Team Lowe’s Racing – Team 48 Michigan International Speedway Preview

Team 48 Michigan International Speedway

JIMMIE JOHNSON 2011

STARTS: 14    

WINS: 1    

TOP 5: 5    

TOP 10: 9

CURRENT DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: 2nd    

POINTS BEHIND 1st: 6 FINISH IN POCONO: 4th    

2010 FINISH AT MICHIGAN: 6th  

TEAM ROSTERS WILL BE POSTED ON MEDIA.LOWESRACING.COM WHEN AVAILABLE

NEWS

FANS AND MEDIA CAN NOMINATE CHARITY FOR JIMMIE JOHNSON FOUNDATION HELMET OF HOPE The Jimmie Johnson Foundation launched the 2011 Helmet of Hope program in Kansas on June 3 and announced the American Red Cross would be the first charity to be featured on the helmet and to receive a grant of $10,000. The American Red Cross was selected by the Johnsons to help raise awareness of disaster relief efforts in the wake of the recent tornados across the country.

Last week in Pocono, Johnson drew to more charities to adorn the Helmet of Hope: Flagler County Education Foundation, nominated by the Daytona Beach News Journal’s Godwin Kelly and 24 Hours of Booty, nominated by Terry Hennessee of Mooresville, N.C.

The Helmet of Hope allows fans and media members across the country the opportunity to nominate their charity of choice to be featured on Jimmie Johnson’s race helmet for the Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway in Sept. In addition, each selected charity will receive a $10,000 grant.

A total of 12 charities will be selected to be featured on the one-of-a-kind helmet – six chosen from fan and six by media submissions.

Visit www.HelmetOfHope.org to nominate a charity. Jimmie will select two charities each week concluding with the New Hampshire Motor Speedway event in July.

RACE NOTES Michigan International Speedway

• Johnson has made 18 Sprint Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, where he has two top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

• Michigan is one of only five tracks on which the Sprint Cup Series competes that Johnson hasn’t collected a win. The others are Chicago, Kentucky, Watkins Glen and Homestead.

• Johnson has completed 96.5% (3412 of 3535) of competition laps at the two-mile track and has led 524.

• He has an average start and finish of 7.8 and 15.2. Chassis • Johnson finished 28th in primary chassis No. 659 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

• Backup chassis No. 623 crossed the finish line 16th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

 Primary Car History – Chassis No. 659 Date Event Start Finish 05/07/2011 Darlington 19 15 05/29/2011 Charlotte 6 28 Backup Car History – Chassis No. 623 Date Event Start Finish 10/16/2010 Charlotte 10 3 11/07/2010 Texas 17 9 03/06/2011 Las Vegas 14 16

JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTE WHAT CAN YOU DO TO WIN AT MICHIGAN? “We’ve been close and our fuel mileage has been kind of our nemesis with two or three things that have taken place there. We’ve led a fair amount of laps over the years and just kind of haven’t had the luck or the mileage or whatever it is at the end of the race. Looking forward to going back. We’re always looking forward to going racing in the area where the manufacturers are based and I want to put on a good show for all the Chevrolet fans and do my part to represent the bowtie. Looking forward to it. We’ve been making a lot of progress on our intermediate setups and race cars. I think this could be a win for the 48 this weekend.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL PLANS FOR YOUR FIRST FATHER’S DAY?: “Really just hanging with the girls. That’s all I’m after just spending time with my family. Will be exciting to say the least. Don’t know what to expect – I haven’t been through it before so I don’t know what to think from an emotional side, but very proud of my family and looking forward to that day.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES Career Wins

• Johnson has 54 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Talladega Superspeedway on April 17, 2011.  

• The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently tied with Lee Petty for ninth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, one victory behind Rusty Wallace.

• He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).

• Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).

• Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.

• Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but four (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.

• Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.

• The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record. Career Poles

• Johnson has collected 25 poles in his Sprint Cup career.

• The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002. • He had a career-high six poles in 2008.

• Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010. Career Starts

• Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.

• Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.

• In 341 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 139 top-five and 212 top-10 finishes.

• He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

• Johnson has led a total of 11,470 laps (of 98,750) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 132,071 miles.

• He has finished on the lead lap 265 times. Career Recognition

• Johnson was named by Forbes as the Most Influential Athlete in 2011.

• In 2009, Johnson became the first race car driver to be named Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in its 78-year history.

• Voted Driver of the Year four times in his career (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010), Johnson joins Jeff Gordon as four-time winners of the prestigious award.

• Johnson has won an ESPY for Best Driver three times, in 2008, 2009 and 2010.