Johnson, who won his fifth consecutive NASCAR championship in 2010, has again been nominated in the “Best Male Athlete” category and in the “Best Driver” category. He could become the first auto racer to win “Best Male Athlete” – also nominated are tennis star Rafael Nadal, Dirk Nowitzski of the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks and Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Joining Johnson in the “Best Driver” category are 15-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion John Force, NHRA Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson and three-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti.
Voting will run through 11:59 p.m. ET on July 9 for most categories. The winners will be announced during The 2011 ESPYs, televised live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 13, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Fans will determine the winners by voting online at ESPN.com/espys, facebook.com/ESPN as well as on ESPN Mobile Web at http://espn.mobi June 24 through July 9.
The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2011 ESPYs will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” as well as best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.
A limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase at www.ticketmaster.com.
- ESPN Communications, Press Release
