FEBRUARY
26, 2006 --
Jimmie
Johnson has finished second twice and fifth twice in his four
bids for NASCAR's Nextel Cup. He drives for the Hendrick Motorsports
team, which has
facilities on 62 acres in Charlotte, North Carolina.
On February 19, Johnson won the Daytona 500 -- the prestigious opening race
of the Nextel Cup Chase, and was in Manhattan, February 21,on his way to the
next Nextel race in Fontana California.
Reports of Johnson's win included comment on the suspension, several days earlier
of his crew chief Chad Knaus, for
NASCAR rules violations. The actions of Knaus had no impact, however, on Johnson's
Daytona victory, which
gave him a very good start towards his goal of winning the Nextel Cup, this
season.
LPR thanks NASCAR's Eastern Media rep Laz Benitez for the invitation to meet
and photograph Jimmie Johnson at an informal lunch as Times Square's ESPN Zone.
And this writer thanks the very knowledgeable auto sports writer Lewis
Franck for joining him in a brief chat with the Daytona 500 champion.
LPR was impressed
by Johnson's friendly, relaxed manner and readiness -- and
patience -- to answer all questions.
This writer was interested to be told by Johnson that there should be a NASCAR
race in New York City, who added that NASCAR needed a race in New York
City.
Johnson indicated a New York race makes sense, in part because many of the
corporations that sponsor NASCAR teams have their headquarters in New York
City.
LPR was also interested to see Johnson's car -- No. 48 -- and name on a Sunoco
poster at a Sunoco gas station in Westchester County, two days after meeting
him and taking some photos, including one of the Daytona 500 champ outside
ESPN Zone -- on Broadway.
Johnson finished second to Matt Kenseth at Fontana in a race carried on Fox
television. So far, then, he has 1-2 finishes in the first two of the 26 races
that determine the top ten drivers who compete in the ten Nextel Cup Chase
races.
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