When Jimmie Johnson started as a rookie in 2002, little did NASCAR folks and fans realize the champion they were about to witness in the coming years. And that debut was special, as in that rookie year, he won the pole for Daytona, swept both races at Dover, and notched three wins that year. But a post-race moment after that Dover domination caught more attention than the win itself.

Seeing Johnson’s fiery form, his crew chief, Chad Knaus, in his excitement, laid out the team’s championship ambitions for him. Without realizing he’s on live TV, he exclaimed, “Who says the 48 team’s too young to win a championship!? We’re f—–g going for it!”

Though this could have invited problems for Johnson, Knaus, and the HMS team itself, an insider recently shared a light-hearted backstory on how the

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