Johnson looks to find sponsor for No. 48 car
Seven-time Cup champion loses longtime partner.
With the departure of Lowe’s as Jimmie Johnson’s sponsor, now is the first time since Rick Hendrick inked the Lowe’s deal in 2001 he has the seven-time champ available to shop to sponsors. The car has almost never had open inventory available for a company to attach its name to the greatest driver of his generation.
“Jimmie is one of the greatest champions and ambassadors in all of sports and still at the top of his game,” Hendrick said. “This change opens up all kinds of possibilities, and we look forward to having conversations with potential new partners. It’s a special opportunity with an iconic athlete and team.”
Lowe’s was one of the very few sponsors in NASCAR that still funds the majority of a driver’s 38-race schedule. The company signed on when Jeff Gordon persuaded Hendrick to take a chance on Johnson, and Hendrick sold the idea to Lowe’s. The relationship was instantly successful, even though Lowe’s had hedged its bets in initial contract negotiations.
The company initially also signed on as an associate sponsor for Jeff Gordon in case Johnson was a bust and Lowe’s needed Gordon as a brand ambassador. When Lowe’s signed an extension with Johnson in 2015, the company admitted the partnership had felt like winning the lottery.
Johnson won the pole as a rookie for his first Daytona 500 and was a winner by race 10. In 2002 he won three times, finished fifth in the standings and was well on his way to stardom.
Johnson’s first of five consecutive titles came in 2006, and he quickly surpassed teammate Gordon as the most dominant driver of the decade.
Along with crew chief Chad Knaus, the No. 48 Chevrolet team is one of the best in stock car history. Their seven championships equal Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, and in 2009 Johnson was the first driver named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.
Johnson is 42 and signed with Hendrick Motorsports through 2020.
“I’ll always be grateful to Lowe’s for taking a chance on me and believing that I could win,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure where I’d be right now if they hadn’t committed to the No. 48 team. It’s hard to see them move on, but we’ve made history together and celebrated so much success on and off the track.
“I have more to accomplish in this sport. I feel the best I’ve ever felt physically. I’m motivated. I’m focused on winning races and chasing more championships. Someone will be a big part of writing that story with us. I’m not going anywhere.”
Harvick chasing history:
Following his win Sunday at Phoenix, Kevin Harvick will try to make it four in a row this weekend at Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway, which is in Harvick’s home state of California. No driver has won four in a row since Jimmie Johnson in 2007.
Obviously, Harvick is crushing it. And he’s not allowing any room in his rear-view mirrors for distractions. He came to Phoenix pestered and peeved after the NASCAR police tagged him for damaging violations.
Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing team was fined $50,000 and lost car chief Robert Smith for two races after officials found a brace failure bowed the rear window in Harvick’s car during the race in Vegas. Harvick also lost the playoff points he had earned at Las Vegas.
“No question he’s the top dog there,” said Larry McReynolds, Fox Sports NASCAR analyst. “He’s also the top dog in playing games. When he was pointing to the back window, that was for the fans who had said things (following the penalty).
“Everyone was watching — the fans — what kind of advantage did that No. 4 car have? While it was probably a little advantage, that wasn’t the reason he won the (Las Vegas) race. It was, ‘Look, you can do anything you want to us, but we’ll show you.’ That was a statement race.”
Gordon Hall-bound:
Jeff Gordon, already a cinch for the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a nominee in 2019, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on Tuesday at Daytona Beach Shores.
Gordon joins a class that includes drag-racing car builder John Buttera, Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder Carl G. Fisher, the late Howard Hughes, motorcycle great Fred Merkel, three-time Indianapolis 500 champion owner U.E. “Pat” Patrick and sports car legend Bob Tullius.
Harvick is the 24th driver to win at least three consecutive races in the modern era of NASCAR, which began in 1972. Nine of those 24 drivers went on to win the series championship that season . ... Joey Logano was the last driver to pull off three straight victories. Logano won at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega in 2015 — although he didn’t win the title . ... NASCAR and Anheuser-Busch announced Wednesday the return of the Busch Pole Award. Anheuser-Busch first sponsored the pole-winning award 40 years ago.
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