Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday have been selected as NASCAR.COM's inaugural driver of the decade for the Cup, Nationwide and Truck series.

In a decade defined by the death of Dale Earnhardt on Feb. 18, 2001, the past 10 years have been as a "traumatic transformation from a series seen as lacking in the safety arena to one that is now widely viewed as an industry leader," said David Caraviello, a senior writer for NASCAR.COM.
• Top stories of the decade closely defined by Dale

To bookend the decade, Johnson was named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, a first for a race-car driver in the award's 78-year history.

Johnson's selection also validated the belief of Bill France Sr. that NASCAR drivers are indeed "athletes," an assertion the late NASCAR founder said was crucial in further developing the sport.

In a recent letter to Johnson, Jim France -- NASCAR vice chairman and executive vice president and Bill Sr.'s son -- said the recognition by the AP cemented the fact that drivers are athletes.

"Over 60 years ago, my father set out to make NASCAR part of the traditional American sports landscape," Jim France wrote. "He believed the recognition of drivers as athletes was a key element in validating motor racing as a legitimate sport.

"I have lived my entire life listening to cynics who have said that race drivers were not athletes," France added. "You have ended that debate. As my father knew from having been a race driver, race drivers are athletes, and now we have a race driver who is the 'Male Athlete of the Year.'

"So, thank you, Jimmie, for helping accomplish something that my father set out to do so long ago."

Johnson's rise in the Cup Series has coincided with Turner Sports overseeing NASCAR's interactive rights. Turner Sports became the exclusive producer of NASCAR.COM in January 2001. The official online destination of NASCAR, the site consistently ranks among the top three sport league sites on the Internet.

"As we look back on the decade, which was arguably one of the most exciting in NASCAR's history, it is clear that all three of these drivers accomplished amazing things on the track and deserve to be honored," said David Levy, president of ad sales, distribution and sports, Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

"To have achieved so much success during a period of great growth for their sport is a huge feat. Congratulations to each of them." (Continued)