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A Jimmie Johnson Story

Posted by Troy Harrison at 08:26:03 AM

In 1998, I was doing a lot of writing for a lot of different magazines, one of which was Racing Milestones, a mag out of Virginia that primarily covered NASCAR. I wrote four different articles for them on "Rising Stars," prospective big time drivers. When the ASA came to I-70 Speedway that year, I was asked to interview Adam Petty in his first year of professional racing for an article. So - I went there to do just that.

Trouble was, Adam's PR handlers wouldn't let me near him. Now understand, in the ASA pits, you could walk up to ANYONE and talk to them except for Petty. Mike Eddy, Gary St. Amant, Bob Senneker, anyone. Great bunch of guys. In my thought processes at the time (and let's be honest, my thought processes now), Adam Petty had done zilch in stock car racing compared with the guys he shared the race track with and was undeserving of such "handling," name or no name.  So I decided, screw this, I'm going to get an article. One of the guys that had really impressed me in practice with his smoothness was a guy transitioning from off-road racing to short tracks. He was very forthcoming and gave me a great interview, and told me that he was happy to get a little bit of national press (as it happened, this was the first national article on him in a stock car magazine). History records that Adam won that particular race, and I honestly don't remember where the off road guy finished.

I do remember that I had to sell my butt off to get the article printed as a "rising star," but I did get the article sold. And, as you've probably guessed, the off-roader's name was Jimmie Johnson. For a number of years after that, I got Christmas cards from him as a thank-you, and I talked to him at various races and shows. The cards stopped, but to be fair, I've moved four times since then. Last time I talked to him was in 2006, but he remembered me, and we had a great talk. That was four Cup championships ago, but I have no doubt that Jimmie is the same guy now as he was then - a purely class act.

Some people consider his personality "milktoast," or whatever expression they want to use for "bland," but Jimmie has just never been a guy to make a jackass of himself off the track. He just does his talking ON the track. I can't think of a better guy to break the record for consecutive Cup titles.

By the way, one of the other "rising stars" I profiled was Jamie McMurray. I also profiled Marshall Green, who never made it in NASCAR but has been one of the top Dirt Late Model drivers in the country. The fourth guy was another "assigned" kid, and I don't remember what happened to him.  I figure my record at spotting talent was pretty good.

Adam Petty is, of course, gone now, and I don't mean this article to be critical of him - it certainly wasn't his decision to hire two snotty PR girls.  I'm sure he was the great kid everybody says he was.

Still, I'm glad that weekend worked out the way it did.

 

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