RELATED: Complete Charlotte schedule | TV schedule
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CONCORD, N.C. (March 1, 2016) — Two-time NASCAR Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Sprint Cup team will not be reaching in the drink cooler for any of that ‘purple stuff,’ OJ or soda when they feel the need to quench their thirst at the race track, instead they will go for the refreshing bold and tangy taste of a true classic — SunnyD.
Roush Fenway Racing has announced that the iconic 50-year-old Sunny Delight brand will serve as a primary partner for five races with Stenhouse during the 2016 season; four on his No. 17 Sprint Cup Ford Fusion and once as the two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) champion makes his return to the NXS.
“This is really awesome,” said Stenhouse. “Who didn’t grow up loving the bold taste of SunnyD? It’s truly one of the most recognizable brands in the world and it’s great to both have them on board as a partner and of course to have a big supply of SunnyD on hand at the track as the season moves into the hot, thirsty months of summer.”
“We are extremely excited to bring the SunnyD brand and its loyal customer following to our Roush Fenway Racing NASCAR partnership,” said Henk Hartong III, chairman & CEO of Brynwood Partners. “This is a platform that directly connects with the most brand-loyal fans in all of sports and we know it will connect on a high level with the NASCAR fans.”
SunnyD will make its debut as the primary partner on Stenhouse’s No. 17 Ford at the Monster Mile of Dover on SunD, May 15. It will also serve as the primary on the No. 17 at NSCS races at Pocono, Indianapolis and Charlotte. In addition, the two-time champion will make his return to the XFINITY Series at Phoenix, where he will carry SunnyD on the historic No. 60 Roush Fenway Mustang on SatD, Nov. 12.
This will not ‘mark’ the first time SunnyD has appeared on a Roush Fenway Ford. Mark Martin carried the Sunny Delight logo on the deck lid of his Ford Thunderbird during his heated championship battle with Dale Earnhardt in 1990.
Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (SDBC), based in Cincinnati, OH, was acquired by Brynwood Partners VII L.P, based in Greenwich, CT, in February 2016. SDBC is a leading producer, distributor and marketer of juices, juice drinks and flavored waters in North America. Its brands include the iconic SunnyD juice drink, Veryfine juices and drinks, and Fruit2O flavored and sparkling waters. The company operates four plants across the U. S. They service both refrigerated and shelf stable distribution systems and supply a wide range of customers in grocery, club, mass merchandise, convenience, dollar and drug channels. For more information, please visit www.sunnyd.com.
Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series competition with drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Ryan Reed, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace. Now in its 29th season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport’s first team-focused TV show and producing multiple award-winning digital and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by Jack Roush, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.
0
Joe Gibbs Racing
‘Rowdy’ came back from the tail end of the field at Atlanta to wind up third, and now heads to his home track, where he’s always just that much more determined to win, a year after missing the race completely.
The sting from a third straight dominant Atlanta performance that resulted in another driver celebrating should subside later this week as Harvick defends a race title of an event in which he dominated — and sealed the deal.
3
Hendrick Motorsports
Johnson wrapped up 2015 with a late win at an intermediate track (Texas), had a win at the first intermediate track of 2016 (Atlanta) and now heads to another one this weekend in Las Vegas. See where I’m going with this?
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Joe Gibbs Racing
Your Daytona 500 champ couldn’t open the ’16 season with back-to-back wins, but did top final Atlanta practice and seems to be one of the early drivers to have a decent handle on the low downforce package.
Truex had an epic battle with Harvick for the lead late in Sunday’s race. Neither won, but don’t be surprised if the No. 78 and No. 4 are passing the lead back and forth again in Vegas — with one of them holding it as the checkered flag waves.
2
Hendrick Motorsports
Newsflash: we’re going to see a lot of top-five finishes from Earnhardt Jr. this year. His No. 88 is super strong, he likes the lower downforce package and things are clicking into overdrive in Year Two with Greg Ives.
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Logano has started on the front row at Vegas the past two seasons, resulting in two top-10s. After struggling to find footing at Atlanta — both figuratively and literally — it’s hard to reason that the 22 will be strong in Nevada.
Started on the Atlanta pole, led 62 laps, finished in the top five and now heads to his hometown track — what’s not to like? Well, maybe his record of just three top-10s and zero wins in 14 tries at the Las Vegas facility.
1
Team Penske
Unlike his Team Penske teammate, Keselowski appeared to have the lower downforce package down more than some of the other drivers, and has three straight top-10s at Vegas, including a win in 2014.
He wanted it, he got it. Edwards was one of the biggest proponents of the ’16 package and it’s already paying off. Look no further than his top-five at Atlanta. It should continue all season.
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It’s early, but Sunday was a messy showing for the No. 20 team after enduring heartbreak in the 500. If they don’t turn it around at Vegas, the "Is it just one of those years?" questions will start to pop up.
MORE: Kenseth hot post-penalty
3
Hendrick Motorsports
Elliott wound up with his first career top-10 finish in a race many vets struggled in, and now heads to the race in which his car sat on the pole a year ago, albeit with that other guy who drove the No. 24.
1
Richard Childress Racing
Dillon had one of the best runs we’ve seen him make in the Cup Series — and it came after he and his RCR cohorts had some parts confiscated pre-race. Too early to call Dillon a Chase dark horse?
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Tough to say what happened to Larson in the race itself after looking good in practice. Guess we’ll have to see what happens to he and CGR teammate Jamie McMurray (who is equally as puzzling) at Vegas to know if Atlanta was just a misstep.
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Speaking of missteps, the No. 5 team was completely off at Atlanta. Kahne noted his car was "slow" in a post-race tweet, but there are still few reasons for why a rookie with limited Cup experience should be out-running his veteran teammate in the early going.
Unofficially official Power Rankings rule: When your car is engulfed in flames at the end of the race and you still come away with a top-15, you move up a spot. Aric Almirola, the "King" of top-15 finishes.
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For the third straight Atlanta race, Newman finished worse than where he started. And each finish has gotten progressively worse.
Menard said earlier in the weekend that Atlanta is his favorite race track. Hard to see why, given he has just one top 10 there in his past seven races. Interested to see how he feels about Vegas, where he has three in his last four.
Blaney was on pace for a better finish before a last-lap crash derailed that hope, but thus far, there’s little to complain about for the rookie driver.
2
Roush Fenway Racing
Stenhouse had three top-10 finishes all of last season. After Atlanta, he’s on pace for 18 (18!). OK, OK. We’re only two races into a 36-race slate. Still, positive mojo for Roush Fenway Racing and Stenhouse.
1. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. By short-pitting on the final stop of the day, Chad Knaus put his driver in front of the field late. Johnson was able to hold off Harvick and survive an overtime restart to earn his second consecutive Atlanta win and tie Dale Earnhardt with 76 career wins. Grade: A+
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The No. 88 Chevrolet was flying in the opening laps, but the hot start cooled as the long green flag run continued. On the final restart Earnhardt used a strong charge to get to the front and edge Kyle Busch for second. Grade: A
3. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The defending champ’s pole-winning run was disallowed and he was forced to start from the back. Without the help of a caution, Busch climbed his way into the top five with 100 laps to go and just barely missed out on the runner-up spot. Grade: A+
4. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The pole-sitter was strong to start the day, faded a bit in the midsection, but rallied for a top-five finish. Grade: A-
5. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Lined up sixth for the final restart of the day, Edwards used some quick moves to get by Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. as they struggled to get going. Grade: A-
6. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. After an unscheduled stop from fourth on Lap 39 for a flat right front tire, Harvick was among the best at managing the wear the rest of the day. Despite leading the most laps, he could not catch Johnson when it mattered most and struggled on the final restart. Grade: A
7. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing. The Daytona 500 runner-up had a strong Toyota and was a factor at the front of the field for much of the day, fighting with Kevin Harvick for the lead. Lined up on the outside for the final restart, Truex fell back when the line didn’t get going. Grade: A
8. Chase Elliott, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The hometown favorite had a solid and quiet day in the second race of his rookie campaign, earning his first career top 10. Grade: A
9. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. The No. 2 Ford came to life after the first caution of the day, with Keselowski charging to the front over the final 100 laps. Grade: A-
10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. The Roush Fenway Racing driver carried the torch for the company throughout the day, staying in the top 10 for much of the event. Grade: A
11. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet continued his solid start to the season, finishing just outside the top 10. Grade: A-
12. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. A decent run hit a bump as Logano had a commitment cone violation and nearly hit his jackman just past the 150-lap mark. A pass-through penalty dropped the Team Penske driver down a lap and a loose wheel with 83 laps to go ruined any chance at a recovery. Grade: B-
13. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. After a disappointing start to the year in the Daytona 500, a top-15 finish was a nice rebound for the No. 16 team. Grade: B
14. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears spent the majority of the day fighting to stay in the top 20, missed the big last-lap wreck and ended the afternoon one spot ahead of where he started. Grade: B
15. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola’s day ended in a ball of flames after being involved in the last-lap wreck on the backstretch. Grade: B-
16. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The Daytona 500 winner struggled with the handling of the No. 11 Toyota and was never able to recover, finishing two laps down. Grade: C
17. Ty Dillon, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Making his first start in the No. 14 Chevrolet, Dillon missed the mark and spent the majority of the day multiple laps down just inside the top 20. Grade: C
18. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard fought the handling of the car throughout the race and survived the final restart to finish 18th. Grade: C
19. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Took the lead from Kurt Busch on Lap 64, showing the strength of the No. 20 Toyota. However, an “improper fueling” penalty led to a mid-race pass-through penalty and much debate on pit road and over the radio. Grade: C- | RELATED: Kenseth ‘hot’ post-penalty
20. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick finished two laps down, but avoided trouble and finished five spots ahead of where she started. Grade: C+
21. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Despite starting second, McMurray was never a factor at the front of the field and finished two laps down. Grade: C-
22. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Starting up front Bayne had high hopes, but once the green flag dropped, so did the No. 6 Ford. Grade: C-
23. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The No. 5 Chevrolet was lapped early while his teammates ran upfront. Not a great start to the season for Kahne. Grade: D
24. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. A solid day for the No. 31 team was ruined with a late-race penalty for the crew going over the wall too soon on the final stop of the day. A blown left rear with two laps to go added insult to injury. Grade: B-
25. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. The rookie driver ran mid-pack through the day, but suffered heavy damage on the final lap of the race. Grade: C
26. Kyle Larson, No 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. A lackluster run was hurt when the No. 42 Chevrolet was issued a commitment line violation during green flag pit stops around Lap 150. Grade: C-
27. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. ‘Dinger said after the race his car had speed, but the team fought the handling. On to next week. Grade: C
28. Chris Buescher, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The defending XFINITY Series champion started 31st, battled to break into the top 30 most of the day and finished 28th. Not too bad. Grade: C+
29. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. One week after a disappointing outing in the Daytona 500, DiBenedetto finished six spots ahead of where he started. Grade: C
30. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett gained four spots over the course of the day, but never broke into the top 25. Grade: C
31. Brian Scott, No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. The rookie contender scraped the outside wall just past the halfway mark and was forced to bring the No. 44 Ford to pit road. Grade: D+
32. David Ragan, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. The Georgia native ran in the 30s for much of the day and suffered heavy damage on the last-lap wreck on the backstretch. Grade: D
33. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing. A struggle at the first 1.5-mile track proves this team still has a lot of work to do. Grade: D-
34. Regan Smith, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Smith’s No. 7 Chevrolet had a broken brace on the right rear of the car early on, drawing the attention of NASCAR officials. A pass-through penalty during green flag conditions further hindered the effort. Grade: C-
35. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. The HScott Motorsports driver had a better ride in Saturday night’s SuperCross event, and that ended with a faceplant into a wall. The No. 15 team has a lot of work to do moving forward. Grade: F | RELATED: Bowyer goes for a wild ride
36. Landon Cassill, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Starting 29th, Cassill raced his way into the top 25 early in the going, but faded and dropped to 36th, 11 laps down. Grade: D
37. Cole Whitt, No. 98 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Whitt came close to racing into the top 30 at points of the day, but it never happened. Grade: D
38. Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. The fourth-generation racer made his first Sprint Cup start of the season, finishing where he started. Grade: D-
39. Josh Wise, No. 30 Chevrolet, The Motorsports Group. Wise ran shotgun on the field for nearly the entire race, finishing the day 18 laps down. Grade: D-
RELATED: Johnson wins Atlanta, ties Earnhardt | Jimmie pays tribute to ‘Intimidator’
HAMPTON, Ga. — The gesture was slight, yet unmistakable.
Jimmie Johnson, winner of Sunday’s Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, eased his car along the frontstretch in view of those in the grandstands.
His left hand, still covered in a black glove, displayed three fingers.
Three. Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt. Unmistakable.
Sunday’s victory was the 76th for Johnson, tying the career total of the seven-time, and still very much revered, premier series champion.
We all knew the day was coming. Long before the Hendrick Motorsports driver scored No. 72 last season in Texas, No. 73 in Kansas, No. 74 in Dover or No. 75, again, in Texas.
Maybe it was when he won 10 times in 2007. Or seven times the following year. Or seven times the year after that. We knew it was coming. What we didn’t know was when.
Johnson, 40, wins races. It’s something he’s done with quiet regularity since he joined NASCAR’s top series as a full-time competitor in 2002.
And, quite often, he wins championships. Another one and he’ll join Earnhardt and the legendary Richard Petty in that category as well.
The truly good ones never dwell on the numbers. Or the possibilities once those numbers start piling up. Johnson is cut from no different of a cloth.
“I entered the sport just hoping I could win a race and keep a job for a few years,” the El Cajon, Calif., native said Sunday evening. “To have 76 and tie Dale Earnhardt Sr. is something I’m very, very proud of.”
That the two never put bumper to bumper or wheel to wheel against one another is a loss of a different kind, and one that Johnson said he regrets. Chances are, Johnson would have learned a thing or two. Many others did.
Earnhardt died as a result of injuries sustained in a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Johnson would make his first premier series start later that year, in early October at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“There’s been a big void in my mind about not having that chance … and it was literally a handful of months away from having that opportunity,” Johnson said. “So to tie him today, for myself personally, it gives me a little something — it’s a little bit of attachment to the great Dale Earnhardt and something I’m very proud of.”
Sunday’s win was his fifth on the rugged, well-worn 1.54-mile AMS layout. Earnhardt was a regular in Victory Lane there as well, winning nine times.
Nearly 20 years have passed since the track last saw an asphalt truck; it’s older now but no less cantankerous than it was in 2000 when Earnhardt scored career win No. 75.
Rick Hendrick, the successful team owner behind Hendrick Motorsports, has been around long enough to weigh in on both drivers. Earnhardt, he said, “was more aggressive.”
“He didn’t get that ‘Intimidator’ title by being nice to everybody,” Johnson’s car owner said.
“They’re two different style drivers, but both of them were awesome. Dale won seven championships, so that speaks for itself.”
Johnson, he said, is “not as aggressive, and he will race you extremely clean.
“I’m not saying that Dale didn’t (but) if he got to you and it was for the win, he was going to move you, and that’s his job,” Hendrick said. “I think that’s the difference in the two.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced for his father, raced against his father and is a teammate of Johnson.
RELATED: Junior: ‘Dad would have loved Jimmie’
How does his fellow racer stack up?
“I don’t have a problem calling him the best of this generation even as a competitor of his and having to go out there and race against him,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “… Jimmie is just a phenomenal talent.
“I knew this day was coming, but I didn’t know it until we got out of the car. I’m glad if he’s going to win and tie that record, I’m certainly glad that I got to run second today.”
With former teammate Jeff Gordon now retired from competition, Johnson has inherited the title of winningest active driver. Three-time champ Tony Stewart, hobbled by injury and scheduled to end his own Sprint Cup career at season’s end, has 48 career victories. Matt Kenseth (36), Kyle Busch (34) and Kevin Harvick (31) are the only other active competitors with more than 30 wins.
As Johnson eased his car along the frontstretch, he said he noticed fans responding by holding up three fingers in return. The reception elsewhere, he said, was unknown.
“I know what it means to me, and I know what it means to our sport and everyone in it working, as well,” he said.
“I’ll be good with all of that. If there are some fans that have other opinions, then it is what it is.”
There’s been no time for him to reflect on the win and determine where it ranks among his long list of accomplishments.
Bigger than his first win in 2002? He said he doesn’t know.
“But it’s right there with it,” he said. “This is a very, very special and meaningful day.”
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson rewrote NASCAR history books again Sunday night by earning his 76th career victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway — tying him with the great Dale Earnhardt.
It was a monumental moment for the sport — as well as for Earnhardt’s children. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who congratulated his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in Victory Lane after finishing second, called Johnson “a phenomenal talent.”
Earnhardt Jr.’s sister and JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller echoed Junior’s sentiments on Monday morning.
“To see Jimmie do that is pretty cool,” Earnhardt Miller said in her office overlooking the JR Motorsports race shop. “He and I texted back and forth last night — he sent me a little note, just thanking (me) for the support.
“I said to him, it’s just amazing in his length of time that he’s accomplished that much. It does say so much about the driver that he is and all that he’s accomplished — and why wouldn’t I be supportive of that? It’s really cool, I think it’s great.”
Amazing career @JimmieJohnson! 76 wins tying my dad and you are in incredible company with wins and championships. Pretty cool to see.
— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) February 28, 2016
RELATED: No. 20 crew chief Jason Ratcliff still unsure on penalty
Pit crew members were still talking about the penalty assessed to Matt Kenseth‘s No. 20 team during Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
During a pit stop on Lap 170, Kenseth’s gasman was cited for setting a wrench on the car’s deck lid while his fuel can was engaged with the car.
Later, Kenseth was black-flagged for not performing his pit road pass-through penalty in time, and the team, which had led 47 laps, was knocked three laps down and out of contention for the win.
The rule book states: “The Fueler must be in control of the fuel can at all times when fuel is being added to the vehicle. The Fueler will not be permitted to perform any adjustments or other pit stop procedures while the fuel can coupler is engaged with the vehicle-mounted adapter.”
Now that we understand the rule, let’s dig into the penalty. Where confusion might have come into play is that those on pit road understood the rule to mean that a gasman cannot set the wrench in the adjuster hole while engaged in the coupler.
The No. 20 did not do that, they set the wrench on the deck lid so the rear carrier could grab it while coming around the car and insert it into the left side adjuster. Where it seems NASCAR busted the No. 20 was on the part of the rule that states “any adjustment or other pit stop procedures while the fuel can coupler is engaged.”
Teams have been doing stops like the No. 20 did since the rule was implemented. Some teams would have their gasman pull the can out before setting the wrenches in place and then go back to fueling. Others would have their gasman hand off the wrench to the carrier when he comes around the back. Many teams, just like the No. 20, would set the wrench on the deck lid and continue fueling. So there are many ways to do this stop and by rule most of them are illegal.
However, rest assured, every pit coach and pit crew member now knows the correct interpretation of this rule and will be making sure the way they do left side adjustment stops are compliant with what NASCAR has said.
For more pit crew news, go to PitTalks.com.
RELATED: Junior reacts to milestone | Johnson pays respect to “Intimidator”
Jimmie Johnson won his 76th career premier series race on Sunday, matching Dale Earnhardt’s career win total.
Johnson is the eighth driver in NASCAR history to reach that mark.
Here’s how he and “The Intimidator” compare at the time of each driver’s 76th win.
Graphic created by Jenna Wagner
RELATED: Watch the live stream here
From 8-11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, NASCAR.com will live stream the post-race inspection process.
The three-hour look takes you behind the scenes as NASCAR officials inspect NASCAR Sprint Cup Series vehicles following Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The cars being inspected this week are: the No. 48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson (won Sunday’s race), the No. 88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. (finished second in Sunday’s race) and the No. 17 Ford of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (the random car selected).
For more information on what the inspection process entails, click here.
RELATED: Race results | Johnson wins at Atlanta, ties Earnhardt
HAMPTON, Ga. — It’s only appropriate that a win putting Jimmie Johnson in a tie with “The Intimidator” for career premier series wins came with a challenge.
The radio waves turned blue as a spin by Ryan Newman‘s No. 31 Chevrolet created an overtime situation at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 after the first two-thirds of the race had been caution-free at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The No. 48 team used a “gutsy” short-pit strategy to take the race lead with 45 laps to go, meaning Johnson’s tires were already on the edge of unraveling at the conclusion of the scheduled 325 laps. And challenger Kevin Harvick‘s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet was getting low on gas.
Johnson held on for the win, tying Dale Earnhardt with 76 career Sprint Cup Series wins. Fittingly, Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed his Hendrick Motorsports teammate across the finish line in second.
“It’s such an honor,” Johnson said of the tie with Earnhardt. “With the chaos at the end (of the race) and the crash and wondering about overtime and how it worked these days, I kind of lost sight of that. I remembered it on my victory lap coming down, and I had to come by and throw a ‘three’ out the window to pay my respects to the man. There’s a huge void in my career that I never had a chance to race with him, but at least I was able to tie his record.”
Earnhardt Jr. said he was pleased for Johnson upon reaching the milestone, emphasizing that Johnson doesn’t get the credit he deserves for several things, including staying humble, driving hard and never complaining about a loose-handling car.
“Knowing Jimmie Johnson and the way he operates, Dad would have loved Jimmie,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “How can you not like Jimmie? He’s just a good guy who never stepped over the line with anything he’s ever said or anything he’s ever did.”
RELATED: Junior, industry react to Jimmie’s 76th | Where Johnson stacks up
As for superlatives, Junior agreed that Johnson has a claim to the mantle of best driver of his generation.
“When he won five championships in a row, yeah, you figured he was pretty good,” Earnhardt Jr. said with a chuckle.
The elder Earnhardt’s penultimate win came at Atlanta, his final victory later in 2000 at Talladega’s fall race.
Johnson rattled off four wins in the first 13 races of the 2015 season. He struggled a bit in the middle of the season, but captured career win No. 75 at Texas in November. The No. 48 wheelman gave credit to crew chief Chad Knaus for bringing home No. 76.
“Yeah, definitely a gutsy call. It was just a great team effort,” Johnson said. “The No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) car was awfully tough and it was going to take some strategy to get by him. When he told me to whip it as hard as I could there, I just felt like I was going to take too much life out of the tires. But it worked. And I got rolling around the top and got to where I got this Lowe’s Chevy in Victory Lane. I’m so happy for Hendrick Motorsports and for everybody at Chevrolet.”
Team owner Rick Hendrick expects more wins to follow from his No. 48 driver. “I’m so glad we got this new package. I think it’s right in Jimmie’s wheelhouse.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how many races Jimmie and Chad can win together,” Hendrick added. “With this many wins and six championships, you’ve got to consider him to be one of the best drivers ever.”
Looking back through those 76 wins and 13 years in the premier series, both Hendrick and Knaus admitted they couldn’t have foreseen this kind of success.
“When we started this thing in 2002, I never thought we’d be here with 76 victories. It’s pretty impressive,” Knaus said, passing along credit to everyone at the Hendrick Motorsports shop and continued support from sponsor Lowe’s. “Jimmie’s pretty awesome, isn’t he?”