Catchfence

NSCS - Jimmie Johnson and Crew Chief Chad Knaus - Photo Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images

2010 Starts: 24 Wins: 5 Top 5: 8 Top 10: 12

Current Driver Point Standings: 9th Points Behind 1st: 444

Finish in Bristol: 35th September 2009 Finish at Atlanta: 36th

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and YWCA of San Diego County latest additions
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (Charlotte, N.C.) and the YWCA of San Diego County (San Diego, Calif.) are two of 13 charities which will be featured on the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Samsung Helmet of Hope at Auto Club Speedway in October.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina’s Kids Café program and the YWCA of San Diego County’s Becky’s House will each receive a $10,000 grant.

The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter nominated Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and their Kids Café program. The Kids Café program partners with agencies that serve children at risk of hunger and provides nutritious meals and snacks at those sites.

“In Mecklenburg County (N.C.) alone, as many as one in every six children is at risk for going to bed hungry every night,” explained Utter. “One can hardly do well in school or at play on an empty stomach.”

Greg Flores of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. nominated the YWCA of San Diego County’s Becky’s House. Becky’s House is the first long-term transitional housing community in the City of San Diego for victims of domestic violence and their children.

“Achieving goals takes teamwork, dedication and sacrifice; characteristics that Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson and the YWCA of San Diego County share,” said Flores. “Because children who witness domestic violence are more likely to become abusers or victims of abuse as adults, it is important to me that the YWCA’s Children’s Health, Hope and Healing Program continues to provide services that break the cycle of violence and prevent abusive behaviors from being passed down from generation to generation.”

“Every year over 200 children who, with their mothers, are fleeing domestic violence find safety at the YWCA’s Becky’s House,” added Flores. “There, children receive the supportive services needed to succeed in school and begin the journey to achieve their dreams.”

Johnson will draw one winner from a list of media submissions and one from a list of fan submissions each race weekend through the Atlanta event in September. The two charities selected Friday join the Feeding America® Kids Café program, which was nominated by Samsung to kick-off this year’s campaign program. The Kids Café program works to address the growing epidemic facing children’s hunger.

To nominate a charity, fans and media may visit www.HelmetofHope.org.

RACE NOTES
Atlanta Motor Speedway

• Johnson has made 18 Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he has earned three wins, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has completed 99.3% (5755 of 5798) of competition laps at the 1.54-mile oval and has led 402.
• He has an average start and finish of 8.2 and 10.8.

Chassis

• Chassis No. 592 will be the primary for Sunday night’s event. Johnson last piloted that car to a 10th-place finish at Pocono in July.
• Back up chassis No. 553 has collected three wins in four starts – the most recent coming at Auto Club Speedway in February.

QUOTES
WHAT’S YOUR MENTALITY GOING INTO THESE FINAL TWO RACES? “I hate that we’ve run into some bad racing luck the last few weeks. We’ve had good race cars, but just haven’t been able to get the finishes. The important thing is to just stay the course and continue to work as hard as we can. We’re looking forward to going to Atlanta this weekend. Atlanta has its own characteristics and reminds me more and more of a Darlington the way it used to be. Although Atlanta is different from a lot of the mile-and-a-half tracks we run on, it will give us an opportunity to work on that program.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES
Career Wins

• Johnson has 52 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2010.
• The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, two victories behind Lee Petty.
• He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).
• Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).
• Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.
• Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but four (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.
• Johnson was the first driver to win three of the first five races in The Chase.
• Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.
• The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.

Career Poles

• Johnson has collected 24 poles in his Sprint Cup career.
• The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.
• He had a career-high six poles in 2008.
• Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 20, 2010.

Career Starts

• In 24 2010 starts, Johnson has collected five wins, eight top five and 12 top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.
• Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.
• In 315 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 125 top-five and 192 top-10 finishes.
• He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.
• Johnson has led a total of 10,749 laps (of 90,402) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 121,462 miles.
• He has finished on the lead lap 242 times.

Primary Car History – Chassis No. 592

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 553

Jimmie Johnson – Atlanta Motor Speedway

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics

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No. 48 At-Track Crew List

- GMR Live Marketing for Team Lowe’s Racing, Press Release