Jimmie Johnson off to best start since 2016

Three races into the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, Jimmie Johnson is ranked fifth in overall points, the highest has been ranked in the standings three races into the season.

This year, the seven-time series champion has led 13 laps, earned one top-5 finish and two top-10 finishes.

“We are headed in the right direction,” Johnson said after his seventh-place run at Auto Club Speedway. “…I’m a competitor at heart and I want to win races and be up front and get it all done.”

The last time Johnson was ranked higher than fifth three races into a season was 2016 where Johnson was ranked second in points — he won his seventh title that year.

With 23 races left before the playoff grid is set, Johnson is 36 points above the cutline.

Johnson will enter this weekend’s race, the Fan Shield 500 at Phoenix Raceway, with the longest losing streak of his Cup Series career: 98 races.

The Fan Shield 500 will be televised on FOX Sunday (March 8) at 3:30 p.m. ET.