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.

One of NASCAR’s New and Upcoming Talent is Kelly Bires

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego would like to announce that Hendrickcars.com is sponsoring the JR Motorsports #88 Chevrolet in two upcoming Nationwide Series races. You can catch both races on ESPN 2 starting this Saturday 2/20 to see twenty-five year old Kelly Bires drive the Hendrickcars.com #88 Chevrolet. Bires signed with JR Motorsports prior to the end of the 2009 season, and competed in his first race under the JRM banner in the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the No. 5 Chevrolet.

Like many young drivers, Bires was bitten by the racing bug early. By the age of 12 he had already nailed down two Regional Karting Titles. By 14 he had added consecutive national championships. He entered the Allison Legacy Car Series at 15 and in two years, he won the two most prestigious awards, Rookie of the Year (2000) and Series Champion (2001). After making the move to the late model ranks in 2002, Bires ran locally in Wisconsin for two years before moving to Charlotte to pursue a career in NASCAR. It was to the detriment of his competitors when he showed up to the ASA Late Model Series in 2006, as he notched seven wins, four poles, 15 top-five finishes and no finishes out of the top-10 in 17 starts. He was the runaway winner of the series championship and Rookie of the Year honors.

Representatives from JTG Racing took notice of his successful year and signed Bires to drive one of its two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entries in 2007. As an added benefit for Bires, he received tutelage from veteran Mark Martin, who teamed with him in the series early in the season. A mid-season opportunity to race in the Nationwide Series presented itself, and Bires wasted no time to take it. He debuted in the No. 47 Clorox car for JTG Daugherty Racing at the Meijer 300 race at Kentucky Speedway, where he impressed competitors by finishing seventh after starting 26th. Bires ended his promising rookie season with two top-10 finishes.

In 2008, Bires continued to run for JTG, earning one top-five and six top-10 finishes. In 2009, Bires was tapped for a part-time schedule, driving select races for Kevin Harvick, Inc., as well as Braun Racing, and CJM Racing. In four competitive starts, Bires earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Additionally, Bires made one ARCA start at Talladega in 2009 where he led 35 laps and finished ninth.
In his spare time, Bires enjoys being outdoors snowmobiling and hunting, especially in his native Wisconsin.

Hendrickcars.com is your place to find a top quality used car. Up to 5000 used vehicles from top manufacturers, plus almost 50% of the vehicles are certified pre-owned used vehicles. In addition, a free CARFAX report is available for every vehicle. Want to drive a Hendrickcars.com vehicle too?

Thank you for considering Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet for your vehicle needs and we hope you will visit our website @ www.jjchevy.com or www.hendrickcars.com to find the right vehicle. Remember to tune in this Saturday on ESPN 2 to see the #88 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet take to the track.

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.

Special Thank you to all the fans of Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet on Facebook

Jimmie Johnson Blog by Gary Heinlein IMD jjchevy.com

Here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet we have just recently updated our Facebook page with a new look. We shortened the name and updated the lead photo. The picture that is posted above is a combination of the sunrise picture that I took at the dealership, a Photoshop picture of Jimmie himself that I took at one of the races and also the #48 actually taken as it was being prepped for the race out on the starting line.

Be sure to check out the new Facebook page and become a fan. We are posting what we call Jimmie Facts; which are very interesting facts and information about Jimmie Johnson and his racing career and childhood. Most of them are stated in questions so you have the opportunity to see if you know the answer. We might set up some kind of reward system for those who get the right answer in the quickest time.

We will also be doing some special contests in the months to come and we will let you know about other contests and events that we hear about from other sources such as NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports etc. So again I want to encourage you to become a fan and start interacting with other Jimmie Johnson fans from across the United States and further. All of this at the new Facebook page of Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego.

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.

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.

TOGETHER: THE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS STORY’ TO be released on DVD

The full-length version of “TOGETHER” with bonus material will be released Oct. 31 on DVD, and it will become NASCAR Media Group’s first officially licensed title available on Blu-ray Disc. A portion of Hendrick Motorsports’ proceeds from those sales will benefit the Levine Children’s Hospital (www.levinechildrenshospital.org) in Charlotte, N.C.

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports had this to say, "When we started the team back in 1984, our pie in the sky was to eventually, someday win a race,” said . “Any success beyond that has been because of the folks who have worked so hard and supported us over our 25 years. We’ve been extremely fortunate, and I hope the film is something they will be proud of.”

The official “TOGETHER” trailer is available at www.refresheverything.com/hendrick.

Here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego we encourage you to get a copy of the Together story.

THE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS STORY’ TO AIR OCT. 11

Here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet we are excited about “TOGETHER: The Hendrick Motorsports Story,” It will be a NASCAR Media Group’s documentary-style film that will give the history of the eight-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship team, and it will air Sunday, Oct. 11 at 10:30 p.m. PST on ABC prior to the network’s Pepsi 500 race coverage from Fontana, Calif.


Narrated by three-time Academy Award nominee Tom Cruise and presented by Pepsi, “TOGETHER” employs exclusive interviews, never-before-seen archival footage, thrilling racing sequences and rare family photography to detail the personal relationships and emotional events that have shaped one of NASCAR’s most decorated organizations.

Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet here in Kearny Mesa of San Diego is a part of the Hendrick orginization and we are proud to be a part of such a fine company.

The official “TOGETHER” trailer is available at www.refresheverything.com/hendrick.

The Top Twelve of NASCAR as we get close to the Chase

The Chase Cup Series is just a few weeks away and after three quarters of the season is gone here are the top twelve at the present time.

1. Tony Stewart
2. Jimmie Johnson Our own Jimmie Johnson I know is ready for the Chase Series. We are cheering you on right here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego.
3. Jeff Gordon Jimmie’s team mate, Jeff Gordon, totaled his No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet and suffered his first DNF of the year, finishing 37th in the last race and fell 342 points behind points leader Tony Stewart.
4. Kurt Busch
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Carl Edwards
7. Juan Montoya
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Ryan Newman
10. Greg Biffle
11. Mark Martin Another Hendrick Team mate, Mark Martin finished 23rd at Watkins Glen and dropped one place in the standing but is still in the top 12 heading for the chase
12. Matt Kenseth

Here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet we are looking for a fourth consecutive championship from Jimmie. No presure Jimmie, just good driving is all we are asking for.

The Funny side of Jimmie Johnson

Too many people think that Jimmie Johnson is too serious. Off the track and here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in Kearny Mesa of San Diego, he has always seemed pretty easy going and always joking around much of the time. I have not been around him on race days but I would imagine that he does get intense and ready for competition. Even during the race as I have listened in between Jimmie and Chad I could hear both were very serious but both joked around and kept things on a very calm basis. I liked the one comment during one of the races when Chad told Jimmie that he only had 34 laps to go so get out there and go as fast as you can. Jimmie reply was What the heck do you think I have been doing up to this point? That got a chuckle from several fans around me who were listening in on the conversation.
Anyway I said all of this to introduce you to a video that I discovered on NASCAR.com that Jimmie made with a friend of his. It shows the funny side of Jimmie Johnson.

http://www.funnyordie.com/jimmie_johnson

We here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet are glad to be associated with a person who is serious about what he does but is very humble about what he has accomplished and is easy going about it. While at the dealership someone asked him what he thought about a particular thing and his reply was What do I know… I drive in circles for a living.

Pictured above is Jimmie Johnson joking around in the Parts Department here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet.

Hendrick Motorsports at the top of the field for NASCAR Racing.

People are saying that the race field has leveled out this year between all of the various race teams. Our own three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson says a testing ban implemented after the 2008 season has neutralized teams' ability to improve by spending money on extra practice outside of race weekends.

"Having the consistent car when you show up at each type of racetrack is really key," Johnson says. "Last year we did not have that at the start of the season. Luckily, we could test and were able to get back on track."

Even with things more on an equal basis it seems that Hendrick Motorsports is still at the top of what is going on in the racing scene. Between Tony Stewart (first in points), Jeff Gordon (second), Johnson (third), Ryan Newman (seventh) and Mark Martin (11th), Hendrick is supplying Chevrolet engines to nearly half the cars in the Chase. Mark Martin, who Rick Hendrick brought over to the team this year, is in his first multi-win season in 10 years, he has more wins (four) than any season since '98, when he won seven.

Chevy makes a good product on and off the track and you can drive the car that many of these top drivers are driving and that is a Chevrolet. Check out our inventory at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet, a part of the Hendrick Automotive Group, right here in Kearny Mesa of San Diego.

Jimmie Johnson in Second Place for the Sprint Cup

This week in racing is an off week with this being Easter week. The next race will be Saturday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. PT at the Phoenix International Raceway. This race is the Subway Fresh Fit 500 on the one mile oval track.

Our own Jimmie Johnson has won the last three races at the Arizona track. As a matter of fact it has been Chevrolets that have won the last seven Cup races and nine of the last 10 at Phoenix.

Right now Jimmie is in second place, 162 points behind one of our other Hendrick drivers, Jeff Gordon. Jimmie was asked his thoughts on his position in this seasons standings.

"We know the Chase is a long time from now, and we need to keep our priorities in check and worry about making the Chase. We were outside of it for a while and we've got our momentum going here and we're solidly up in the points right now. We've just got to get through this summer and transfer and get our stuff in order and hope we can nail 10 good ones again. It's so far from now when the Chase starts and the real pressure kicks in. Right now it's about making the Chase and locking yourself in and being comfortable in the Chase and obviously winning races and getting your stuff right. The championship pressure with the new format of the Chase ... it starts so late in the year when you really start to feel it. Now if you're 18th or 20th in points right now, your hopes for the championship are on the line now and the pressure is on you. If you're in this top five, then it's a little more relaxed. If you start slipping, that's when the pressure kicks in."

As Jimmie said there is a lot of racing season left and we are expecting another Championship that will give him a fourth straight. This is something that no one has ever done before. While the season is going on be sure to check out our Specials we offer online at jjchevy.com right here at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet.

Jimmie Makes it Past Jeff for Another Win

Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon (current Nextel points leader) have dominated the 2007 Nextel season and definitely dominated in Martinsville this past weekend. Jimmie WON as Jeff Gordon finished third with teammate Kyle Busch finishing fourth. Definitely a dominating presence by the Hendrick Motorsports Team.

What a great win for Jimmie as he got his 3rd win in a row at Martinsville. This continues the Hendrick winning streak at Martinsville, winning eight of the last 10 races there.

Jimmie trails Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon by only 53 points in the Nextel Cup challenge. Jeff Gordon said, "We need to start calling him (Jimmie Johnson) Mr. Martinsville."

This Martinsville race was the first attended by team owner Rick Hendrick since the tragic plane crash in October, 2004 which claimed the life of Hendrick's brother, son, two nieces and several key employees. Jimmie said his win left Hendrick smiling but it wasn't the typical post-win celebration. "I wasn't really sure if he was going to be here today," said Johnson. Yet, Hendrick did attend and referred to his race teams as "family too" and that he wanted to be there for this win.

Jimmie heads for Atlanta this weekend and hopefully back to the winner's circle. Tune in this coming Sunday at 10:00 AM (EC) for the Pep Boys Auto 500 and to cheer Jimmie Johnson.

Visit our Parts and Accessories department for your Jimmie Johnson fan supplies.

Defending champ keen on chasing his success ride!

It takes grit and determination to be a champion! Jimmie Johnson, the defending champion entering NASCAR’s Chase who is also the perennial championship contender of leading Chevrolet dealer Hendrick Automotive, does not lose hope even after a bad start in the championships. "I think everyone's strategy is to run top-five, top-10 and try to get maximum points. But we won't know the hole that we're in, or the advantage we may have, until we're probably seven or eight races in. I think you can formulate a strategy at that point. Until then, I think we're all just out collecting points," Johnson explained.
Last year, after several bad races, Johnson ran off consecutive finishes of second, first, second, second and second before collecting his first Cup title with a ninth-place finish at Homestead. For more details, visit -http://www.jimmiejohnsonchevrolet.com/