Johnson Races Into History

In what is a day no fan or NASCAR memorabilia collector will soon forget, Jimmie Johnson and his #48 raced their way into history yesterday, clinching their record fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Series Championship with a top-five at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Johnson outpaced his only challenger, teammate Mark Martin, for most of the race before coming home fifth and sealing a feat never before seen in the sport’s 61-year history. Just as Jimmie Johnson autographs won’t get the same spike in demand as Yankees team gear did after their championship run, the low-key Johnson will probably settle in to a quiet offseason with his wife at their condo in New York City.

Hendrick Holding On To Johnson, Gordon

When your teams make up the top three positions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings, it’s a pretty wise decision to keep them together. Hendrick Motorsports, the practical New York Yankees of racing, announced that Jimmie Johnson was given a new contract through 2015 while veteran Jeff Gordon will race through at least 2013. With a new family and recent back issues, many fans and NASCAR memorabilia collectors have speculated the 38-year old Gordon may be eying his career’s checkered flag.

The contractual news is of course secondary to Jimmie Johnson’s chase for a record fourth-consecutive Sprint Cup Championship, which is only 400 miles away given Johnson can finish 25th or better in Sunday’s Ford 400. While Jimmie Johnson collectibles haven’t come to rival Michael Jordan autographs in demand, the driver of the Lowe’s Chevrolet Impala is moving closer and closer to becoming what MJ was to basketball: the hands-down greatest.

The Ford 400 will go green this Sunday at 2:35 p.m. from Homestead Miami Speedway in South Florida.

Johnson Closes In On Fourth Cup

In what has been the most dominant stretch any fan or sports autograph collector has witnessed in some time, Jimmie Johnson is 400 miles away from clinching his unprecedented fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship. After a miserable day at Texas that saw Johnson’s point lead cut in half, the 48 team went to the desert and dominated Phoenix to the tune of leading almost 75% of the laps. With all eyes pointed at the season finale at Homestead Miami, fans and Jimmie Johnson autograph collectors have to be feeling good the 34-year old can pull of a feat never before seen in NASCAR.

The Ford 400 from Homestead kicks off at 2 p.m. on ABC.

Johnson’s Wreck Tightens Chase

After escaping the unpredictability that is 500 miles at Talledega, it appeared as if Jimmie Johnson was going to run away and hide with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup title. It took three laps at Texas Motor Speedway yesterday to change the Chase entirely. Entering Sunday with a 185-point advantage over Mark Martin, Johnson was involved in a three-car accident on the third lap of the race that heavily damaged both the nose and tail pieces of his Chevrolet. Johnson’s fans and NASCAR memorabilia collectors had to be thrilled with the work of the 48 team to get his car repaired and back on the track in just over an hour. While Johnson salvaged a 38th place finish, he did see his Championship points lead shrink to 73. Even with one tough weekend, fans who’ve purchased Jimmie Johnson autographs and other pieces of his signed sports items are still expecting the 34-year old to take home his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup title in two weeks at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Johnson Looks To Lock Up Chase

Fans and NASCAR memorabilia collectors are on the verge of witnessing history in the Sprint Cup Series. With Jimmie Johnson on the verge of winning his fourth consecutive Cup championship, it’s no surprise that searches for his autographed NASCAR photos and licensed racing apparel are at all-time highs. As the Chase turns to Texas, the three-time reigning champion has a monstrous 184-point lead over teammate Mark Martin with only three races left in 2009. It would take something like a miracle to catch the 48 team this late in the season. Johnson currently owns a demonstrative 29% winning percentage in NASCAR’s playoff.

Johnson Stretches Lead

They say nothing goes as fast as time. That might be the only thing Jimmie Johnson finishes second to. Fans and racing memorabilia collectors watched as the three-time defending Sprint Cup Champion dominated Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500 at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Winning for the sixth time at his sponsored-shared track, Johnson took the checkers for the third time in five Chase races while stretching his points lead over Hendrick teammate Mark Martin to 90 points. Jimmie Johnson autographs have become one of the hottest items in the sports memorabilia market over the past four years, one that has seen the 34-year old reel off an unprecedented amount of success.

With five races to go, the Chase for the Cup heads to the paperclip Martinsville Speedway for this weekend’s Fast Relief 500.

Johnson Dominates Dover…Again

It seems that one of the most dependable investments when it comes to autographed sports items has to be snatching up Jimmie Johnson autographs. The reigning three-time Sprint Cup Champion furthered his cause for a fourth after dominating and taking the checkered flag this past Sunday at Dover. Along with closing in on points leader Mark Martin, searches for Johnson’s NASCAR memorabilia shot through the roof. It was Johnson’s second victory of the season at the famed concrete mile and his first of the 2009 Chase.

The Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas for this weekend’s Price Chopper 400.

Montoya’s Gaff Costly at Brickyard

Usually speed is a good thing in racing. Sunday, it cost Juan Pablo Montoya a victory. After leading a career-high 116 laps at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Montoya was caught speeding on pit road with 32 laps remaining and would fall all the way back to 12th. After the dust settled, two Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets driven by Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin would duke it out in a classic nose-to-tail battle for the final 20 laps, with the three-time Cup champ Johnson taking the checkers. It’s no surprise that Jimmie Johnson autographs are a high-selling sports memorabilia item this morning as the 32-year old became the first driver to win back-to-back Brickyard 400s in the event’s 16-year history.

With the victory, Johnson now pulls to within 192 points of championship leader Tony Stewart as the Sprint Cup Series now turns to the triangle-shaped Pocono Raceway for next Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500.

Logano Grabs First Cup Win

Billed as a phenom behind the wheel since he was 13 years old, rookie Joey Logano took home his first career victory in Sunday’s rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at the New Hampshire Speedway just outside Concord, NH. A Connecticut native, Logano and veteran crew chief Greg Zippadeli were on of a handful of cars that gambled with pit strategy as rain clouds headed into the area. The 19-year old Logano buzzed by leader Ryan Newman at lap 264 and kept a quick enough pace to stay in front of four-time Series champ Jeff Gordon before the rains came on lap 274. NASCAR would have the field run six laps under caution before throwing the red flag and parking all the cars on pit road. After a twenty-five minute delay, the race would be called and Joey Logano at age 19 years and 35 days, became the youngest Sprint Cup race winner in the sport’s history.

Despite the rain, fans were all over his trailer picking up Joey Logano merchandise and trying to hunt down signed driver photos after the race. It was a great day for the 19-year old, who with the win now sits 21st in points with one win and four top-10s in his young racing career.

Another note for fans and NASCAR memorabilia collectors: the man Logano replaced in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, Tony Stewart, lead 40 laps on Sunday and kept his points lead over Jeff Gordon at 69 points.

Johnson Dominates Dover

While fans and NASCAR memorabilia collectors have been treated to a myriad of different story lines from around the garage area, reigning Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson reminded everyone who’s the man to beat with his dominant win at Dover. The three-time Sprint Cup Champ lead 298 of the 400 laps and polished off his near-perfect day with a pass of Tony Stewart for the race lead with two laps to go. In a year that’s seen Matt Kenseth autographs become a must-have after winning the Daytona 500 to Jeremy Mayfield being suspended indefinitely by NASCAR, the 48 team reminded everyone that it is still the entire garage against us. While you’ll see more Dale Jr apparel at the track on Sundays, Johnson seems right on track to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Cup championship.

With the win, Johnson moved to third and points and currently trails first place Tony Stewart by only 64 points. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves to Pocono this Sunday, a track where Johnson recorded a sixth and third place finish in two races last season.