- Jimmie Johnson is a decorated NASCAR driver and team owner with a historic seven champion titles
- Jimmie has been married to Chandra Johnson since 2004 and shares two children with her
- The Johnson family was in the news in June 2023 after Chandra’s parents and nephew were killed in a murder-suicide
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson experienced a serious family tragedy on June 26, 2023, causing him to cancel his upcoming NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Police confirmed on Tuesday, June 27 that Jimmie’s in-laws, along with one of their grandchildren, were found dead in Muskogee, Okla. on the evening prior. Their bodies were found at a home after an apparent murder-suicide. The family members, Jack Janway, 69, and his wife, Terry Janway, 68, are the parents of Jimmie’s longtime wife, Chandra Johnson. Their grandson, 11-year-old Dalton, was her nephew. It is believed that Terry shot and killed Jack and Dalton before shooting herself, per AP News.
Following the tragic news, Johnson’s race team, Legacy Motor Club, asked fans to give Jimmie and his family privacy. “We are saddened by the tragic deaths of members of Chandra Johnson’s family,” NASCAR said in a statement. “The entire NASCAR family extends its deepest support and condolences during this difficult time to Chandra, Jimmie and the entire Johnson & Janway families.”
Chandra’s sister, and another of Terry and Jack’s daughters, Marianne Janway, shared a brief message via Facebook on Monday, June 26, expressing her heartbreak. “Please tell me this isn’t really happening please god someone,” she wrote. On July 28, 2023, Jimmie took to Instagram to share a heartbreaking message. “Our family is devastated by the profound loss of Lynn, Jack and Dalton Janway,” he shared. “We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion.”
While Jimmie is arguably the most talented NASCAR driver in history, little is known about his family life. Read on to meet his wife, Chandra Johnson.
Who Is Chandra Johnson?
Chandra Johnson grew up in Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma. However, she took a break from her studies to pursue a modeling career in Europe. She eventually came back to finish her degree, and when she did, she moved to New York with three of her best friends from college. “Then, of course, I came to Charlotte because of a man,” she joked to Style Bue Print in 2016.
Chandra prefers to keep her personal life private, and her Instagram account is set to private. However, she does link her various businesses in her Instagram bio, giving a glimpse of her professional side. She is a “gallery owner, collector, and philanthropist,” according to her Peg Norris website, a gallery she founded with her friend, Barrie Benson. She is also the owner of the SOCO Gallery, “a contemporary art space” that “produces six exhibitions annually, and a program that features top regional and international artists.” In addition, the gallery’s SOCO Shop “offers a unique and affordable range of art and lifestyle books, limited editions and artist designed objects.” All of her businesses are located in North Carolina.
Chandra revealed in her chat with Blue Print that she never set out to open a gallery. “I was really interested in artists first, and I wanted to bring these artists who I knew — or who I wanted to know — to Charlotte. It was all about bringing great art and artists to the city I love,” she explained. “I started with pop-up art shows, and it just snowballed from there. I call this the permanent pop-up. And it really does feel like a pop-up space because every exhibition is different. It feels like a new gallery with every exhibition.”
Chandra also serves as the vice president of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, which she and her husband launched in 2006. The foundation focuses on funding K-12 public education and has raised $13 million to date, per its website.
How Did Chandra And Jimmy Meet?
Chandra and Jimmy met while she was living in New York. The pair were introduced through mutual friends. “Jimmie was so sweet. We ended up getting married two-and-a-half years later,” Chandra recalled Blue Print. “I moved to Lake Norman with my suitcase after our honeymoon. From there, we moved to Charlotte — and we’re still in the house we bought as newlyweds. I was nervous going from New York to Charlotte, wondering if I would like it. I fell in love, though. I couldn’t believe how much I loved it.”
The couple tied the knot in 2004.
Chandra and Jimmie Became Parents In 2010
Chandra and Jimmie welcomed their first child, a daughter named Genevieve, on July 7, 2010. In 2013, Jimmie revealed that Genevieve, or “Evie”, is a Taylor Swift fan. “The song that is stuck in my head that she walks around singing — which is crazy — is a Taylor Swift song where she says, ‘We will never get back together,'” he told USA TODAY. “That’s the chorus she knows. So to watch my 3-year-old daughter singing about a breakup with a boy she’s never going to get back together with, it’s just freaking me out, to be honest. I’m like, ‘This is way too early for all of this!'”
In Sept. 2013, Evie became a big sister, as Jimmie and Chandra welcomed another daughter, named Lydia Norriss Johnson. “Both mother and baby are doing well,” a statement shared on the NASCAR star’s Facebook page read at the time read. “Big sister Genevieve Marie, 3, is said to be very proud of her new baby sister.”
Jimmy Is Just As In Love With Chandra As He Was When They Married
Jimmie and Chandra seem to be rock solid. On Mother’s Day 2023, the Petty GMS Motorsports co-owner gushed over Chandra as a mother alongside a photo of her with their girls, as seen above. “Happy Mother’s Day Chani! Thank you for giving our family 100 percent every day,” he penned. “We love you.”
In Dec. 2022, the adorable couple celebrated 18 years of marriage. Im Jimmie’s Instagram tribute, he raved that they are “just getting started.” To cute!