon, Calif. native is just getting started.

Last year he joined eight other drivers as winners of consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles. This year he hopes to join Cale Yarborough as the sport's only winners of three consecutive championships.

But it doesn't stop there.

Going in to the 2008 season, Johnson owns 33 careers victories tying him with "Fireball" Roberts for 18th place on the all-time win list. He's won a quarter of the "Chase" races since its inception in 2004 and the 32-year-old is the only driver to win at least three races in his first six seasons.

His impact isn't limited to the race track.

Johnson and wife, Chandra, promote the Jimmie Johnson Foundation with a variety of public fundraising activities. In March of 2007, the couple opened Jimmie Johnson's Victory Lanes for campers at Kyle and Pattie Petty's Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, N.C.

In addition to donations to organizations such as the Red Cross and time spent honoring requests from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Johnson's hosted the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Inaugural Golf Tournament in his hometown of San Diego which raised more than half a million dollars for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity in August 2007.

In just six years in Sprint Cup racing, he's joined the names of NASCAR's elite like Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, Yarborough and others. But, Johnson wasn't an overnight sensation. Years of hard work, dedication and help from a variety of people have been key ingredients in his championship rise.

The 32-year-old Californian clinched his first championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway finishing the 2006 "NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship" 56 points ahead of second-place finisher Matt Kenseth and followed it up in dramatic fashion in 2007 with a 77-point win over teammate Jeff Gordon.

With the support of his family, Johnson's racing career started on 50cc motorcycles at the age of five. His father, Gary, worked for a tire company and his mother, Cathy, drove a school bus. With Jimmie and younger brothers Jarit and Jessie in tow, the family spent most of their weekends camping and doing what they loved - racing. During these weekends, it wasn't unusual to see Gary preparing the tracks for the kids to race and Cathy running the concession stand.

Johnson was successful on motorcycles at an early age. By the time he was eight, he won the 60cc class championship despite blowing out his knee with several races remaining in the season.

From motorcycles, Johnson graduated to the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) Stadium Racing Series where he won more awards. A 1993 meeting arranged by his mentor, supercross champion Rick Johnson (no relation), proved fortuitous for the eager driver.

While racing at the Los Angeles Coliseum, Rick Johnson introduced his young protege to the Executive Director of GM Racing, Herb Fishel. The protege lived up to his billing, impressing Fishel with his driving ability and business acumen.

Fishel kept his eye on Johnson that year. He later walked into an off-road racing team meeting and threw a picture of Johnson on the table informing the team that Johnson was the man they needed to drive their car.

Johnson seized the opportunity, spending the next few years driving buggies and trucks in off-road stadium and desert races. Johnson also improved his ability to connect with fans and potential sponsors by reporting for ESPN in the Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association Series (SODA).

In 1995, the work paid off in another way as Johnson met his future car owners Stan and Randy Herzog while working in the series. The following year Johnson began driving the brothers' off-road truck. After two years, Johnson was ready for the next opportunity and crafted a proposal, taking it to his friend, Fishel. Fishel gave the owners and their ambitious driver a shot and in 1998 Johnson climbed behind the wheel of an American Speed Association car and got his first taste of pavement racing and never looked back.

His victories in the ASA Series paved the way for his move to NASCAR (initially in the Nationwide Series) where his winning ways continue as the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.

In 183 NASCAR Nextel Cup races, Johnson's record includes: 23 wins, nine poles, 66 top-five and 110 top-10 finishes

2006

• Captured the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship
• Recorded five victories, one pole, 13 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes
• Victories included NASCAR's two most prestigious races- Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 (the second driver to win both in a single season); as well as Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway and the Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Only four other driver in NASCAR's history have won the Daytona 500 and the championship in the same season; Jeff Gordon, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty (3x) and Lee Petty
• Tied for the best start in NASCAR history with two wins and a second-place finish in the first three races
• Earned 20th victory in his 150th race- only Jeff Gordon got his 20th victory in fewer races (125)
• Lead the point standings for 25 of 36 weeks
• Concluded season ranked sixth in NASCAR history for number of consecutive weeks (105) in the top 10 in the NASCAR point standings (streak began at Atlanta in March 2004)
• Only driver (in the modern era) to win at least 3 races in each of his first five full-time seasons.
• Voted Driver of the Year

2005

• Finished fifth in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup
• Lead the point standings for 17 weeks during the season
• Visited victory lane four times; Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway (2x), Dover Downs
• Amassed one pole, 13 top-five and 22 top-ten finishes
• Swept both events at a track (Lowe's Motor Speedway) for the fourth consecutive year
• Only driver ranked in the top 10 in point standings after every race during the season (streak began at Atlanta in March 2004)

2004

• Capped off season with a second-place finish in the inaugural Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup
• Visited victory lane 8 times, the most of any driver
• Notched 20 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes and led 24 races for a total of 1,312 (the most of any driver for the 2004 season)
• For the third consecutive year swept both events at a track (twice in the season-Pocono and Darlington)

2003

• Finished the season second in the Nextel Cup points standings with three wins (Lowe's Motor Speedway and twice at New Hampshire International Raceway), 14 top-fives, 20 top-10s and two poles (Pocono and Kansas)
• Won All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Finished the season 9th on the all-time list for consecutive weeks (69) ranked in the top-10 in points.

2002

• Notched three victories in rookie campaign - twice at Dover Downs and once at California Speedway; the first rookie in series history to sweep both races at a track
• Along with the three wins, compiled six top-five and 21 top-10 finishes
• Fastest qualifier four times - Daytona 500, Talladega Superspeedway(spring), Lowe's Motor Speedway (spring), and Richmond International Raceway(fall)
• First rookie in the history to lead in the point standings

2001

• Made first NASCAR Nextel Cup appearance - qualified 15th and finished 39th on Oct. 7 at Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Qualified 30th and finished 25th on Nov. 11 at Homestead Miami Speedway
• Posted his first career NASCAR Busch Series win at the inaugural race at Chicagoland Speedway, finished eighth in final point standings

2000

• Finished 10th in the Busch Series point standings and third in the battle for Rookie of the Year
• Best finish of sixth (three times) at South Boston Speedway (6/10), Michigan International Speedway (8/15), and Homestead-Miami Speedway (11/11)
• Recorded best Busch Series start (fourth) at Darlington Raceway (9/2)

1999

• Started five Busch Series races - The Milwaukee Mile, North Carolina Speedway, Memphis Motorsports Park, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead Miami Speedway
• Earned a seventh-place finish in the first Busch Series start at The Milwaukee Mile (7/4)
• Finished third in the American Speed Association's (ASA) national championship point race
• Captured ASA wins at Memphis Motorsports Park (6/12) and Orange County Speedway (10/12)

1998

• Started three Busch Series races - Indianapolis Raceway Park, Gateway International Raceway, and Homestead Miami Speedway
• Finished fourth in the ASA national championship point race during his first full season
• Named ASA Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie of the Year