I am Jimmie Johnson, 2-time winner of the Daytona 500. Ask me anything.

How annoying is it having to follow speed limits in the real world? Do you ever zone out on the highway and then realize how fast you're going?

It totally sucks, for sure.

Congratulations and thank you for doing this!! We over at r/NASCAR been looking forward to this since it was first announced.

What were your thoughts when you went in to turn 1 at The Glen with no brakes? And afterwards, did you feel like this guy? Video of the no brakes incident.

With the COT and the new Gen 6 car, have you or fellow drivers developed a sense of invulnerability due to drivers walking away after countless wrecks where in past generations of cars they probably wouldn't have?

That was the end result, but when it first happend it was a major "oh $&#!" factor. Second question - we know we're safe, but the fear factor is always present. Although the safety has improved, it doesn't change that fact that it really hurts when you crash. We've raised the threshold for injury, but we're still hitting walls with a lot of speed.

What's your favorite beer?

Cold.

Correction: ice cold.

I called my grandpa to ask him if he had any questions for you. He used to race dirt tracks in the 50's & 60's with Dick Trickle. His response:

"The race car driver? No. I guess not. I know everything he knows anyway."

I laughed out loud. Just wanted you to know.

Congrats on the win.

You may need to go to the doctor and get a shot for that condition. I'm sure Dick Trickle never got hazed with that name.

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I always think Kevin Harvick is thanking me when he mentions his sandwich shop sponsor after races, so I'm with you.

How often to you yell inside the car about stuff, and not key the mic?

I'm pretty good at that. It's much better to scream and cuss and yell without pushing the button. There may even be some hands waving around inside the car with hand gestures.

If I scrolled through Jimmie Johnson's iPod, I would find...

A little of everything, but I grew up in that 90s rock era and like a lot of the new folk - Mumford, Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson. Those would my go-tos.

Have you ever been in a crash and thought "this is it, I'm going to die" ?

Massive fan, keep up the good work :)

Love from the UK.

Two times. The 2000 Watkins Glen race and the one in 1995 mentioned earlier when I was 19-years old.

Was there ever a time in your racing career that you wanted to get out of the sport?

I've lost a few friends through motorsports and those days make you question things. Outside of that, this has been my passion my whole life.

have you ever wanted to fight a fellow driver?

Oh yeah. That happens.

How the heck do you keep your beard so perfect?

There's a bit of maintenance not going to lie. I find I'm on the hairier side of things, so I have to stay on top of it. I modified a flowbee to work on my face.

I don't think a lot of people know about your experience crashing in the desert when you were 19 and how career defining it was for you. Could you elaborate on that a little bit?

I was a really aggressive driver and fast for short periods of time, but didn't have a good track record for finishing races. That moment really scared me and helped transform me into a smart racer.

I've been waiting so long for an AMA with a NASCAR driver. I was so excited when I seen that the Daytona 500 winner would be doing one. I was even more stoked when I seen that it was you! Anyways, some of the all-time greats (Lee Petty, Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Dale Earnhardt) all have won on their 400th start. How does it feel to now be included in that group? Good luck this weekend!

Thank you and that's a very cool stat to know. I didn't know anything about that stat until post-race and was honored to be on that list.

As a race fan, what is your favorite race of the year to watch outside of NASCAR?

Indy 500, Monoco GP - I'm torn between those two.

Hey Jimmie, how good are you at mario cart?

I haven't played that in so long. I haven't played a video game in ages.

if you weren't a racecar driver what would jimmie johnson be doing? career wise?

I'd probably be a fireman. I grew up in Southern CA and there were fires all over and I had a big interest in the fire department.

how's the gen 6 car compares to the old car so far?

It's been a great car. I think as the first four or five races go by we're going to make that car even faster.

What is the fastest speed you have ever driven ?

Michigan last year - probably 215mph.

What's your bucket list look like?

Honestly, I've been scratching things off with my career here. Parachuting has always been on there. I'd like to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans and I'd love to drive an F1 car. I'd love to an IronMan. Maybe run in one of the big marathons - maybe Boston, New York, or Chicago.

Hi Jimmie! Congrats on the Daytona 500! Apart from racing what are some of your hobbies? What is your favorite kind of music?

Hobbies have been much more family based now with my daughter. She's growing older and as interests move around and change, so it's spending time with my family.

Is the garage area like a big high school? After the Denny Hamlin - Joey Logano Twitter feud, it seems there's some tension between drivers. Are you guys pretty behaved, or are there some things that happen that the media doesn't catch?

There's always more behind the scenes. I'm not familiar with what you mention between Denny and Joey, but there's plenty going on that the media doesn't pick up on.

Hi Jimmie. Obviously there have many many highlights in your career - which ones stand out the most?

That's such a tough question. When asked, I always look back at the first - my first win, my first championship. So much goes into those moments that they're the ones that rise above of all the great experiences I've had.

Which track would you like to drive a cup car on, but haven't?

The new track in Austin. It looks like a really cool track.

Congrats Jimmie and welcome from /r/NASCAR.

What is the most meaningful moment of your life so far? (Nascar related and also non-Nascar related)

As I mentioned, my first win and first championship on the track

As for non-NASCAR, The whole process of becoming a parent is just amazing. Mind-blowing.

Simple questions, how did you get started in racing and what was your first car?

I just grew up around it. My dad was always into racing, and so was my family, so it's what I grew up around. My first vehicle was a 1986 pick-up truck.

You and Mark Martin both kill it in the gym. There is NO WAY that NASCAR drivers are not athletes. Can you tell us a little about your workout regime? Especially what you consume on race day, and any special workouts you do to prepare for different tracks (short tracks with more breaking, restrictor plate, etc.)

I'm very much about staying balanced. Turning left constantly can pull your spine out of alignment, so you have to work to keep balanced. There's a lot of time in the weight room. My interest lately has been on running, being on the bike, swimming. I've been really enjoying myself with the more endurace-based training over strength training.

A few easy questions: 1. What is your guilty pleasure food? Fast food or otherwise. Do you ever jones for a Big Mac 2. (For my wife) What cologne do you wear most often 3. How invested are you in the mechanics of the cars, I know some guys just drive and some are more hands on. how do you fit into that, how much time do you spend at the shop?

Thank you.

Edit: Don't forget to visit us over at r/nascar, we're pretty cool.

1. Ice cream. Total guilty pleasure. 2. I don't have a clue what cologne I wear. My wife bought it for me and I don't know what it is. 3. At this level, everyone is pretty removed from working on the cars. Earlier in my career, I was very hands on, but it's not that way any longer.

What do you think of the young talent entering the NASCAR ranks right now, like Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney? Do you think NASCAR is in good hands with these young guns?

I really do. They have a ton of talent and are going to be bright stars in our sport.

If you could race against anyone in NASCAR's history, who would it be?

Congratulations on winning the 500! We were up in DePalma Tower hollering for you!

I'm really torn between The King and Dale Earnhardt.

First off I would like to say Congratulations on winning the Daytona 500 and welcome to reddit.

I would like to apologize in advance for the fair amount of left turn jokes people will post, I will downvote all of them. Reddit is not a big fan of NASCAR so there may be some people making dumb jokes.

I hope that this won’t detract from your experience here. I would highly recommend you check out www.reddit.com/r/NASCAR for a better more NASCAR related experience. I know I would greatly enjoy seeing you and some other drivers visit the subreddit. NASCAR has a great social media presence with twitter and facebook, but you guys haven’t explored the potential of the NASCAR subreddit, which is easily the best way to engage and converse with the fans, and to avoid the trolls that enjoy making fun of NASCAR.

Anyway, my question is: Since the races at Daytona and Talladega have switched around from pack to tandem to now single file, what do you think NASCARs next goal will be for these races, and how strongly does fans reactions on social media affect NASCARs decision? Specifically do you think they will try to recreate pack racing?

Thanks for the question. It's a moving target but the goal is to keep the fans happy and keep the racing interesting and put on a good show. NASCAR will adjust as needed. We are still developing a brand new race car and it will continue to evolve over the year.

Hey jimmie congratulations on the win! But who is your all time "hero" or idol, racing or not. And concerning the crash how do you feel about the general safety in racing?

For me, when I was young, Rick Johnson was my childhood hero and I was real big into motocross and what he did was road dirt bikes. He'd be my first, and probably longest lasting hero.

Do you ever reconsider your actions on the track now that your daughter is growing up? Has being a husband/father changed how you race at all?

As far as the way I drive, no. But, the way in which I carry myself and handle situations it does have an impact.

What's your favorite road to drive that's not an oval?

There's some really cool country in Utah where you think you're on Mars. Some really cool terrain out there. The area near Moab, the Lake Powell area that's really cool.

Tell us about your foundation. Is it your proudest achievement?

It is something I'm very proud of. We continue to do great work and appreciate my sponsors and fans for supporting the causes Chandra and I are interested in.

Who's idea was it to make the Harlem Shake video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82s9PmJOAJ8

Knaus and the crew.

I know you enjoy golf, as I do too, what is your handicap? and how can we get a group together to play? ;)

My handicap is high right now. I haven't played much since my daughter has been born, so I can't find the time to get out and play. My best was 18, but I don't know what it is now - probably 25 or something like that.

Do you have any idea how amazing the phrase "JJ swag" is?

I think it's pretty catchy. Is there more that I need to know?

Congratulations on your win, i was rooting for ya all the way ;). I am so glad the racing season has finally resumed (was going into withdrawls) What are your plans for when you retire from racing? (not that I ever want to see that happen)

I don't have a clue. I know I can't sit still. I'll have to find something to do.

Which driver in the Nationwide series do you think will have the most success in the Sprint cup series?

Nationwide is stacked this year. We have guys that should be in Cup that are in Nationwide. I can't pick one. There's a lot of talent ready to move up or come back.