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Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson continues Daytona 500 title tour in Texas

Newly crowned Daytona 500 champion Jimmie Johnson has gotten little sleep since winning Sunday’s season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, but the blurry-eyed, five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion showed why he remains one of the sport’s top ambassadors during Wednesday’s "Trip Down Victory Lane" luncheon at the House of Blues in Dallas.

Johnson, in the midst of a five-city Daytona 500 champion’s tour, arrived to a throng of all the prominent Dallas/Fort Worth media outlets for an interview session and then visited with and posed for photographs with 100 fans that had VIP Experience packages before settling on stage for the formal portion of the program to celebrate his second Daytona 500 title. He was joined on stage by event emcee/host Krista Voda, part of FOX Sports’ esteemed NASCAR pit reporters, for a 45-minute Q&A session to the delight of the audience of more than 200 guests.

Johnson arrived from two days of media appearances in Bristol, Conn. for ESPN and New York City for various national shows such as "Late Show with David Letterman" and "Good Morning America" before touching down in Dallas/Fort Worth for a 3½-hour visit with local media and fans. He was then whisked away to the airport as the tour continues with stops in Los Angeles and Las Vegas before arriving in Phoenix for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

All in a day’s work for the reigning Daytona 500 champion.

"It is amazing the impact this single event has across our nation and in the world. It’s a big, big deal."

—Daytona 500 Champion Jimmie Johnson

"I know what time zone I’m in; I was a little confused on days," Johnson said with a laugh. "I thought we were on Tuesday but it is clearly Wednesday. Not much sleep, some of that self-inflicted. It’s been a very fun ride."

The ride, however, has a much different feel than when he won his first Daytona 500 title in 2006. 

"When I won my first Daytona 500, I had not won a championship," Johnson said. "It was amazing and a lot went on, but I don’t think the popularity was there like today. This is like winning a championship. I’m just as busy and there is just as much reach for myself, my sponsor, my team, as it did winning a championship. It is amazing the impact this single event has across our nation and in the world. It’s a big, big deal.   

"I’m really savoring the moment more and just enjoying it. I feel like I’m more mature today as a driver and somebody within the sport. I can appreciate this moment much more than in ’06. I did all I could at the time, but seven years later a lot has changed. I’m very appreciative of what goes with it." 

Johnson’s attention this week has been away from race preparations unlike his traditional schedule. Johnson, scheduled to compete in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races this weekend at Phoenix, understands the challenges that will come with this weekend’s races. 

"It hasn’t been at my mind at all," Johnson said. "We’ve been so occupied and busy. Tuesdays is normally the day I download with my team and talk about what happened at the races and then we move forward and prepare for the upcoming event. Then we go through that same thing with our teammates, their crew chiefs and the race engineers. I missed all of that yesterday so I feel a little removed and not really in the space to go racing in Phoenix. It’s for a good reason. Chad (Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief) is going to cut me some slack this week and I’m going to have to catch up on Friday when I get to the track."

One of the highlights of his Q&A session with the fans was a story that involved one of those Hendrick Motorsports teammates as well as TMZ that chases down celebrity news.

"I was in New York yesterday, and I get out of a car for an interview," Johnson tells the audience. "TMZ is standing there with a camera and the man asks the question that is the most annoying one I hear all the time which is, ‘What do you have to do if you have to go to the bathroom?’ 

"So evidently I was on TMZ last night because just before I walked out this morning my phone was blowing up and (Dale Earnhardt) Junior texted me and said, ‘You’ve never peed in your car before?’ No, I haven’t. Where did you see this? How did you know this? ‘Well, I watched TMZ.’" 

Johnson understands the momentum a victory in NASCAR’s most prestigious race can provide a driver. His first Daytona 500 victory came in 2006, which coincidentally was the same season he earned the first of his five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships. 

In 2006, he followed up his Daytona 500 victory with three wins in the first nine races, along with seven top-10 finishes during that span. His victory in Sunday’s Daytona 500 has provided his Hendrick Motorsports team confidence moving forward. It is in stark contrast to last season when Johnson got caught up in an accident and finished 42nd in the 43-car field of the Daytona 500.

"We feel like we’re going to start the season at the top of the class and we’re excited about that," Johnson said. "Plate racing is so different than what it takes to win the championship. You’ve got to make the Chase and that is all on downforce tracks. You get into the Chase and you’ve got one plate-race track versus nine other downforce tracks. You can turn it in some directions. I have seen some teams and drivers win the (Daytona) 500 and you see four or five months later they haven’t had such a great year. There’s some type of hangover from the (Daytona) 500. Or it can be a springboard."

Winning the Daytona 500 has not translated into success at Texas Motor Speedway in the same season. In the 16-year history of Texas Motor Speedway, no Daytona 500 winner has gone on to visit Victory Lane at "The Great American Speedway!" in the same season.

While Johnson remains winless in April’s Texas 500, he is no stranger to Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway. Johnson has two victories during the speedway’s November Sprint Cup Series event, winning the AAA Texas 500 in 2007 and again last year. He remains one of the most consistent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers at Texas Motor Speedway as he ranks second for career top-five finishes (9), top-10 finishes (14) and finishing average (9.26). 

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Driver keeps his head up after Daytona 500 wreck

Mooresville, N.C. — For the second straight year, Kasey Kahne is off to a slow start in the Sprint Cup Series.

Kahne was holding on to fifth place early in last Sunday’s Daytona 500 when contact with Kyle Busch from behind sent the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS spinning into turn 1.

The wreck also collected contenders Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart and ended Kahne’s day, giving him a finish of 36th in the season-opening race.

“I was upset, kind of pissed off about it, until yesterday,” Kahne said on Wednesday while promoting an upcoming race at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I’ve wrecked at the (Daytona) 500 plenty of times, and that was the first time I ever wrecked there and thought that I had a shot. I think my car was as good as any car there. I know it was.  So that’s what’s so disappointing.”

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Kahne said crashing a potential race-winning car had him stewing over the missed opportunity for longer than usual, but a team meeting with drivers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. helped him understand what happened.

Kahne was running right behind Gordon at the time of the wreck. Gordon explained that he and Matt Kenseth both slowed, forcing Kahne to do the same. It ended with the contact from Busch.

“That wreck was uncontrollable,” Kahne said. “I realize that we’re not that far behind, one race is not a very big deal. It’s something you can get over easy.”

If there’s no sense of panic in Kahne’s voice, it’s because he was in a similar situation last year.

After an early crash, he finished 29th in the 2012 Daytona 500. The following weekend in Phoenix, he finished 34th. Overall, in the first six races of 2012, Kahne collected three finishes of 30th or worse, and found himself 31st in points, despite winning two poles.

He responded to that slow start with seven straight top-10s, including a win in Charlotte. He added another win at Loudon, and by early September he’d secured a place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Five top-fives during NASCAR’s playoff helped him to finish the season in 4th.

"We’re not going to crash every race. At some point we’re going to take off," Kahne remembers telling himself after the slow start. “And we did.”

A brand new Generation-6 car makes the circumstances of 2013 quite different. Few know what to expect on any of the non-restrictor plate tracks. But Kahne said the stability of long-time crew chief Kenny Francis and the reputation of Hendrick Motorsports are keeping him confident they can overcome another slow start.

“I can tell by the things we’ve done to this point — with testing and how we raced in the 500 — how prepared Kenny and our team are,” Kahne said. “So it’s comforting, and exciting to look into Phoenix, Vegas and Bristol and just be ready to go.”

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NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series readies for first-ever U.S. race

Forget crashes and debris cautions — in the days leading up to the first NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series event in the United States, Joe Balash’s bigger concerns were tomatoes, peppers and avocados. Winter is peak season for fruits and vegetables coming into the U.S. from Mexico, which means a glut of produce-laden tractor-trailers at border crossings, and potentially longer wait times for race transporters headed to Phoenix International Raceway.

These are the things Balash frets over in his new role as NASCAR’s international competition liaison, a position that will be in the spotlight this weekend when the Mexican series competes in the United States for the first time. For drivers on that circuit, Friday night’s event is an opportunity to shine with the eyes of the industry upon them. For NASCAR, the race is part of an international strategy that also includes tours in Canada and Europe, and may one day expand to other parts of the world.

“It’s really multi-faceted,” said Balash, formerly the director of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. “It’s a way to develop relationships between sponsors in both countries. It’s a way to expose the drivers to more NASCAR style stock-car racing. It goes a long way with the steps we’re taking in our diversity program, and those types of things. So there are different things it encompasses, having that race in Phoenix.”

"The world population right now is 7 billion. We want all of ’em."

— Joe Balash, NASCAR’s international competition liaison

But first there are those fruits and vegetables, passports and other matters related to crossing the border. Balash said the logistics of getting the Toyota Series teams to Phoenix are similar to those used by Nationwide outfits traveling to Mexico City, where that circuit competed from 2005-08. The transporters were to travel north and muster in the border town of Nogales, Ariz., where — because of differences in trucking regulations between the two countries — they were to be switched onto tractors that met U.S. standards.

Most Toyota Series teams are based around Mexico City, Balash said, and given that the circuit also competes in the northern state of Chihuahua, he didn’t expect the Phoenix trip to cost owners more than a few extra thousand dollars. Some teams were doubling up on transporters in an effort to save money, and the event itself will be broken into segments of 50 and 25 laps so organizations don’t have to travel with full crews or perform full pit stops. The vehicles are similar to those used in the K&N Pro Series.

Under NASCAR’s stewardship, the Toyota Series has experienced an uptick in attendance and a schedule expansion that’s seen several tracks built or refurbished. The pacesetter for NASCAR’s international efforts continues to be the Canadian Tire Series, which has existed for more than two decades under several different names, and enjoys relatively high visibility by competing at established venues throughout the country. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Euro Racecar Series, which debuted under NASCAR sanctioning last year.

Although the Euro circuit competes at renowned facilities like LeMans and Brands Hatch, the series is still in its infancy. Balash said the circuit is “more a celebration of American stock-car racing,” pointing out that one event in France last year also featured a country music concert, a Harley-Davidson show and a military reenactment. “The popularity is there,” he added, “but I think we’re just scratching the surface right now.”

The purpose of such efforts is to develop not just fans, but also talent behind the wheel. One of Balash’s responsibilities is to assist drivers who hope to one day break into NASCAR circuits in the United States, of which there is no shortage. Three-time Mexico champion German Quiroga has competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Canadian Tire regulars D.J. Kennington, J.R. Fitzpatrick and Andrew Ranger have made numerous starts on the Nationwide tour, K&N Pro Series contender Ben Kennedy won the inaugural oval race on the Euro circuit last season and 2010 Toyota Series Rookie of the Year Daniel Suarez, a member of the 2013 Drive for Diversity class who will drive for Rev Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this year.

"The dream of all the drivers is to be one driver in the national series, in the Nationwide, Trucks or Sprint Cup," Suarez told ESPN.com last month during a Google+ Hangout with other members of the Drive for Diversity class. "One big step for me in this year, 2013, is getting in this awesome program."

On Wednesday, Suarez took part in the NASCAR Foundation’s NASCAR Meets NASCAR — Gears and Galaxies event at the Challenger Space Center in Peoria, Ariz. The Foundation’s first NASCAR Dreams event of 2013 hosted more than 300 children and their families from the Littleton School District to experience the science and technology of the sport and meet NASA Astronaut William G. Gregory and Suarez, who will run the No. 3 TELCEL Dodge in Friday night’s race.

“You have to remember, there are still only so many seats available,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president for competition. “When you’re looking at a (NASCAR) weekend, you’re only looking at 105, 100-something seats that are available. We’ve got guys in K&N who are talented, and there’s no room in the inn. So it’s nice to have other series where you can put more butts in the seats.”

Balash says NASCAR often receives inquiries from parties in other countries interested in American style stock-car racing, but the sanctioning body is looking only for serious opportunities to put on professional events. Toward that end, the Euro series holds races in Italy, England, France and Spain. Brazil, which has its own stock-car circuit, is on the radar. And NASCAR’s national events in the U.S. are broadcast on television in 134 different countries.

“The world population right now is 7 billion. We want all of ’em,” Balash said. “So there’s a goal to reach out for.”

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Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

Nationwide driver’s penalty indefinite

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jeremy Clements, a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s Code of Conduct.

On Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway, Clements was found to have violated Sections 7-5 (NASCAR’s Code of Conduct) and 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing).

“During the course of an interview, Jeremy Clements made an intolerable and insensitive remark,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that’s explicitly spelled out in the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. We fully expect our entire industry to adhere to that Code.”

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The following statement has been issued by Jeremy Clements regarding his NASCAR suspension:

"I apologize and regret what I said to the NASCAR writer and to NASCAR, my sponsors, my fans, and my team. NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that everyone must follow and I unintentionally violated that code. I will not get into specifics of what I said but my comment to the writer was in no way meant to be disrespectful or insensitive to anyone or to be detrimental to NASCAR or the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I will do what I need to do in order to atone for my error in judgment."

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Lowe’s, Hendrick Motorsports sign sponsorship contract for 2014-15

Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 car will continue to wear Lowe’s Companies Inc. as a primary sponsor through 2015. Lowe’s announced the two-year agreement to store managers at a national sales meeting on Wednesday. The relationship between Lowe’s and Hendrick Motorsports is now in its 12th full season.

“It has been a great ride with Jimmie since he started in the Cup Series 12 years ago,” said Tom Lamb, Lowe’s chief marketing officer. “We are proud to sponsor one of the most elite teams and drivers in racing and have a five-time champion carry the Lowe’s brand each week.”


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Johnson most recently claimed his second Daytona 500 win, and has never finished lower than sixth since his first full-time Sprint Cup season in 2002. Daytona also marked Johnson’s 400th Cup race, making him the only driver other than Jeff Gordon to have the same primary sponsor for that many starts.

“Lowe’s believed in me before I had any success,” Johnson said. “They are all I’ve ever known in my Sprint Cup career, and their support of me and the No. 48 team is second to none in the sport. We’ve been together for this crazy ride, and I’m so happy we’re continuing it together. They truly are family, and I’m proud to represent them.”


Johnson’s contract with Hendrick Motorsports is also through 2015.

“We caught lightning in a bottle with this combination,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Jimmie and Chad have been successful because they always have a plan and do a great job executing. Lowe’s is the same way as a sponsor. The partnership has been incredible, and we’re looking forward to working together for many more years.”


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Take a look back at the race and track history with some noteworthy numbers

.13  The closest margin of victory recorded at Phoenix International Raceway since the advent of electronic scoring. Ryan Newman beat Jeff Gordon to the start/finish line in April 2010 at the Subway Fresh Fit 600, breaking his 77-race winless streak.

1 The number of repaves at the track. It was done during a six-month period in 2011.

3 Consecutive poles won by Ryan Newman, from 2002-2004. His four poles are the most in track history.

4 Wins at Phoenix by Jimmie Johnson, the most among the top 12 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings.

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5 Drivers have won the first two races in a Sprint Cup Series season, although only three include the Daytona 500 — Lee Petty (Daytona Beach Course, Tri-City Speedway; 1954), Marvin Panch (Willow Springs Speedway, Concord Speedway; 1956), David Pearson (Riverside, Daytona; 1976), Jeff Gordon (Daytona, Rockingham; 1997) and Matt Kenseth (Daytona, Auto Club; 2009). Jimmie Johnson won this year’s Daytona 500.

7 drivers have won more than once at Phoenix — Jimmie Johnson (four), Kevin Harvick and Davey Allison (three), Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin (two apiece).

10 extra feet in the frontstretch — from 52 to 62 — following a 2011 reconfiguration.

16 The number of times Jeff Gordon raced at Phoenix before his first win in April of 2007.

17 The finish of Danica Patrick in last year’s fall race. Patrick is the only female to have made a Cup start at the track.

19 The number of different pole winners, with
Kyle Busch (November 2012) being the most recent.

21 Top-10 finishes for Mark Martin, more than any other driver.

29 The starting position of race-winner Ricky Rudd in 1995, the furthest back an eventual winner has started.

33 The number of Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix, one per season from 1984-2004 and two each season since.

53 The age of the oldest pole winner — Mark Martin, at last year’s Subway Fresh Fit 500.

150.0 A perfect driver rating has been recorded twice at Phoenix — Kurt Busch in April 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November 2006.

184 drivers have competed in at least one Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix.

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(Harold Hinson photo)

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski said he doesn’t plan to be any less outspoken about the sport of stock car racing after meeting with NASCAR Chairman Brian France and International Speedway Corp., President Lesa France Kennedy.
 
At the same time, the driver of the No. 2 Penske Racing Ford said it was important for those involved in the sport to work together in an effort to ensure its continued success.
 
Keselowski, 29, met separately with France and Kennedy while in Daytona Beach, Fla., for last week’s Daytona 500, the Sprint Cup Series first points event of the season.
 
The meetings took place the same day a story appeared in USA Today in which Keselowski voiced concerns about several topics, including sponsorship entitlements, adapting to television’s continued role and the evolution of social media as it pertains to the sport.

“I think that I will still have the same approach to doing everything I can to push the sport forward as I see fit,” Keselowski told reporters following a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “It’s just a matter of balancing it with the interest of everything else."
 
If such candor happens to draw the attention of officials, he said, it’s well worth the risk.
 
NASCAR Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Brett Jewkes said the story’s appearance didn’t spur the meetings, but that the subject matter was touched upon.
 
"Brad has been asking for more dialogue and yesterday was a good opportunity to catch up,” Jewkes said Feb. 23. “Hopefully, meetings such as that can help each other understand the different point of views."
 
Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said it was difficult to comment on the meetings without knowing what was discussed. But, he added, “It is not out of the ordinary for a new champion to feel confident to be able to express their opinion on things.
 
“Brad cares a lot about the sport,” Gordon said. “He’s not trying to do anything that would hurt the sport. When you are that open, it doesn’t surprise me that NASCAR is going to talk about it. I don’t think it necessarily means that they are saying ‘Don’t do that’."

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How are you watching the races at Phoenix? Find out how to get the latest from wherever you are using the table below

WATCHING AT HOME?
GOING TO THE RACE?
GOING MOBILE?
PLAYING FANTASY?

Even if you’re not at the track, you can keep up with all the live action on TV and at NASCAR.com. (All times Eastern, unless noted.)

Watch practices and the race on TV:

SPRINT CUP SERIES:

Sunday, March 3: SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 on FOX, 3 p.m.

Get inside the media center:

Press Pass will have live news conferences here all weekend. (All times local.)

NASCAR K&N Series West post-race news conference | 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 3

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series post-race news conference | 6:15 p.m.

Want more?

Get lap-by-lap updates on NASCAR.com during practice laps, qualifying and races.

Want to attend the races this weekend? Buy tickets to Subway Fresh Fit 500, Dollar General 200 and Toyota 120

Know the track:

Check out our Phoenix International Raceway track page to take a video tour of the track and explore the best fan views.

Want to meet a driver?

Here is a list of appearances. (List subject to change, all times local.)

Sunday, March 3:

Bobby Labonte | Trackside Club, 9:30 a.m.

Casey Mears | GEICO campground display, 9:30 a.m.

Ryan Newman | Chevy Display, 9:30 a.m.

Kevin Harvick | Budweiser Roll Bar, 10 a.m.

Front Row Motorsports drivers David Ragan, David Gilliland, Josh Wise | Sprint Stage, Fan Midway, 10 a.m.

Jeff Gordon | Chevy display, 10 a.m.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Main Stage, Fan Midway, 10:30 a.m.

Re-live the race:

Watch race highlights from your favorite driver and top moments shortly after the race using Race Replay delivered by FedEx Racing.

Get packing:

The weather in Phoenix is:

Find more about Weather in Phoenix, AZ
Click for weather forecast

The Subway Fresh Fit 500 is a 312-mile, 312-lap race that is one of the few races that measures in kilometers.

Keep all eyes on the race:

With RaceView Premium and NASCAR RaceView Mobile ’13, formerly RaceView 360, you can watch live, virtual 3-D video with in-car audio as well as national radio broadcasts. You’ll also see telemetry data and real-time stats with pit and driver information. With RaceBuddy, you watch the race from inside cars while getting live stats.

Follow from anywhere:

NASCAR Mobile ’13: This new app is free to download with an upcoming in-app subscription for premium content including live driver audio, live advanced leaderboards, and live alternate camera angles (when available).

Play NASCAR FANTASY LIVE:

Don’t forget to do your research and set your lineup for the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

Expert tip of the week:

Players with teams decimated by "Big One" crashes at Daytona will be happy to know that as unpredictable as it was, Phoenix is the opposite. Last year, seven drivers earned top-10s in more than 50 percent of their short, flat track starts, led by Brad Keselowski, who swept the season. Get more tips from Dan Beaver’s fantasy blog.

Last year’s top three finishers:

1. Denny Hamlin

2. Kevin Harvick

3. Greg Biffle

See the complete results from last year’s event here.

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Almirola to fill in for No. 43 RPM Nationwide team

Michael Annett is out of the No. 43 Nationwide Series car for an undetermined amount of time because of chest injuries suffered in a crash during the season opener last weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

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According to his Richard Petty Motorsports team, Annett sustained a fracture and dislocation of his sternum after impacting the outside wall head-on in a multi-car crash near the end of last Saturday’s season opener. The 26-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, spent one night in a Daytona Beach hospital complaining of chest and sternum discomfort. Annett is scheduled for impending surgery for his injuries in Charlotte, N.C.

Aric Almirola, who drives the No. 43 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for RPM, will replace Annett in the Nationwide vehicle this week at Phoenix International Raceway. The team will evaluate its driver options in the forthcoming weeks, it said in a release issued Tuesday evening.

Annett made contact with Austin Dillon in tight traffic, and was turned directly into the wall as part of a 13-car pileup that unfolded on lap 116 of the 120-lap race at Daytona. Annett’s injury was unrelated to the 12-car accident on the event’s final lap, which involved Kyle Larson’s vehicle going airborne and parts of his car injuring several fans in the grandstands.

Annett becomes the second national-series driver in the past five months to sit out races due to an injury suffered on the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed Sprint Cup events last year at Charlotte and Kansas because of the effects of two concussions, the first sustained in a testing crash at Kansas and the second in an accident at the end of a race at Talladega. Although Annett underwent a CT scan at the hospital in Daytona Beach, he was not diagnosed with a concussion.

Annett was coming off a breakout season on the Nationwide tour, having finished fifth in final points last season in his debut campaign with RPM. Although he didn’t win, he set a new career-high with 17 top-10s, and recorded top-five finishes for the first time.

He entered this season believing his team was ready to compete for race victories and the series championship. His string of 139 consecutive Nationwide series starts — which dates back to his debut at Homestead in 2008 — will come to an end this weekend.

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