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Apr 19, 2011
Tuesday
Justin Johnson, No. 51 Wounded Warrior Project / Vision Airlines Toyota Tundra Nashville Superspeedway Preview
Press Release
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Vision Aviation Racing (VAR) Thumbnail
Vision Aviation Racing (VAR) Thumbnail
Vision Aviation Racing Event Preview

Race: Bully Hill Vineyards 200

Date: April 22, 2011

Location: Nashville Superspeedway

Justin Johnson

No. 51 Wounded Warrior Project / Vision Airlines Toyota Tundra

Race Notes and Quotes

Last Race: After starting from the 26th position at Martinsville Speedway Johnson made his way to the front in no time, mixing it up with the top-10. On lap 137 the bad luck bug bit Johnson for the second race in a row and, after being caught up in an incident that took him and his team out of contention, he went on to finish 31st.

This Week’s Chassis: Chassis No.035 will be running this week in Nashville and has already seen a very active 2011 race season. Johnson ran this chassis at Phoenix International Raceway and Martinsville Speedway where he finished 8th and 31st, respectively.

Making a Ruckus: Johnson competed in the Ruckus House Scholarship Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina during his off week where he rubbed elbows with other athletes and stars, all for a good cause. The Ruckus House Scholarship Foundation benefits high-school graduates or college students who want to pursue a career in education.

Wounded Warrior Project: Johnson’s sponsor, Wounded Warrior Project, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to honoring and empowering wounded servicemen and women. Wounded Warrior Project aims to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in the nation’s history. To learn more about how you can help visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

Justin Johnson - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR
Justin Johnson - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR
Johnson – On the Record

What are your thoughts on racing at Nashville Superspeedway?

“It will be my first time racing at Nashville, so I am excited to check it out. But to be honest, I am just excited to have a chance to win that guitar, that thing is awesome. It’s probably the coolest trophy on the circuit.”

We’ll be racing in Music City. Tell me a little bit about your musical taste?

“I like all kinds of music, really I like everything. You can find a range of artists on my iPod, anywhere from Breaking Benjamin, to Akon, to Brad Paisley. I actually taught Brad Paisley how to drive a Corvette when I was working at the Ron Fellows Driving School. He brought his whole band out to the school and then we got to go to one of his shows in Vegas. That was cool.”

This past week you played in a celebrity golf tournament for the Ruckus House and volunteered at the Special Olympics, what do you enjoy most about those sorts of activities?

“I enjoy giving back to the community but I also enjoy being able to doing something different. Your life can get pretty routine working in this industry and it’s nice to get out and participate in those sort of activities. Plus it’s always for a good cause and that makes it even better.”

Vision Aviation Racing (VAR) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Notes

Where’s Dusty: One noticeable difference to the VAR lineup for this week’s upcoming Nashville event will be the absence of Justin’s teammate, Dusty Davis. The No. 15 VAR Toyota Tundra wasn’t able to secure sponsorship that would allow the rookie driver to run this weekend in Nashville. VAR plans to run Davis in a limited schedule for 2011 and is currently seeking partnership opportunities that will put Davis back in the driver’s seat.

Although disappointed that the sponsorship planned for Nashville didn’t quite materialize in time for this weekend’s race, Davis realizes just how important it is to find the right partners for long-term success in NASCAR. “Everyone at Vision has been working really hard to put the right deals together. The team and I just have to be patient while that process takes place. We have some things in the works, it just takes time to find the right fit for everyone,” commented Davis.

Crew Member Spotlight: Berwick, Pennsylvania native, Chris Whitenight moved to the Charlotte, North Carolina area in 2006 to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Whitenight then went to work for Billy Ballew Motorsports as Team Engineer. He continues in that role today for the newly formed VAR where he handles both the No.51 and No.15 teams. Long hours and late nights at the shop are only a part of Whitenight’s dedication to racing as he also races an asphalt modified when back home in the Northeast.

Special Olympics: It was a fiesta at the Boys and Girls Club in Concord, North Carolina this past weekend as the Special Olympics celebrated this year’s games with their annual dance. The Special Olympics organization is dedicated to giving individuals with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in sports and physical activities that will help promote growth and prosperity among its athletes. Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis were on hand to sign autographs and participate in the fun. “It was awesome to hang out with the Special Olympics athletes at this year’s fiesta dance. We had so much fun. I admire them for their dedication and I was honored to be there,” said Davis.

Meet the Drivers: Be sure to stop by the NCWTS autograph session on April 22nd at Nashville Superspeedway where Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis will be signing from 1:00-2:00PM.

Social Media: Want to be in on all the latest news from VAR? Follow us on Twitter at @VARacing, @JustinJohnson51, @DustyDavis7, and at Facebook.com/visionaviationracing. Don’t forget to visit our website, www.visionaviationracing.com, for driver bios, photo galleries, and much more!

Air Time: Catch all the action LIVE on SPEED starting at 7:30PM/ET on April 22nd, 2011. The race will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio starting at 7:45PM/ET.

Vision Aviation Racing:

Vision Aviation Racing is located near the metro Charlotte, North Carolina area. Still in its early days, the team has already proven to be a winning platform. In 2011, VAR went to victory lane at Daytona in their first ever Camping World Truck Series start with driver Michael Waltrip behind the wheel. Full time VAR driver, Justin Johnson, won the championship in the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series while teammate Dusty Davis finished a strong second. Overall the Vision Aviation Racing squad earned a win percentage of 74% over the 19-race season. 2011 is the team’s first season in the Camping World Truck Series.

Vision Airlines:

Vision Airlines started in 1994 offering aerial tours of the Grand Canyon. Over the past 16 years, Vision Airlines’ fleet expanded to include Boeing 767′s, Boeing 737′s, Dornier 328 and Dornier 228 turbo prop aircraft. Vision Airlines has become one of the premier charter airlines in the United States. The company’s clients include US Presidential candidates, heads of state, countless celebrities, Fortune 1000 companies and some of the world’s most-recognized resorts. The company’s headquarters is located in Suwanee, GA. It also maintains offices in Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY and Miami, FL.

Wounded Warrior Project:

The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

- Vision Aviation Racing Press Release


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One Response to “ Justin Johnson, No. 51 Wounded Warrior Project / Vision Airlines Toyota Tundra Nashville Superspeedway Preview ”
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