NASCAR is expected to levy a fine as early as Tuesday, upwards of $15,000 to Nextel Cup driver Jimmie Johnson for placing a sign atop his #48 Lowe's Chevrolet and obscuring the view of a sponsor's product during Sunday's Victory Lane ceremonies at Pocono Raceway, ThatsRacin.com has learned. Following his win in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 in Long Pond, Pa., Johnson exited his car and placed a Lowe's sign - Lowe's is the primary sponsor of Johnson's team - atop his car and in front of a large blue Powerade bottle. Powerade is an official sponsor of NASCAR. During the course of Victory Lane ceremonies, the Lowe's sign actually fell off the car, but was inexplicably picked up and replaced in its original position obscuring the Powerade bottle by NASCAR official Dave Finley, witnesses said. Hendrick Motorsports officials were notified Monday of a likely fine, sources said. Officials with Hendrick and NASCAR were unavailable for comment late Monday.

Two weeks ago during a pre-race drivers meeting at New Hampshire, NASCAR president Mike Helton had told drivers "do not take it upon yourselves to remove products" placed on cars as they come in for victory celebrations. Johnson did not remove or move the Powerade bottle Sunday, witnesses said. Many of the recent issues have mostly been with a the large, blue Powerade bottle placed atop winning cars that some drivers have pushed or even knocked off their cars. The drivers who do so have affiliations with Gatorade or with Pepsi, which owns Gatorade. Powerade is a Coca-Cola product. "You can maneuver away from it or work around it," Helton said at New Hampshire. "If that doesn't begin happening again, we will be forced to deal with it."

The fine for Johnson, the series points leader, would be the first for such issues this season. Johnson was asked about the Victory Lane incident Sunday night during his post-race winner's interview. Asked if he was told to touch or not touch any bottles in Victory Lane, Johnson replied, "No, I wasn't. I was a little more aware of camera angles to try to honor my sponsors and take care of them. I even took the liberty of putting a sign up in front of brand 'X'. It's weird that the driver - in Victory Lane - has to worry about defending and honoring your sponsor because of relationships that exist outside of your control. I hope we get this rectified and when you pull into Gatorade Victory Lane you're drinking Gatorade and that's all there is to it."(ThatsRacin.com)(8-3-2004)

redriderbob

 

Jimmie Johnson was fined $10,000 for a post-race incident that occurred Sunday in Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway, NASCAR officials announced today. Johnson was fined for not following the directive of a NASCAR official as well as actions detrimental to stock car racing. He was in violation of Sections 12-2 and 12-4-A, respectively, of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Rule Book. “NASCAR President Mike Helton thoroughly explained the proper protocol for victory lane ceremonies in a drivers’ meeting two weeks ago at New Hampshire,” NASCAR spokesperson Jim Hunter said. “We’re going to address these situations in an orderly fashion, just as we always have. We expect our drivers to follow this protocol.”(NASCAR PR)(8-3-2004)

redriderbob

 

I read that yesterday and that is crazy. He didn't knock the bottle off the car, he simply put a Lowe's sign in front of it. And when it fell down a Nextel official even sat it back up. I can see why he would want to protect his sponcer.

 

I am not a Jimmie Johnson fan, but I have to disagree w/ this... look how much money Johnson's sponsers put into backing his team and car... I see no reason we he should have Coca-Cola, Home Depot or whatever products bumped off their car. Gatorade and Budweiser have the right idea... Gatorade's name is all over "Gatorade Victory Lane" so why should they put there product on someone who runs for Powerade? Budweiser pays tons of money for the "Bud Pole Award", and people who want to be able to win the pole and go to the Bud Shootout the fallowing year, have to have a Bud Pole sticker on their car. The only cars that don't have this sticker are the Petty cars. But Sterling Marlin (Coors Light) and Rusty Wallace (Miller Light) have it. Heck even Hermie Sadler a few years ago ran a MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) car for a race, and it had a Bud Pole sticker on it!

I think all the companies who want to be able to put there product in Victory Lane, should place their logo on the backdrop behind the car while it sits in Victory Lane!

redriderbob