Don’t Blame Jimmie Johnson because He’s so Good!

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Well maybe with a 12th place finish in Atlanta yesterday the talk of Jimmie Johnson ruining the sport of NASCAR might subside for a couple of weeks. They say that all this is happening because of Jimmie Johnson’s dominance in the sport of NASCAR racing. But I would definitely have to disagree that Jimmie is ruining the sport. I think that his dominance is at a point where it is drawing new people to NASCAR. There are people watching now who never paid any attention to Stock Car racing before. His dominance is drawing publicity that is causing many to now pay attention. I have come across so many people who never followed NASCAR before until they started hearing about Jimmie Johnson.

Look at the facts; he is the first race driver ever to be selected as AP’s male Athlete of the Year. He has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated numerous times because of his dominance (without having to wear a bikini or in his case a speedo). His popularity has spilled over into other areas of the sport’s world and even into our main stream culture causing non-NASCAR fans to take notice. His dominance has drawn attention but it doesn’t hurt either that the man is good looking, (and has a great looking wife) along with a great personality that shows respect to anyone that he comes into contact with. Put all this together and you have a combination that definitely draws attention.

But here is the problem. In other sports the team that dominates usually only plays against your home town favorites a couple of times in the season. You don’t have to watch your favorite team get dominated week in and week out by the same team. In NASCAR racing the same drivers are facing each other every week and the fans of other drivers are tired of seeing their favorite drivers get beat, usually by Jimmie Johnson. They have the attitude of a kid on the play ground that says, if I can’t win then I’m going to take my ball and go home.

Jimmie Johnson and the Lowe’s 48 team have dedicated themselves to winning in their sport. They are backed by an organization, Hendrick Motorsports that has the same philosophy. Put it all together and you have a team that has dominated in its sport for the last four years and are pushing to make it five in a row. In any sport if someone is better than you then your only choice is to quit and give up or strive to get better to beat your competition. The drivers that I have met through the years are not quitters and are not giving up. They are striving to do everything possible to dethrone Jimmie’s Johnson. As a matter of fact it is not the drivers that are complaining about Jimmie’s dominance, it is the fans. They figure Jimmie Johnson should just quit being so dominant and let someone else win. Hey people that is not going to happen. Jimmie Johnson and the crew of the Lowe’s 48 have the heart of a champion and they won’t just lie down and die to please a few disgruntled fans. It’s time that the fans stay behind their favorite drivers giving them moral support. It is times like these that all the other drivers need the support of their fans.

Like Jimmie says the season is young and anything can happen. All he knows is that he will go out there and give it his all. At the end of the season if he didn’t win the crown then he knows that he and his team gave it everything they had and he will be satisfied at least for that season.

Forget the horseshoe! What is the secret to Jimmie Johnson's success?

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

No use in writing a blog for today when the NASCAR section of FoxNew.com said it all. Here is the article and the link for some other interesting things they had to say about what’s going on in NASCAR

Forget the horseshoe -- Want to know the secret to Jimmie Johnson's success? Look no further than the top of the pit box. Last week in Fontana, a timely pit stop was the lucky break J.J. needed to drive to Victory Lane. This week in Vegas, it was the decision to go with four tires late instead of two that was the difference. The common denominator? Chad Knaus was calling the strategy.

Rivals can moan and groan about all the timely breaks Team 48 seems to get -- particularly over the last two weeks -- but the strategy that led this group to four consecutive championships entering this season is the same one that resulted in its parking Johnson's car inside Victory Lane in Fontana and Las Vegas: Combine a great driver with a great crew chief, let them do their thing and watch as they put themselves in position to take advantage of all the racing luck available.

"If people are trying to find a way not to accept the quality of race team we have, that's cool," Johnson said. "We'll just come back this week and take the trophy again (laughter)."

Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego would have to agree that a great driver and a great crew chief is definitely a formula for success.

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Check out the Jimmie Johnson 4-Pack Ticket Special for the Sonoma Race on Father’s Day

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

For those race fans on the West Coast or those who are planning to travel to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Car Series in Sonoma, CA. there is a special Jimmie Johnson ticket offer. The race will take place June 18-20 and you can get what is called the Jimmie Johnson 4-Pack.

You get four reserved tickets for the race, which falls on Father’s Day, June 20, four hot dogs and four sodas. Plus, you will get to attend an exclusive race-day Q&A with Jimmie, our four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. It is a great package for just $195.

"I think it’s great that Infineon Raceway goes out of their way to work with us to bring different ticket options to our fans," said Johnson, who grew right here in the El Cajon area, "I especially like that we are doing something for the 48 fans. Anytime I can do something special for them is important to me. I look forward to seeing them and all the fans who buy this ticket package in June."

The seats will be located in the Turn three area, which offers a front-row seat to the entrance of The Chute, which connects Turns four and seven on the track. It is one of the prime spots to watch the Toyota/Save Mart 350 as the cars go into Turn seven.

You should be able to call the track to get more information at the following number, 800-870-RACE.

Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet here in San Diego has nothing to do with the tickets sales we are just letting you know that there is a special out there that can save you some money.

Was it Luck or Strategy that won the Auto Club 500 for Jimmie Johnson?

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

It was fun reading the blogs and comments this morning through out the internet. A lot of people are saying that Jimmie Johnson was lucky to win the Auto Club 500 this last Sunday. Even driver Kevin Harvick had stated that Jimmie’s got a couple of golden horseshoes stuffed up inside the trapdoor of his fire suit.

There was some luck involved, just like there is in any sport. But if I remember correctly Jimmie thought he was sunk when the caution came out and he was in the pits but then he remember the new rule of getting out ahead of the pack which is exactly what he did. That’s not luck that is strategy!

Then once he got out in the lead he had to keep it when Harvick made the move on him in the closing laps. Again strategy paid off as Jimmie went high to block Harvick causing him to drive aggressively and get into the wall which then caused him to back off. I’m sure that Harvick started thinking that second place was better than a thirty-second place finish in the points standings.

Jimmie admitted that Harvick had the better car for the day but what makes you a winner is when you can still win even when your car isn’t the best in the pack. It’s like one of the blogs “NASCAR Ranting and Raving” stated “But I also want to offer you all this; you have to be good to be lucky too!”

I have to agree with that!

Jimmie Johnson Wins his 48th Career Victory at the Auto Club Motor Speedway

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

An estimated 72,000 fans watched as Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet team won the Auto Club 500. This was his 48th victory in 293 Sprint Cup Series races. That number matches Herb Thomas for 12th on all-time win list. This is his fifth victory and 11th top-10 finish in 15 races at the Auto Club Speedway. It is also his fourth win in the last five races at the California Track.

Second place wert to Kevin Harvick and his #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet who put a lot of pressure on Jimmie in the final laps but Jimmie was able to hold him off. Jeff Burton # 31 was third with Mark Martin and his #5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet fourth.

Jeff Gordon finished 20th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. limped home 32nd. For Earnhardt this was a week after a runner up finish in the Daytona 500. In Fontana he had problems with the rear axle that sent the #88 Chevrolet to the garage on lap 186. He returned after repairs were made but his day was pretty much done.

Jimmie was asked about winning his 48th race in only nine years and his comment was: "That is amazing. I won my first race here and to come back and win my 48th...I can't thank the fans enough for supporting our great sport and being behind us. It has just been a great nine years and I look forward to see what the future brings."

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego would like to say congratulations to Jimmie and the #48 team.

Above is a picture I took before the start of the Auto Club 500.

How do you beat Jimmie Johnson and the 48 Team?

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Jimmie Johnson was recently asked how he would beat the 48 Team and its driver Jimmie Johnson.

His reply was: “I don’t even know how I’ve been doing it, so I don’t know how to beat it. I know that I give everything that I can to make team and my sport. I know that Chad does. I know my guys do. Thankfully we have great communication skills, all the tools that Rick provides, all the stuff we’re talking about week in and week out.

I boil it down to a commitment from myself and from my teammates. The commitment that we have made to this race team has made the difference over the last four years. As long as that commitment’s there, I will be proud of whatever the results are. That’s the bottom line. I know at some point we’re going to get beat. It’s going to happen. I’m more aware of that than anyone else. I don’t want it to be anytime soon. As long as I leave this season saying we’re fully committed, I won’t be happy, but I’ll be content, I’ll be good about the season.”

Here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego we see that commitment that Jimmie puts into everything that he does. So we say; “Jimmie, keep up the good work!”


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Good Odds for Jimmie Johnson to win the Auto Club 500 this Sunday

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Jimmie has always done well at the Auto Club Speedway because as one blog stated. “This track features lots of green flag runs where usually the best car does win because they’re able to put such a big gap between them and second place. This is an elitist track where 15 of the 19 races run have been won by either a Roush or Hendrick driver who were listed as one of the favorites” Here are the odds given for the Hendrick drivers to win the race at the Auto Club Speedway this Sunday.

JIMMIE JOHNSON 9-2

MARK MARTIN 8-1

JEFF GORDON 8-1
DALE EARNHARDT JR 25-1

Here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego we’re of course pulling for Jimmie to win in what is considered his home turf. The race is this Sunday at around 12 noon. I believer it will be televised on Fox Sports. Better yet, plan on coming out to the race in person, it is a great experience!

Wild Ride in Daytona 500 Qualifying Trials for Jimmie Johnson and many other NASCAR Drivers

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

NASCAR drivers are thinking that Thursday's Gatorade 150-mile qualifiers will be a wild race after Wednesday’s practice sessions produced two multicar wrecks. One of the wrecks forced our Jimmie Johnson, along with Joey Logano, David Reutimann, Clint Bowyer, Derrick Cope and Mike Bliss to backup cars. Jimmie will have to start his back up No. 48 from the rear of the pack in the 150-mile qualifying race.

Jimmie had run just six laps in his primary car and was 17th on the speed chart. With the crash he will race his Bud Shootout car on Thursday. It's the same car that got him to second place in the July Daytona race last year.

A frustrated Jimmie Johnson had this to say, "I was driving along and everything was fine and the next thing I knew, I'm in the middle of it.''

His thoughts on what may have caused the crash were, "Guys have different theories on where they want to blend on the race track. Some people stay on the bottom. Others think they blend on the top. And either way there is a draft of 18 to 20 cars coming and we're like a snake weaving through these cars and cars coming in and off at different speeds.”

"I don't believe that's what caused this wreck, but there were a lot of other crazy moments because of that. We really just need to pick one spot and have that be it. But I think the bottom, so that a slow car does not have to cross the outside lane. If all the slow cars would stay on the bottom until they are up to speed and also, they need to fall in at the tail end of the pack."

Here is a link of the video of the wreck that Jimmie was involved in captured by Fox Sprots. http://msn.foxsports.com/video/NASCAR?vid=43e628d0-345d-493d-8bd6-1f76c3d9039b&from=MSNHP

For the qualifying race today all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego trust that it will be a exciting but safe race for everyone and no one gets hurt or injured.

NASCAR Season starts this Saturday February 6th with the Budweiser Shootout

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

The NASCAR Season starts this Saturday February 6th with the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. The Budweiser Shootout is a pre-season, non-points event that features some of the sport's top drivers and top performers. Eligibility is based on the 12 drivers who competed in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup title, plus past Cup Series champions and previous Budweiser Shootout winners. The reigning Rookie of the Year in Cup is also eligible.

The Budweiser Shootout will be run in two segments, just as it has since 2003. The first part of the race will be 25 laps and the second part will be a 50-lap sprint for the win. That's 187.5 miles on the track's high-banked, 2.5-mile layout. During the break between the first and second segments is a 10-minute "pit stop" which gives crews the opportunity to make adjustments to their cars. The adjustments are those that they would normally do on routine pit stop during a regular Sprint Cup race.

Anheuser-Busch and its Budweiser brand has sponsored the race at Daytona International Speedway since 1979. Called the Busch Clash until 1998, the name was changed to the Bud Shootout and then renamed the Budweiser Shootout for the 2001season. The event just underwent the most significant changes in its format and eligibility since its inception in 1979. Throughout the 31 years of this event, there have been 18 different winners.

The following weekend, February 14th, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (points season) kicks off with the 52nd running of the Daytona 500. All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego are all ready to root Jimmie onto a fifth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.

Rolex 24 hour Daytona Race with Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Jimmie Johnson, Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser of the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings, had to drop out of the Rolex 24 hour Daytona Race due to oil pump issues.

The race got started under caution Saturday due to heavy rains that soaked the track prior to the start. Even after the rain let up, conditions remained treacherous due to damp conditions. Sunday's portion of the race was dry but with very chilly and windy conditions.

The race was slowed 16 times by caution for 74 laps and it featured a record 53 lead changes among 29 drivers. Jimmie Johnson, our four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champ, drove solid stints but a gearbox change in the 14th hour had already put the car several laps down.

Alex Gurney and Jimmy Vasser both led the race and Johnson got up to third during the first part of the day-long race. Jon Fogarty took the wheel late Saturday night and worked his way back to eighth position after the car was taken in for an extended pit stop for some spring changes.

Overall the team overcame one of the toughest weekends in team history for a solid eighth place showing in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. They had a lot of problems from the very beginning of Thursday's opening practice straight through retiring from the event with mechanical problems early Sunday afternoon in the race's 21st hour.

So now its onto Daytona for the opening of the NASCAR race season and all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego look forward to an exciting season of the Chase for a fifth straight Sprint Cup Championship for Jimmie.

Jimmie Johnson in a Crash

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

During a practice Thursday afternoon in preparation for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, Jimmie Johnson crashed the No. 99 Chevrolet Riley Daytona Prototype. Jimmie is fine from the crash and will still be part of the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings team in the race which starts Saturday at Daytona International Speedway's road course. He will be driving with Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser.

It was last year, while preparing to race the final segment of the Rolex event, Johnson cut his left middle finger with a kitchen knife while trying to ventilate his firesuit. He had minor surgery to repair a tendon and a nerve but that didn’t stop him from any of his NASCAR races and him going on to win a fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego are very glad that Jimmie is okay and is ready to get back to his job of racing.

Meeting Jimmie Johnson! It was just like, WOW!

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

I told you last week about Richard Johnson, a life-long NASCAR fan, and three of his friends who were the guests of Team Chevy at a celebratory team luncheon at the Hendrick Motorsports complex, where they presented Jimmie with a huge congratulatory card.

I don’t think I told you that Richard and his guests were treated to a behind the scenes tour of the entire Hendrick Motorsports shop as part of the winner’s package. This is what Richard had to say about winning the contest and his thoughts about Jimmie Johnson.

“I was a member of the Team Chevy page on Facebook and saw that you could send a congratulation note to Jimmie Johnson so I filled it out and sent it,” said Richard. “I didn’t realize it was a contest. I just wanted to say congratulations. I am a huge NASCAR fan, but I pull for all of Hendrick Motorsports because it is not just one team and one driver, it’s the whole organization."

“You don’t realize what the race teams have to do. You just go to the races and think they just show up at the track and race. But man, they are down here working all the time, not only the stuff on the cars, but they have to do commercials for their sponsors and all the other things you don’t see at the race track.”

“It was just awesome. Jimmie stood there and talked to us for about 15 minutes. He asked us questions and talked to us like any other guy would. Jimmie is just so down to earth. Meeting Jimmie, being able to see behind the scenes at Hendrick Motorsports, it was just like, WOW.”

Richard we do agree with you. When Jimmie stops by here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego we usually end up saying the say thing of how down to earth he is.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. looking forward to the upcoming Race Season

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Looking at the blogs and various articles most of them are all saying the same thing about Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the upcoming racing season. “It’s time for him to win.”

As Earnhardt Jr. gets ready to start his third season as driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet, the responsibilities and expectations remain unchanged. He is expected to win races and to contend for championships.

Earnhardt, NASCAR's most popular driver has only one Cup victory in his last 57 starts, and has not had a multiple-win season since 2004 while finishing 25th in points for the Chase for The Sprint Cup in 2009. From those stats it was clear that getting Earnhardt's team back on pace with the other Hendrick Motorsports drivers needed to be the top priority of the offseason.

Rick Hendrick’s plan was to get Earnhardt’s team communicating better with all of the Hendrick Motorsports teams especially between Earnhardt’s crew chief, Lance McGrew, and Mark Martin’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson. Gustafson helped lead Martin to five wins last season and a runner-up finish to Jimmie Johnson in the standings.

The two crew chiefs are now approaching this season as if they were one team, using plans and procedures as if everything and everyone were interchangeable. Both drivers are on board, which clearly helps in executing the new structure.

Mr. Hendrick had this to say about the situation. "It's amazing to watch these two guys work on this together, and I guarantee you they are going to have their stuff together this season."

With all that is happening, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking forward to this upcoming season and knows that there is nowhere but up for him and his team. “We cannot go back to the track and perform like we did last year,” he said. “I was embarrassed, the team was embarrassed and none of us want to go through that again. I think that willpower alone and our determination will not let that happen again.”

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego want Jimmie Johnson to repeat as the Sprint Cup Champion but we also want all the other Hendrick drivers to succeed, especially Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Will Jimmie Johnson be Motivated for this upcoming NASCAR Season?

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway was taking place this week and on day three the event moved to our corporate headquarters, home of the top team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports.

For the last several weeks Hendrick Motorsports had been giving fans the opportunity to prepare questions that would be presented to all of the Hendrick drivers at this special event. The big question for Jimmie Johnson was about him finding motivation after winning four titles in a row. This is what Jimmie had to say.

"Success makes you want to experience more success. We've had an amazing run of four years. We certainly want to keep it up, keep it going. I feel very good with the fact that our team is intact and together.

"The things that are coming through the pipeline from Hendrick Motorsports, the unity of all four teams - I know you guys hear it every week, every time a microphone is put in front of us - but that stuff really, really is important and separates Hendrick Motorsports from other teams. I'm excited. It's there. There's a desire inside of me to do the best I can week in and week out."

Jimmie was asked about the benefit of him winning four titles in a row and how that might psyche the competition out before the season even starts.

"It is a benefit," Johnson said. "It's a short-term benefit. In some ways, it could be bad for us. We've been a motivational tool for a lot of teams over the offseason the last few years. Only time will tell how it really plays out, but I've always been in the other position where I looked up to the guy or team. It's pretty cool to be that person right now, so I'm going to enjoy it.

"It's short-lived because we go to Daytona, and you reset and you worry about what takes place there. Three or four races in, we'll know who the players are and what that's going to look like."

The Racing Journal had a very good article about the many questions asked of all the Hendrick drivers. You can read the article at the following link http://the-auto-racing-journal.blogspot.com/2010/01/media-tour-wednesday.html

Before you run off and read the article make sure you check out our Jimmie pictures that we have here on our website at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet of San Diego. The link for the pictures can be found at http://www.jimmiejohnsonchevrolet.com/about-us/jimmie-johnson-photos.jsp

Team Chevy honors Jimmie Johnson at Special Luncheon

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Sometime back I had told you about the Team Chevy Season Wrap-Up Sweepstakes. Well I just got word that the winner of the contest was Richard Johnson of Walkertown, NC. Richard won the opportunity to meet four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson and the entire No. 48 Lowe’s Impala crew at Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte, NC.

When Jimmie Johnson won his fourth Sprint Cup Championship all fans were invited to personally congratulate Jimmie on the Team Chevy Facebook page with their own wishes of congratulations. When they sent in their personalized messages it also entered them into the contest to win a chance to personally hand-deliver all the messages to the champ and his crew.

Richard, a life-long NASCAR fan, and three of his friends were the guests of Team Chevy at a celebratory team luncheon at the Hendrick Motorsports complex, where he presented Jimmie with a huge congratulatory card. Loaded with “Congratulations Jimmie” messages by 2,458 Team Chevy Facebook fans, the enormous two-sided accordion-style card measured eight feet tall and 20 feet long!

“To get this huge card from all the Team Chevy fans is a great honor,” said Jimmie. “I was absolutely amazed at the size of it and the number of people who took the time to send a personal note to our No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy team. There are people from all over the country on the card.

Congratulations to Richard Johnson, from all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet, for winning the contest and we hope you enjoyed the luncheon and the behind the scenes tour of the entire Hendrick Motorsports shop.

Let’s Eliminate the Playoffs for the San Diego Chargers Sake?

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Oh well…. The season is over for the San Diego Charges and the fans of San Diego. A loss to the New York Jets this last Sunday eliminated the Chargers from the playoffs. Overall it was a very good regular season but then we have to enter into the playoffs where the Chargers seem to always struggle. Maybe if they eliminated the playoffs and just counted the regular season then the Chargers would be winners almost every year. But we know that eliminating the playoffs won’t and can’t happen. So that leaves us Chargers fans saying the usual, “Wait for next year.”

At least here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet of San Diego we can say, “Racing season starts next month.” We can definitely look forward to the 2010 season and watching Jimmie Johnson compete for his fifth straight Sprint Cup Championship.

San Diego Chargers to play the New York Jets this coming Sunday

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

The Chargers had to wait until Saturday’s wildcard playoff games were done before they knew who they would be playing against this next Sunday. With the New York Jets’ victory in Cincinnati combined with a Baltimore win at New England means New York will travel to San Diego to face the Chargers in the Divisional round of the playoffs.

The New York Jets are ranked among the best in the NFL in defense allowing just 14.8 points per game. They were first against the pass (153.7 yards per game) and eighth against the run this season.

“They’re a really good team that’s played really good football the past few weeks,” Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. “Their defense presents a great challenge. It ought to be a heck of a game.”

This Sunday’s game will be a rematch of a 2004 AFC Wild Card game, a contest that New York won in overtime. But of course this is a different season and different team so Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet is rooting for our home team and we are looking forward to them making it to the Super Bowl this year. Jimmie Johnson says he still follows the Chargers and he should be rooting for the Chargers since his hometown Carolina Panthers are out of the picture.

You can be a Part of Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR History

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Jimmie Johnson has accomplished what no person has done before in NASCAR history. It is one of the greatest feats in all sports history and is being compared to the Boston Celtics or New York Yankees dynasty years. Jimmie has won four straight Sprint Cup Championships and is gearing up to make a run at a fifth consecutive championship for the 2010 season.

If you are a fan of Jimmie Johnson then we have got some great souvenirs for you. We now have the “Four in a Row” merchandise in stock. We have jackets, hats, pennants, flags, etc. all displaying the 4 time or 4 in a row. You can check it all out in our Parts Department right here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet. If you can’t make it in you can give us a call to get the pricing 1-888-679-4719

Hurry! Because this merchandise will not last!

Hendrick Motorsports looking to bring up the rear for the 2010 season

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

After a great season of NASCAR racing for the Hendrick Motorsports organization their attention will be on keeping the top three contenders competitive. Our own Jimmie Johnson finished first, with Mark Martin second, and Jeff Gordon third. Next year should be a great challenge for Jimmie with his teammates as his greatest competition.

But one thing that the Hendrick organization is concentrating on for next year is to get Dale Earnhardt Jr. back in the race. Most of the offseason will be dedicated to finding a way to make Earnhardt and the No. 88 team more competitive in 2010. Several strategic plans are already being implemented for the upcoming season that should boost Jr. in the Sprint Cup standings.

I read an interesting article by Pete Pistone posted on CBS Sports Auto Racing. The article summed up this past season for the whole Hendrick team. Very interesting article that is worth reading.

I have to say that the team here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego is very proud to be a part of the Hendrick organization. We want to say thank you to Rick Hendrick and the entire crew that makes up the Hendrick team. Thanks for all of your hard work.

Rick Hendrick, Team Owner of the Year

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Congratulations to our owner and team leader, Rick Hendrick from all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego. Rick was named Team Owner of the Year for the achievements that the Hendrick MotorSports Team was able to accomplish this year. The top three drivers in the Sprint Cup Standing were all Hendrick drivers. Jimmie Johnson finished first, Mark Martin finished second, and Jeff Gordon finished third. This was a historic feat never before accomplished by any NASCAR organization.

Mr. Hendrick also put his name in the NASCAR history books by winning a fourth consecutive Cup Series title, a record 12th national series championship and a record-tying ninth Cup crown. All this led to Rick Hendrick receiving the Bill France Award of Excellence at this year’s Cup Series awards ceremony. Many people likened his teams’ dominance in the sport to the great dynasties of the Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics and the New York Yankees.

Jimmie Johnson wins the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for 2009

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego would like to congratulate our own Jimmie Johnson for winning the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. As you know Jimmie won his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship this year and is the first race car driver to be named the AP's Athlete of the Year in the 78-year history of the award.

That’s pretty impressive when you consider other athletes who have won this award. In the past it has been presented to such superstars as Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Carl Lewis, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Byron Nelson, Joe DiMaggio, Jesse Owens, Tiger Woods, Joe Louis and many other greats.

Jimmie received 42 votes from the AP editors of U.S. newspapers with Tennis star, Roger Federer, receiving 30 votes and Olympic sprinter, Usain Bolt, receiving 29 votes behind Jimmie Johnson. This award is something that Jimmie has been waiting for since he began his historic run in 2006. I think that we can say that Jimmie Johnson has now been included with some of Sports greatest names of all time.

Here’s what Jimmie had to say about it. "We'd been wondering the last few years, when is this going to hit? It seems like the answer is now. The wave is finally peaking, and we don't know where it's going to take us. The fourth straight title takes it out of our sport and makes it a point of discussion like, 'Wow, a race car driver won this thing.’”

Again we want to say congratulations from all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet.

Watch HBO’s 24/7 with Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com
Just wanted to let you know about the new program 24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona. It will air on Tuesday nights starting January 26th on HBO. It will be a four week series that will feature reigning four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, his crew chief Chad Knaus, Rick Hendrick and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team as they prepare for the 2010 Daytona 500. The program will give exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews with Jimmie and the rest of the crew. Again the program will be shown on Tuesday nights and you can check your local listings for the proper times in your area.

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego are looking forward it this exciting program.

Jimmie Johnson finishes out Awards week in Las Vegas

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

The awards for NASCAR’s 2009 season were handed out this week in Las Vegas and four time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson won four awards. Chad Knaus won Crew Chief of the year and Rick Hendrick won the "Stewie" Lifetime Achievement Award. As an owner Rick Hendrick had three of his cars in the top 3 in the point’s standings. The other Hendrick driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., won the Most Popular Driver award for the seventh year in a row.

Jimmie got roasted by the other Chase Cup drivers, including his own teammate, Mark Martin who had this to say “Jimmie has gotten a lot better looking. As a kid he was ugly. He was so ugly that he had to trick-or-treat by telephone."

Kurt Busch said, "I figured out a new Chase format. Every Chase race, we pull out of a hat who gets to have Chad Knaus as their crew chief. Because it's certainly not your talent that wins you all these championships."

Overall it was a very exciting week. From Jimmie Johnson’s visit here in San Diego to the final awards banquets and ceremonies in Las Vegas, Jimmie and Chandra kept very busy. Jimmie did say that having the ceremonies in Vegas was easier on him for he was able to get more sleep.

Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego would like to give one more big CONGRATULATIONS to Jimmie Johnson and the rest of the Hendrick team for a job well done all season long. Now go and rest and get ready for next season and a fifth consecutive championship.

The above photo was taken by Brian Cleary.

Jimmie Johnson’s visit to San Diego and his interview shown on CNN’s website

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

When Jimmie Johnson was here in San Diego (Santee) this past Monday many of the news stations were there taping the whole event. Team Lowe’s Racing (who sponsored the event) was also there taping the event for a future special. Somehow with all the taping going on, our own Kathy UpChurch, from Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet here in San Diego, got video taped and appeared on CNN’s website as an introduction to Jimmie Johnson’s nterview.
Kathy, who is our receptionist, and is probably one of the biggest Jimmie Johnson fans around. If you have a question about Jimmie Johnson she will usually know the answer. Be sure to check out Kathy on the CNN website while it is still posted. Here is the link to make it easy for you. http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-362951

Anytime you are stopping by Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet here in Kearny Mesa of San Diego be sure to visit the reception desk and say Hi! to Kathy.

Jimmie Johnson and the Jimmie Jam concert in Santee last night

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com





If you missed it last night you missed a good time. Jimmie Johnson, along with his family, friends, and some of his childhood heroes were all there last night. The location was Lowe’s in Santee, for the event was sponsored by Lowe’s Racing Team. Lowe’s did an excellent job in keeping everything well organized and orderly.

The night started off with the band, Yellow Brick Road from Las Vegas, singing some of the oldie but favorite rock n roll songs of the last several decades. They were able to pull the whole audience in with their wide variety of music. The band did a whole complete set before Jimmie and his guests came onto stage to relive some of Jimmie Johnson’s childhood and racing past. Of course they celebrated his latest victory of his fourth straight Sprint Cup Championships in a row. This is a feat that no one in the history of NASCAR has ever done before.

The guests for the night included Ironman Stewart, one of Jimmie Johnson’s childhood heroes. Rick Johnson, a mentor to Jimmie, told the crowd that he used to babysit Jimmie and even had to change his diapers. Gary Johnson, Jimmie’s dad was there along with three of Jimmie’s childhood friends that he still hangs out with anytime he is in the area.

I ran into a few of my fellow employees from Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet who were there last night. When I got to work this morning I discovered there were others there that I didn’t see. Everybody said that they enjoyed themselves and thought that it was a great evening. We want to offer a big thank you to Lowe’s and the city of Santee for helping to put on this event.

Jimmie Johnson is coming to San Diego and you are invited this coming Monday

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

I just got the news yesterday afternoon that Jimmie Johnson is coming to San Diego this coming Monday and you are invited. They are calling it the Jimmie Johnson’s Hometown Championship Celebration!

The event is open to the public and no RSVP is required. It will be sponsored by Lowe’s and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and will be held at Lowe’s of Santee, CA 9416 Mission George Rd Santee, CA 92071.

They are inviting you to come celebrate Jimmie’s 4th Sprint Cup Championship with live music, and a special appearance and Q&A time with Jimmie. It will take place this Monday, November 30th from 7-10PM.

Also I included some pictures from our celebration here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego this last Sunday. We came together to watch the final race and to root Jimmie onto victory which of course did happen.

Superman, Jimmie Johnson, does it again! Four Straight Sprint Cup Championships

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Jimmie Johnson has gone where no man has gone before. The NASCAR 2009 season just ended Sunday and Jimmie came away with his fourth straight Sprint Cup Chase Championship. That is something that no man has ever accomplished in the history of NASCAR. Mark Martin, runner up in the Cup Chase and teammate to Jimmie, has coined the term of “Superman” for Jimmie Johnson.

Jimmie Johnson thinks of it as not Superman but as SuperTeam. The team that is behind him is what makes the difference. From Chad Knaus, as Crew Chief, down to every single member, this team has been a tremendous part of the winning process for the last four years.

This is not to take anything away from Jimmie Johnson’s driving ability. He has proven through-out the eight years that he has been driving Sprint Cup that he is one of the best out there. But that is what has made him a winner, his driving ability and the talented and dedicated abilities of his whole team.

From all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego we want to say CONGRATULATIONS to Jimmie and the whole team for such an amazing accomplishment that you have achieved. Now enjoy the Thrill of Victory for the time being, then take a rest in the off season, and be ready for next year as a new season brings about new opportunities to take greatness to an even greater level.

Jimmie Johnson looking forward to Sunday’s Finale

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

I heard that Jimmie Johnson was at game one of the World Series along with Jeff Gordon. I guess the cameras caught glimpse of Gordon but didn’t see Jimmie in the stands. Someone asked him afterwards if he was disappointed that he wasn’t on television and his comment was; "Man, I was up there eating peanuts and having a beer. I had a blast and didn't want to be on TV. We're on TV enough."

Well this Sunday he won’t be in the stands eating peanuts and having a beer at Homestead-Miami Speedway when he competes for his fourth straight Sprint Cup Championship. He has a 108-point lead going into the final race and all he has to do is finish 25th or better or a finish of 10th or worse by teammate Mark Martin who is in second place. As a matter of fact the only one that can take the Championship away from him is Martin. As soon as Jimmie shows up for the race on Sunday he will have eliminated the only other threat to him and that is his other teammate, Jeff Gordon. So the finale comes down to a two man race between two Hendrick teammates.

Here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego, we will be watching the race on a large screen TV, eating hotdogs and hamburgers, and rooting Jimmie onto victory. If you would like to join us you can give us a call at 858-560-9008 and put your name on the list (as long as there’s room left).

Otherwise I will be writing about the exciting finish to the 2009 Sprint Cup race season come this Monday. Hopefully, I will be writing about Jimmie Johnson’s fourth championship which joins him with Earnhardt, Gordon and Richard Petty as the only drivers with four or more Cup titles in NASCAR's 61-year history.

San Diego Chargers and Jimmie Johnson both Win

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

It was a good sports day for a lot of sports fans here in San Diego. The Chargers played a good game against the Philadelphia Eagles. They came out the winner by a score of 31-23. Offense and defense both played well in a win that puts the Chargers in a tie for first place with the Denver Broncos who lost to the Washington Redskins. Next week will be the big game as the Chargers take on the Broncos for the battle for first place.

Go Chargers Go!!!!!

Also on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson took the win at the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. It was his 47th career victory which now places him 13th on the career win list.

I think Jimmie was a little excited after the race as he gave these comments:
“First of all, I have to thank this race team for having the strength and mental attitude and everything that they do to bounce back from last week and show up and just put a butt-kicking on everybody today. At the start of the race, we were a little loose but still running second or third. As soon as we put new tires on, the car came to life. We made a couple of small adjustments that really, really helped it, and I could get out to a nice comfortable lead, ride, protect what I had, work my way through traffic—not with ease, but better than other guys.”

Jimmie led 238 of 312 laps and increased his advantage over teammate Mark Martin, who is second in the standings, to 108 points. All Jimmie has to do is finish at least 25th or better in the season finale next Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and he will capture his record fourth straight championship.

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego are expecting another Sprint Cup Championship from the champion Jimmie Johnson.

Go Jimmie Go!!!!!

San Diego Chargers pull out a close one against the New York Giants

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

This last Sunday afternoon was a lazy type of day and I was listening to the Charger game out on my deck while enjoying the beautiful Julian sunshine. I was interested in this Charger game, for the same reason a lot of other people were. Mostly for the match up of the two quarterbacks, who came out of the same draft and both had connection to the San Diego Chargers. In this comparison match up it seems that Philip Rivers came out the winner over Eli Manning. Rivers guided the Chargers down the field, in the last minute of the game and took them into the end zone.

Philip Rivers threw a precisely placed pass to Vincent Jackson who had plenty of room in the corner of the end zone. Jackson ran a great pattern and left the defender several yards behind him. With the extra point the Chargers won the game by one point. Hopefully this season will be like the previous seasons where the Chargers started slow and then picked up momentum. They will need to keep their winning ways going through the rest of this season in order to catch the Denver Broncos and make it into the playoffs.

Most of us here (I don’t know if I can say all of us) at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesas of San Diego are rooting for the Chargers. Even Jimmie Johnson says he still has a place in his heart for his old hometown team, the San Diego Chargers. I’m sure a number of the San Diego Chargers are rooting for Jimmie in his effort to capture his fourth straight Sprint Cup Chase Championship. After the crash he experienced this last Sunday the Chase for the Cup is definitely tightened up between his other two teammates, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon.

Jimmie Johnson Holds onto the Lead in the Sprint Cup Chase

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

Jimmie Johnson was involved in a multi-car accident in yesterday’s race at the Texas Motor Speedway. Sam Hornish Jr., lost control of his car after he was tapped from behind and ended up hitting Jimmie Johnson three laps into the Dickies 500.

The No. 48 Chevrolet was taken to garage; where Chad Knaus and the rest of the crew along with fellow Hendrick Motorsports crewmen from Jeff Gordon’s #24 and Dale Earnhardt Jr’s #88 teams were prepared to do the repairs.
The Hendrick teams worked hard to get Jimmie's Chevrolet back in the race. It took a little over an hour to rebuild the #48 back to being track worthy. Jimmie returned to the track on Lap 115 and was 112 laps behind the leaders. He went on to finish the race in 38th place, a total of 129 laps down.

Fellow teammate, Mark Martin, closed the gap in the Sprint Cup Chase with a fourth-place finish and is still in second. He is 73 points behind Jimmie with two races remaining. Jeff Gordon had handling problems throughout the race and finished 13th. He maintained his third place position in the standings, 112 points behind Johnson and 39 points down to Martin.

Jimmie Johnson showed his determination when Crew Chief, Chad Knaus asked Jimmie if he still wanted to go the distance while the #48 was struggling to maintain minimum speed on the track. As we all know here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego that Jimmie Johnson is not a person who quits. He went on to finish 38th in yesterday’s race and next week he’ll be at the Phoenix International Raceway ready to battle for his fourth straight Sprint Cup Championship. Go Jimmie Go!

Jimmie Johnson honored as Hometown Hero in the city of El Cajon

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

I just found out that this past Oct 9th the city of El Cajon proclaimed “Jimmie Johnson Day”. I want to say congratulations to El Cajon for honoring their native son. If you don’t already know Jimmie Johnson grew up in El Cajon where he started racing motorcycles as a young child and then got into off road racing as a teenager. He did quite well in both styles of racing. Jimmie graduated from Granite Hills High School and they later honored him by inducting him into their Sports Hall of fame in 2007.

El Cajon has a lot to be proud of with Jimmie Johnson; one of NASCAR’s best drivers being born and raised there. Jimmie is always talking about his roots and his childhood in the city that he grew up in. Here is the Tiger Woods of NASCAR that acknowledges you as his hometown. Jimmie is about to do something no one has ever done in NASCAR racing history and that is to win four consecutive Sprint Cup Championships. History is about to be made and El Cajon you are a part of that.

I know that all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego are very proud of what Jimmie has and will continue to accomplish in his young racing career. He has many years ahead of him to continue to set new records. With all that he has accomplished you would think that he would be very prideful but instead he has stayed very humble. He says a part of that is remembering his roots and where he came from and that helps to keep him humble.

Early Christmas present for Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

After yesterday’s race at Talladega and the crash laden ending, Jimmie Johnson summed it up best when he said, "This isn’t Halloween. It’s an early Christmas."

For Jimmie it was an early Christmas present after riding in the back of the pack at the 33rd position for most of the day. Late in the race Jimmie started making his move and He gave credit to crew chief, Chad Knaus, for this strategy to stay back and then make a key pit stop under the fifth caution for fuel. That allowed him to stay out of the big crash at the end of the race. The last crash was a 13-car accident that took out both of his teammates, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, his closest competitors in the point standings.

With the big crash and several cars running out of gas, Jimmie ended up finishing 6th and now heads to Texas Motor Speedway with a 184-point lead with three races remaining. No one in NASCAR history has ever made up that big of a points deficit with three races remaining.

Jimmie had this to say about his finish, "I do feel better than a race win with today’s finish. From where we were during the red flag to where we finished, I’m still in shock. I can’t believe it worked out. I can’t believe that many guys ran out of fuel."

The Sprint Chase Cup standings with three races remaining are;

1. Jimmie Johnson 6,248
2. Mark Martin -184
3. Jeff Gordon -192
4. Juan Pablo Montoya -239
5. Tony Stewart -279
6. Kurt Busch -312
7. Greg Biffle -340
8. Ryan Newman -402
9. Kasey Kahne -414
10. Carl Edwards -437
11. Denny Hamlin -448
12. Brian Vickers -556

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego are very confident of Jimmie winning his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.

Will Jimmie Johnson lose bid for fourth straight Sprint Cup Championship?

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

Now that I have your attention, all of the blogs and news articles make it sound like Jimmie Johnson has it all wrapped up for his fourth straight Sprint Cup Championship. If you were to ask Jimmie he would tell you that there is a lot of racing left. As he always says that anything can happen.

Some people are saying that maybe Jimmie Johnson will get complacent and let down his guard, but knowing Jimmie that won’t happen. The man has gotten where he is today (one of the best drivers in NASCAR history) by staying focused and paying attention to every little detail on and off the track. The Jimmie Johnson that I know is a very humble man but is very confident in his ability as a driver. So race fans don’t get bored with Jimmie’s success in winning championships, just watch and admire the work of a champion that is focused and determined to get to his next (historic) goal.

Whether you like Jimmie Johnson or not most people say that they have to respect him for his driving abilities. If he wins the championship this year you will have witnessed history in the making, something you can tell your grandkids that you saw it happen.

All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego are very proud of Jimmie Johnson and the accomplishments that he has done up to this point. Even if he were not to win this years Sprint Cup Championship for a fourth straight year we know that there will be many more championships in the future for this very confident yet humble man.

Now don’t get me wrong, we all think that Jimmie is going to take this years Cup title and we are all rooting him on to victory in the five remaining races. But we also realize that all the other Chase drivers, including two of his Hendrick teammates, are not going to sit back and just let him cruise to an easy victory. They are still out there giving it everything they have and that’s what makes it all exciting.

Jimmie Johnson will do some surfing after he wins 4th Sprint Cup Chase

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

Look out southern California after Jimmie Johnson wins his fourth straight Sprint Cup Chase Championship he plans on doing some surfing. He’s got to try out his new custom-made one-of-a-kind surfboard designed by Dennis Kemp of Ohana Kemp Surfboards in Orange County, Calif. The surfboard that was presented to him by Gillian Zucker, president of Auto Club Speedway and ACS Hard Card season ticket holder Lisa Wassem after Jimmie was enshrined at the Speedway’s Walk of Fame by virtue of his win in last season’s Pepsi 500.

“The surf doesn’t really make it into Charlotte, it’s a little too inland,” Jimmie currently resides in North Carolina. “I tried surfing back in April and it’s really not like riding a bike. I hope to get back on water soon to try this thing out.”


That means all you surfers here in San Diego better look out for the one crazy dude trying to ride the waves like he used to do back in high school. That dude may be the new four time consecutive winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase, Jimmie Johnson.


Jimmie was pleased to receive the award. “It means the world to me to do well here,” Johnson said before receiving his bronze plaque. “We’re off to a good start here and hope to be back with another win.”


And that’s exactly what he did by winning for a fourth time at the Auto Club Speedway this last Sunday which no one else has done. All of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego want to say “Congratulations and keep it up Jimmie! We’re behind you 100%”

Great day of racing for Jimmie Johnson and the Hendrick Team at the Auto Club Speedway

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

Jimmie Johnson set a new record at the Auto Club Speedway by winning his third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 and this gives him the most wins (4) by any Cup driver here at Auto Club Speedway. This win was Jimmie’s 45th of his career and places him in first place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Jimmie Johnson is shooting for his fourth straight championship which is a feat that has never been done before.

“What an awesome car,” Johnson said. “What an awesome day. The caution at the end really had me nervous. I didn’t know what to do on the restarts. The 24 was getting me on some of them, the 42 was racing. I knew once we had three or four laps, I was in good shape, but there at the end, I didn’t really have many laps, so I’m glad I got a good start and got going.”

The rest of the Hendrick Team had a great day also. Jeff Gordon finished second, and Teammate Mark Martin finished fourth. Three out of the first four top finishers were Hendrick cars. Makes you want to go out and buy a chevrolet from a Hendrick Dealership which Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet here in Kearny Mesa of San Diego is just that. You can check out our inventory at jjchevy.com.

Anyway back to the race day results. Dale Earnhart Jr. had a great day also as he ran in the top ten most of the day right up to the very end when a multi-car accident took him out. It just shows that Jr. will be ready to really compete for next year as he continues to fine tune his team in the final races of this year.

Jeff Gordon had this to say about the race. “We were just trying to make it interesting because nobody else seemed to be able to do that for the 48, and we certainly couldn’t on that last run,” Gordon said. “It was a great day for the DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet. We really fought hard all day and all weekend to get ourselves in that position.”

Over all it was a fun and exciting race at the Auto Club Speedway. I got to see my boss (Jimmie Johnson) win in style. I got to see some of my own family members and friends there at the race and I had fun taking pictures. I have posted just a few of the photos I took and the rest should be posted in a few days onto our website at Jimmie Johnson Pictures.

Jimmie Johnsonn Golf Cart Chase for the Cup

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary E. Heinlein IMS jjchevy.com

What do you get if you put Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, and John Howard of Channel 8 news in a golf cart on the Grand Del Mar Golf Course? You get the Golf Cart Chase Cup Series with good television coverage. Who said that these boys saved all their energy for race days? Put them in anything with wheels and the competitiveness comes out in them. All of this was part of the fun that not only these drivers mentioned above were having but also many more who participated in the annual Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament. This year it was held at a new venue which was the Del Mar Grand which is a beautiful course and facility. At this time I don’t have all the figures of how many golfers there were or how much money was rasised but I will pass that information onto you when I do find out.

Starting next Monday I will post more pictures of the dinner, the golf tournament, and the race that will take place this Sunday at the Auto Club Speedway. Keep checking the blog here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet for more updates.

If you can't see the pictures be sure to click this link

Jimmie Johnson, Sporting News Driver of the Decade

Jimmie Johnson Blog: by Gary E. Heinlein, IMS jjchevy.com

I was just informed yesterday that after winning the last three consecutive years as Sporting News Driver of the Year, Jimmie Johnson has now received the honor as Driver of the Decade. In their most recent issue, Sporting News magazine, named seven athletes of the decade -- one for each sport it covers. Jimmie Johnson won for NASCAR by beating out two-time champion Tony Stewart.



With Jimmie’s win this past Sunday at Dover, he is now tied with Bill Elliott for 14th on the all-time list. The 44th win came in his 283rd start, giving him a winning percentage of 15.6, eighth-best all time and third best in NASCAR's modern era (since 1972). Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are tied for second at 9.4 percent.


Sporting News had this to say about Jimmie Johnson. “Johnson was born to race and win. With the looks, smarts and skill to be as popular as he wants to be, Johnson has quietly focused on checkered flags and championships and taken more of both than anybody this decade. You don't have to love him, but you have to acknowledge his standing among the best of all time.”


The voting by the fans of Sporting News.com was Jimmie Johnson receiving 51 percent of the vote while Tony Stewart received 49 percent. The statistics are Johnson has 44 wins, 112 top-five finishes, 173 top-10s, and three titles while Stewart has 33 wins, 130 top-fives, 205 top-10s, and two titles.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. one of our Hendrick drivers had this to say about Jimmie Johnson. "Jimmie would be my pick. He has won more championships, and three in a row is pretty impressive. The No. 48 has been the dominant team. Jimmie's an all-American, and he's a good role model for everyone. He seems to have it all together."


Congratulations from all of us here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego. We are so proud to have as our owners Jimmie Johnson and Rick Hendrick that are both role models to our society and to the business and racing worlds.

Jimmie Johnson and the San Diego Chargers; A Pretty Good Day for San Diego Sports

I live up in Julian, which is a small historic town in the mountain area of San Diego. When we moved up there three months ago we never hooked up our television. We could have put in satellite, but we decided not to because we never watched television that much. I have to admit the only time I do miss TV is for sports. To remedy the situation I set it up so I can listen to the San Diego Padres over the internet because their radio broadcast is weak up in the mountains. I can listen to the San Diego Chargers over the radio and sometimes get through on the internet to watch them online. Most of the time, I find that the signal is lost online for the Charger games.


Then the most important of all is catching our own Jimmie Johnson racing on Sundays. To watch Jimmie I go online and watch it live. While watching the race live online I will usually set up the audio on my PDA phone and listen in to Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson communicating during the race. I sit there amazed thinking that here I am in the small town of Julian California and I’m listening on my phone to Jimmie and Chad talk back and forth in a race that is taking place clear out on the East coast. It is amazing what technology can do.


Anyway I said all that to say that yesterday was a fairly good day for sports in San Diego. Jimmie Johnson, our El Cajon (San Diego) boy ran away with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. He was very domineering while leading most all of the whole race. He was followed by his Hendrick teammate, Mark Martin, who still holds the lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Jimmie is a very close second in the points standing.


On top of that the San Diego Chargers won their game yesterday. It was close all the way to the third quarter then the Chargers finally pulled away and won it fairly easy. The only disappointment for San Diego sports yesterday was the fact that the San Diego Padres lost to the Arizona Dbacks. The Padres have been playing much better ball the last half of the season with a lot of the young players coming through to get the job done. If they can put together a solid pitching rotation for next year they might be able to battle their way up the standings to have a decent year next season.


So if you’re a San Diego sports fan be sure to stop into Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego and talk sports with our staff. Check out the Lowes #48 car on our show room floor and see the many pictures we have on the walls of Jimmie Johnson and the #48 race team.

Jimmie Johnson calls Regis Phelbin Old

Jimmie Johnson spent his birthday this last Thursday, on the Regis and Kelly Live show in New York City. Jimmie along with Juan Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch all participated in setting a record for the Guiness World Record of the most people participating in a pie throwing contest.

At the end of the show it was also announced that Regis reset his own record of the most hours on television of any person. At that point Jimmie announced that all the drivers concluded that Regis must be pretty old to have set that record. Regis was quick to respond with his own dig back to the drivers and the audience got a good laugh out of the whole thing.

We here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet of Kearny Mesa of San Diego want to say Happy Birthday again to Jimmie and congratulations to all the NASCAR drivers for helping to set the pie throwing world’s record.

Bid on Opportunity to Meet Jimmie Johnson at Fan Club Event

Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego is glad to pass this information on so that you don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to meet Jimmie Johnson in person. 

You can bid now on eBay for the last pair of tickets to the Jimmie Johnson/Team Lowe's Racing Fan Club event in Charlotte! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet Jimmie Johnson in person.

The tickets are available on eBay and the auction will close on Friday, September 25th at 7:00pm PST. Click here to bid today.

Happy Birthday Jimmie Johnson, who turns 34 Today

All the staff here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego would like to wish Jimmie Johnson a Happy Birthday. Jimmie turns 34 today and as a young man he has already accomplished some great feats in the racing world. He is the Sprint Cup Champion the last three years running and is shooting for his fourth consecutive title this year which has never been done before by any driver.

Today Jimmie is scheduled to be on "Live with Regis and Kelly" He will be joined by fellow Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers as they talk about the final 10 races in the season. Be sure to watch and let's get ready to cheer Jimmie on to a fourth Sprint Cup Championship.