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Home > Blog > Tag: jimmie+johnson

Forbes releases NASCAR’s ‘most valuable’ lists

Forbes magazine just released a series of articles and lists about the money in NASCAR.  The series included: most valuable teams, most valuable cars, and highest paid drivers.  There are really no surprises on the list.  The top three teams were Hendrick Motorsports ($335M), Roush Fenway Racing ($313M), Joe Gibbs Racing ($184M).  Jeff Gordon ($92M), Dale Jr. ($79M), and Jimmie Johnson ($58M) drive the three most valuable cars.  And, Jeff Gordon leads highest paid drivers at $32 million.  He is followed by Dale Jr. ($31M) and Jimmie Johnson ($23M).

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Driver comments from Texas

Chevy:
comments from Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Dale Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon
comments from DEI team

Dodge:
comments from Bobby Labonte
comments from Robby Gordon
comments from Elliot Sadler
comments from Patrick Carpentier
comments from Ryan Newman
comments from Sam Hornish, Jr.
comments from Kurt Busch

Ford:

Toyota:
comments from Denny Hamlin
comments from Kyle Busch
comments from Tony Stewart
comments from J.J. Yeley
comments from Dave Blaney

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Ill-Handling Cars In Texas Draw Complaints, Except From Winner

April 6, 2008 // Associated Press // FORT WORTH, Texas -- Jimmie Johnson finished second and Jeff Gordon had a rare last-place finish. While at opposite ends of the field, both Hendrick teammates had complaints about how the new cars handled at Texas Motor Speedway.

"The car is so dependent on aerodynamics that the guy in front has a major, major advantage," Johnson said. "More than we've ever had before."

Near the end of the Samsung 500 on Sunday, after two late cautions tightened the field and sent the race to two extra laps, Johnson still couldn't catch up with Carl Edwards.

"We're all afraid to run side-by-side, and you can only get so close to the guy in front of you," said Johnson, obviously frustrated despite his second straight top-five finish. "I can tell you how bad (the car) drove. ... My hands were full."

At least Johnson had a good finish to show for his day. Gordon was 43rd -- last in the field -- for only the second time in his 516 career Cup races. Gordon finished only 124 of the 339 laps.

When Gordon spun out and made contact with the wall on lap 109, he bypassed his pit and took the ill-handling No. 24 Chevrolet straight to the garage. After lengthy repairs, Gordon went back on the track more than 100 laps down and ran only a few more laps before finally parking the car.

"We've tried every setup we can find, but none of them seem to work," Gordon said. "I was just hanging on every single lap."

Except for a two-day tire test with two cars in mid-January, this week was the first time NASCAR's new cars ran at Texas.

Kyle Busch, after winning the Nationwide race at Texas on Saturday, was third Sunday in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for his best finish in seven Cup starts at Texas. And even he wasn't completely thrilled.

"Was it fun to drive? No. Was it hard to drive? Yes," Busch said. "Did it survive the day? Yes. So was it a good day? Sure."

Edwards had a different take, though, than everybody who followed him on the track. He insisted that the cars were "the same for everybody. It makes it more exciting to win. ... It's not supposed to be a drive on the interstate."

Gordon started 18th, dropped five spots the first three laps, then slipped to 35th after 11 laps. Then on lap 70, Gordon was passed by Johnson, who was leading the race at the time. Gordon was trying to avoid being lapped again when he spun.

Gordon has 81 victories and is one of only four drivers to run all 15 Cup races in Texas, but he still hasn't won on the high-banked 1 1/2-mile track in any series. Gordon at least has a Nationwide victory at Homestead, the only other track he hasn't won a Cup race.

"We have had our moments when the car has been really good," Gordon said. "But, you know what, when the car is off, I am lost here. I haven't felt this lost since my rookie year at a race track."

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Details, Drivers announced for Prelude to a Dream

April 4, 2008 // FORT WORTH, Texas -- A supernova of racing talent will again descend upon the Field of Dreams that is Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on June 4 when the dirt that made champions out of A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti hosts today's racing stars at the fourth annual Old Spice Prelude to the Dream.

For those not lucky enough to grab a seat for the dirt late-model race featuring more than 25 world renowned drivers as they battle for dirt supremacy, HBO Pay-Per-View will present the event live to the entire nation. Proceeds from this telecast will support construction of Victory Junction Gang Camp II in Kansas City, as well as the Tony Stewart Foundationexternal link.

The all-star race will feature such racing icons as Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte and more. All will pilot 2,300-pound dirt late-model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower.  Additionally, J.J. Yeley, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Bill Elliott, Dave Blaney, Aric Almirola, Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, Ray Evernham, Red Farmer, Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace have also committed to the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream.

Drivers from all types of disciplines, some with lots of dirt-track experience and others with hardly any, will participate in hot laps, qualifying, heat races and the 30-lap feature on the half-mile clay oval, all of which will be televised live on HBO. (From EldoraSpeedway.com)

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Jimmie Johnson Foundation to sponsor Camping World Series race at Phoenix

April 2, 2008 // PHOENIX - Phoenix International Raceway announced a partnership with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation for the April 10 NASCAR Camping World Series West race at PIR, to be named the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 150. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation 150 is scheduled as the first of three races during the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 event weekend, on April 10.

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation is dedicated to assisting children, families and communities in need. The foundation's partner programs include: American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Hendrick Marrow Program, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and Victory Junction Gang Camp.

"This is an exciting opportunity for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and the charities that Jimmie and I are passionate about helping," said Chandra Johnson, co-founder of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. "I'm obviously pretty familiar with pre-race ceremonies but this is the first time I will be a part of them. I am excited that some special friends of the foundation are going to help me with the command to start engines." (From LowesRacing.com)

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Hendrick team to debut Quaker State commercial during Samsung 500

Quaker State delivers star power for its 'Q' motor oil in a new spot that will break Sunday during Nascar's Samsung 500 race on Fox TV.

The 30-second spot, featuring the Hendrick Motorsports team—composed of Nascar drivers Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.—delivers a twist on the "Unleash all your horses" campaign that was first launched in 2005.

In the ad, called "Battle," via Doner, Southfield, Mich., the four all-star drivers are shown in their cars in a desert, facing opposite several dozen cars on the other end. Both sides rev their engines and then take off heading straight at each other. The Hendrick team is flanked by golden animated horses, which have been part of the creative since the campaign's inception. The two bodies of cars collide, with the Hendrick drivers emerging on the other side, unscathed.

"Battle" will run through the end of the year on other channels, including Spike, Comedy Central, TBS, VH1, Adult Swim, Speed and ESPN. (From BrandWeek.com)

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Texas Motor Speedway Power Rankings

Here are the Sprint Cup power rankings going into Texas Motor Speedway according to Fox Sports:

1. Kyle Busch — 110.5 driver rating (No. 1 last week)
2. Carl Edwards — 106.5 driver rating (No. 2 last week)
3. Jeff Gordon — 106.5 driver rating (No. 4 last week)
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. — 105.0 driver rating (No. 7 last week)
5. Tony Stewart — 100.8 driver rating (No. 6 last week)
6. Kevin Harvick — 100.0 driver rating (No. 3 last week)
7. Jeff Burton — 99.4 driver rating (No. 8 last week)
8. Jimmie Johnson — 95.5 driver rating (Outside of top 10 last week)
9. Greg Biffle — 95.1 driver rating (No. 5 last week)
10. Denny Hamlin — 93.6 driver rating (Outside of top 10 last week)

Dropped out: Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne

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