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| Jimmie Johnson is 7/1 to win at Atlanta on Sunday. |
Hometown: El Cajon, California
Age: 40
Age: 40
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS, will visit the media center at Atlanta Motor Speedway at 10 a.m. local time on Friday.
DEFENDING RACE-WINNER: Last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson started the event from the 37th position but swiftly made his way through the field. He led 92 of the 325 laps en route to his 71st career win holding off a late charge from Kevin Harvick. It was Johnson’s fourth win at the track.
VEGAS TIRE TEST: The No. 48 Lowe’s team completed a Goodyear tire test in January at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus spent two days testing tires at the 1.5-mile track, which is the same length as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
ALL-TIME ON 1.5 MILERS: Johnson currently holds the record for all-time wins on 1.5-mile tracks. He has earned 24 victories, which includes seven at Charlotte Motor Speedway, six at Texas Motor Speedway, four at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway and three at Kansas Speedway.
WIN TO TIE: Johnson’s five wins last season -- including the final one at Texas Motor Speedway -- propelled him within one race of tying Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s 76 career wins. Johnson’s 75 are currently eighth all-time. One more win would tie him with Earnhardt for seventh behind Cale Yarborough’s 83 wins in sixth place. The all-time wins leader is Richard Petty with 200.
SUPERCROSS EVENT: As he started racing on two wheels at age 5, it’s no surprise that Johnson is an avid fan of Supercross racing and many of its elite athletes. The Supercross circuit visits Atlanta this weekend, and Johnson will attend the event and be incorporated into the show, which airs live on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET Saturday.
JIMMIE JOHNSON WELLNESS CHALLENGE RETURNS: Registration is open for the 2016 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge. Register now for early-bird pricing and register for all three events to receive a reduced rate. The first event is May 22, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 5K in Huntersville, North Carolina. Log on to www.jjfwellnesschallenge.org for more details.
JIMMIE JOHNSON RACING WINS NASCAR AWARD: During Speedweeks at Daytona, Johnson was awarded the 2015 Best Youth Marketing Initiative for the Jimmie Johnson Family Ticket Package by NASCAR. Last season Johnson worked with 14 tracks to carry out 17 events and saw over 5,000 participants – 51 percent of which were children. Johnson’s goal with the program is to help make it affordable and enjoyable for families to attend races. Johnson donated his time to visit with the families and incorporated a NASA STEM-based learning curriculum and Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics to enhance the race experience for kids and their families.
JJ TICKET PACKAGES RETURN: The Jimmie Johnson Family Ticket Packages will return in 2016, kicking off the year at Atlanta. Packages provide families with reduced ticket prices to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, as well as an event on race morning that provides engaging NASA STEM-focused "Rockets to Racecars" activities for kids and an appearance by Johnson. In 2016, three tracks (Texas Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and Pocono Raceway) will be part of a beta program to incorporate Rockets to Racecars curriculum in local schools year-round, culminating with an at-track event for teachers and students during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race day.
HOMETOWN CONNECTION: No. 48 team jackman Andrew Childers is from Tucker, Georgia, which is roughly 45 miles from Atlanta Motor Speedway. Childers, who became the jackman on the No. 48 team in 2014, played football for Samford University.
DEFENDING RACE-WINNER: Last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson started the event from the 37th position but swiftly made his way through the field. He led 92 of the 325 laps en route to his 71st career win holding off a late charge from Kevin Harvick. It was Johnson’s fourth win at the track.
VEGAS TIRE TEST: The No. 48 Lowe’s team completed a Goodyear tire test in January at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus spent two days testing tires at the 1.5-mile track, which is the same length as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
ALL-TIME ON 1.5 MILERS: Johnson currently holds the record for all-time wins on 1.5-mile tracks. He has earned 24 victories, which includes seven at Charlotte Motor Speedway, six at Texas Motor Speedway, four at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway and three at Kansas Speedway.
WIN TO TIE: Johnson’s five wins last season -- including the final one at Texas Motor Speedway -- propelled him within one race of tying Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s 76 career wins. Johnson’s 75 are currently eighth all-time. One more win would tie him with Earnhardt for seventh behind Cale Yarborough’s 83 wins in sixth place. The all-time wins leader is Richard Petty with 200.
SUPERCROSS EVENT: As he started racing on two wheels at age 5, it’s no surprise that Johnson is an avid fan of Supercross racing and many of its elite athletes. The Supercross circuit visits Atlanta this weekend, and Johnson will attend the event and be incorporated into the show, which airs live on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET Saturday.
JIMMIE JOHNSON WELLNESS CHALLENGE RETURNS: Registration is open for the 2016 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge. Register now for early-bird pricing and register for all three events to receive a reduced rate. The first event is May 22, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 5K in Huntersville, North Carolina. Log on to www.jjfwellnesschallenge.org for more details.
JIMMIE JOHNSON RACING WINS NASCAR AWARD: During Speedweeks at Daytona, Johnson was awarded the 2015 Best Youth Marketing Initiative for the Jimmie Johnson Family Ticket Package by NASCAR. Last season Johnson worked with 14 tracks to carry out 17 events and saw over 5,000 participants – 51 percent of which were children. Johnson’s goal with the program is to help make it affordable and enjoyable for families to attend races. Johnson donated his time to visit with the families and incorporated a NASA STEM-based learning curriculum and Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics to enhance the race experience for kids and their families.
JJ TICKET PACKAGES RETURN: The Jimmie Johnson Family Ticket Packages will return in 2016, kicking off the year at Atlanta. Packages provide families with reduced ticket prices to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, as well as an event on race morning that provides engaging NASA STEM-focused "Rockets to Racecars" activities for kids and an appearance by Johnson. In 2016, three tracks (Texas Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and Pocono Raceway) will be part of a beta program to incorporate Rockets to Racecars curriculum in local schools year-round, culminating with an at-track event for teachers and students during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race day.
HOMETOWN CONNECTION: No. 48 team jackman Andrew Childers is from Tucker, Georgia, which is roughly 45 miles from Atlanta Motor Speedway. Childers, who became the jackman on the No. 48 team in 2014, played football for Samford University.
Jimmie Johnson on racing at Atlanta
“To say I’m looking forward to Atlanta this weekend is an understatement. Last year we started so deep in the field because we had a terrible qualifying run. It wasn’t too fun but we had such a fast Lowe’s Chevrolet that we made our way through the field and got the track position we needed. Making the Chase the second race into the year was great because we just could go out there and win – the pressure was off. We didn’t have the run we wanted in Daytona, handling was an issue on race day. We had a great test in Vegas with a fast car so I’m ready to roll at Atlanta.”
- Hendrick Motorsports
“To say I’m looking forward to Atlanta this weekend is an understatement. Last year we started so deep in the field because we had a terrible qualifying run. It wasn’t too fun but we had such a fast Lowe’s Chevrolet that we made our way through the field and got the track position we needed. Making the Chase the second race into the year was great because we just could go out there and win – the pressure was off. We didn’t have the run we wanted in Daytona, handling was an issue on race day. We had a great test in Vegas with a fast car so I’m ready to roll at Atlanta.”
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