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For Jimmie Johnson, winning the Daytona 500 was a piece of cake — compared with the four days that followed. (Photo: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
GLENDALE, Ariz. — For Jimmie Johnson, winning the Daytona 500 was a piece of cake — compared with the four days that followed.
From green flag to checkered flag last Sunday, Johnson spent three hours, eight minutes and 23 seconds behind the wheel of his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS.
Johnson spent the next 96-plus hours criss-crossing the United States, visiting eight different states and flying over perhaps a dozen more. The non-stop tour that started with the traditional Champion’s Breakfast at Daytona International Speedway included an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" and ended with a visit to the Phoenix Coyotes-Minnesota Wild National Hockey League game in Glendale, Ariz.
"Our sport is hopefully transitioning into mainstream."
— Jimmie Johnson
The term "media blitz" doesn’t adequately describe the grueling schedule that took Johnson completely out of his normal routine. From Daytona he flew to North Carolina and from there to Connecticut for appearances on ESPN.
The New York stint came Tuesday, with his day divided into 10-to-15 minute segments with an array of media outlets,. That night, after the Letterman taping, Johnson flew to Dallas for a series of media hits at Texas Motor Speedway on Wednesday morning. On Wednesday afternoon, Johnson flew to Los Angeles for more media appearances and a trip to Auto Club Speedway before leaving for Las Vegas and sales meeting for sponsor Lowe’s that night.
Then it was back to L.A. for more media before flying to Phoenix for the hockey game on Thursday night. After dropping the ceremonial puck before the game, Johnson took questions from a crush of TV reporters in one of the sky boxes.
You can forgive Johnson for being a little frayed around the edges by the time the last interview at the hockey game was over.
"I’m so freaking tired," Johnson told the NASCAR Wire Service on the way out of Jobing.com Arena on Thursday night. "Last night we had our national sales meeting with Lowe’s so we had 3,000 store managers in a huge, huge venue in Las Vegas.
Johnson is a creature of habit. Typically, his days are regimented, with time allocated for a rigorous workout regimen and consultation with crew chief Chad Knaus. The Champion’s Tour, however, obliterated his normal schedule.
Understandably, he felt a bit behind the curve heading to Phoenix International Raceway on Friday morning.
"I haven’t had a chance to train, do my team debrief, get prepped or our team prepped for this race," Johnson said. "Chad’s cut me some slack, clearly, for obvious reasons, but it’s weird to be completely out of your routine. I’m a routine guy."
Naturally enough, Johnson wouldn’t trade places with the 42 other drivers who didn’t win the Daytona 500, and he was gratified to sense the buzz that attached to his victory and to NASCAR racing in general.
"It was awesome," he said. "To be a part of all of it … honestly, through the championships that I’ve won and the ’06 500, there was always great excitement and buzz surrounding our sport attending these events.
"But there was a buzz that I haven’t seen before. I’m excited for our sport right now. There are a lot of great things going on. TMZ chased me down twice. Our sport is hopefully transitioning into mainstream, and the whole TMZ factor says that to me more than anything."
And how much of the buzz is attributable to the arrival of Danica Patrick as a full-time Sprint Cup driver?
"I don’t know how much, but yes, absolutely (she is a factor)," Johnson said. "I think the Gen-6 car and the positive thoughts of the drivers, the owners, the manufacturers—there’s a lot of momentum.
"We were seeing some good momentum through the end of last year with the ad buys increasing on TV and all that. I don’t know what’s solely responsible for it, but I like it. It’s a great shot in the arm for our sport."
Even though Chad Knaus was part of an official announcement at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Johnson was so wrapped up in his media activities that he hadn’t heard about changes to the format of the Sprint All-Star Race in May. Johnson is the defending champion of that event, too.
"I saw there was an extra million bucks (for winning all five segments)," he said. "They’re going to make me think to figure this out. Hopefully, I win."
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Abraham Calderon takes Toyota 120, the first NASCAR Toyota Mexico Series race on U.S. soil
AVONDALE, Ariz. — On one side of the stage was a U.S. color guard comprised of an ROTC unit, on the other was a contingent from the local Mexican consulate flanking that nation’s flag. The invocation was offered in Spanish and English, and the Mexican and United States national anthems were performed by Latin singing stars. Eventually, the sky over Phoenix International Raceway was filled with the sound of one common language — the rumble of race car engines.
And with that, the first NASCAR Toyota Mexico Series race on U.S. soil was underway — although it was quickly halted under caution when pole winner Jorge Goeters was spun in the first turn. But nothing could diminish the sense that something new and different was unfolding on the 1-mile track, a feeling that began during opening ceremonies and lasted through Abraham Calderon’s celebration in Victory Lane.
For NASCAR, it was an opportunity to spotlight an international effort that also includes a fledgling circuit in Europe and a more established tour in Canada. For the Toyota Mexico Series, it was a chance to perform at a major American motorsports facility. And for many of the drivers, it was an opportunity to fulfill one dream — and perhaps take a step toward realizing much larger ones.
"This track, I’ve only seen it on TV, and now I’m here."
— Abraham Calderon
“This track, I’ve only seen it on TV, and now I’m here,” said Calderon, a 24-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico, who scored his first career victory Friday night. “I think in the future, we can do it. This is a dream being here, and I plan in the future on racing on the big ones, Daytona and Talladega and all of the tracks that are amazing and awesome for us. Hopefully, I’ll be there sometime.”
NASCAR’s Mexico Series has been in existence since 2004, and is operated in partnership with the Mexican entertainment conglomerate OCESA. Since its founding the league has gradually expanded to more and better tracks, and this year’s schedule is comprised of a 15-race slate that opened Friday in Phoenix and ends Nov. 10 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where the Nationwide Series competed for several years.
But the Phoenix race is clearly a crown jewel, both because of its location in a major U.S. market and its connection to the Sprint Cup Series competing at the same facility on the same weekend. Asked what he hoped to get out of this experience, Goeters — a Mexico City native who also won the pole for the first Nationwide race in Mexico City — was succinct: “Hendrick Motorsports,” he said.
“Maybe like a spotter or something. I’d love to be that,” he added, tongue only halfway in cheek. “Honestly, we are very excited. We know our level is growing. We want to race for our country, we want more races here in the States. We enjoy the facilities and everything they give us every race. So we never know. So I’m ready for my life to change.”
Although that may seem a lofty goal, three-time Mexico Series champion German Quiroga is now in the Camping World Truck Series, and Goeters and Juan Carlos Blum are among those who have competed in a handful of Nationwide events. Others hope to use the Mexico Series as a springboard to something like an American late model tour or the K&N Pro Series, on which Monterrey native Daniel Suarez has made 19 career starts.
“I think NASCAR Mexico does a good job to develop drivers, to support drivers who want to come to America to do like a K&N or a super late model, or some of the national series,” said Suarez, whose vehicle hit the wall and suffered damage early in Friday’s race. “I think it’s our goal in a few years to be one of those, or to be in the national series.”
Clearly, it meant a great deal for the Mexico Series drivers to compete in the U.S. “I can’t explain to you how emotional all the teams and drivers are,” Suarez said. That much was evident throughout Friday, whether it was crewmen posing for photos in front of cars in the Sprint Cup garage, team members buying souvenirs, or the enthusiasm that surrounded the event’s opening ceremonies. Before he gave the command to start engines, San Francisco Giants pitcher Sergio Romo bounced up and down as if he were on the mound.
“It just opens up an opportunity for them to come here and showcase their abilities,” said Arizona Diamondbacks great Luis Gonzalez, who was an honorary race official. “NASCAR continues to grow, and just with every other major sport, everybody’s looking to go global now and expand. You’ve seen this grow so much in the last 10 to 15 years.”
Most Mexico Series teams are based around Mexico City, and the voyage to Phoenix entailed a convoy that crossed the border at Nogales, Ariz., where the team transporters were switched onto tractors that met U.S. trucking regulations. To cut costs, some teams shared haulers. The race was also designed to maximize cost effectiveness, with the event split into 50- and 25-lap segments separated by a 10-minute break that allowed teams to bring only skeleton crews.
To those involved, though, the travel was more than worth it. “This is a dream come true. We are doing history,” said Enrique Contreras, director of the Toyota Mexico Series. “First time crossing the border. It was a little difficult this first time, but we now know the way to do it, and I hope we can do it a little more frequently. It’s a really big opportunity for our series.”
Raceway president Bryan Sperber sounded hopeful that the event would return. “I’m hoping this is the beginning of a very long relationship,” he said. “… They absolutely would have a home here at PIR for as long as they want to race with us.”
Sitting at the same table, Contreras was quick to accept the offer. “We are ready,” he said. “Whenever you guys invite us, we will be here.”
Calderon, who dominated the event by leading 62 of 75 laps, might not want to leave. After taking the checkered flag, he unleashed a massive burnout that enveloped the frontstretch grandstand in smoke — and blew the engine in his No. 05 car in the process. A giddy Calderon laid on the roof of his vehicle, then stood and saluted the crowd, and then needed a tow truck to push his vehicle into Victory Lane.
“It’s amazing,” said an elated Calderon, whose car was backed by the World Baseball Classic. “I can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable. I can’t even describe it with words.”
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