Jimmie Johnson’s Looking To Rekindle Texas Motor Speedway Magic This Weekend
Story By: AMY STOCK / HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – CONCORD, NC – Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has had his fair share of success in the Lone Star State.
The seven-time Texas Motor Speedway winner ranks first among all drivers for number of wins at the 1.5-mile track. Additionally, he ranks first among active drivers with second-place finishes (five) and first among top-five finishes (16).
Johnson has led the most laps at Texas with 1,152 and has the fourth-best average finish with 10.9.
TEXAS THREE PEAT: Johnson won three consecutive races at Texas between November 2014 and November 2015 – the longest streak ever by a driver at the track. He also has posted three-race win streaks at Phoenix Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. Johnson won four straight at Charlotte Motor Speedway from May 2004 to October 2005. Of the 15 playoff races run at Texas in the last 15 seasons, Johnson has won five of them.
TEXAS TRAIL BLAZER: Texas Motor Speedway is one of four tracks on the circuit where Johnson has led more than 1,000 laps, joining Dover International Speedway (3,113), Martinsville (2,932) and Charlotte (1,936). Johnson has led 1,152 at Texas. He also has more wins than anyone else at Dover (11), Martinsville (nine), Charlotte (eight) and Texas (seven).
A SWEET DESIGN: Nineteen-year-old Michigan native and college student Noah “Lefty” Sweet is a lifelong Johnson fan who has created dozens of amateur graphic paint scheme designs for the No. 48 Chevy and other esports events. Ally recently approached the young fan with the opportunity to design a special paint scheme for his idol to celebrate the positive impact Johnson has made in the lives of so many fans during his legendary career. Sweet, who works under the name “Lefty Designs,” worked with Hendrick Motorsports graphic designer Mark Barrera to achieve the paint scheme Johnson will run this weekend for his final race at Texas Motor Speedway. Sweet also met Johnson virtually and described it as a “dream come true.”
MOST ALL-TIME: Johnson is the NASCAR Cup Series’ all-time wins leader on 1.5-mile tracks with 28. Second on that list is Johnson’s former teammate Jeff Gordon with 17 victories.
TOY AWARDS APPEARANCE: The 2020 “Top-Rated by Kids Toy Awards Show,” hosted by DJ Khaled and Meghan Trainor, will air on Sunday, Oct. 25 on FOX and on Walmart’s social media channels immediately following the NFL game at 4:30 p.m. ET. The show will feature appearances and musical performances from “some of today’s hottest celebs,” including Johnson and his girls, Genevieve and Lydia.
MARTINSVILLE SCHEME REVEALED: As seven-time NASCAR champion Johnson concludes his final full-time NASCAR season, Ally revealed a paint scheme for the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet featuring the signatures of 10,000 fans. The scheme will appear on the car at Martinsville on Nov. 1.
ALLY GIFT: Ally chief marketing officer Andrea Brimmer made an appearance on FOX Sports 1’s “Race Hub” last week when Johnson unveiled his paint scheme for Martinsville to surprise him with a $70,000 donation to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation – $10,000 for each championship title. The funds will be distributed to two Charlotte-based nonprofits: the CMS Foundation, which helps bridge the digital divide for students in need; and the Center for Racial Equity in Education (C.R.E.E.D.).
