Nextel Cup champ Jimmie Johnson to race in the Rolex 24

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - Two-time Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, defending Grand-Am Rolex Series champion GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing and Lowe's Home Improvement will join forces for the 46th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 26-27.

Johnson will co-drive with defending Daytona Prototype champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, plus 1996 Champ Car champion Jimmy Vasser in the No. 99 Lowe's/GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac-Riley in America's premiere sports car race.

"This is going to be a lot of fun," Johnson said. "I really want to win the Rolex 24 and have tried a couple of times. I think joining this team will give me the best shot ever. What these guys were able to do last season was amazing. I have nothing but the highest respect for this team, drivers and the Rolex Series and hope I can celebrate with them when we roll the Lowe's/GAINSCO car into victory lane. "

The team began testing on Nov. 14 at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the race. Fogarty and Gurney won the pole at this race in 2006 then went on to win the July race at Daytona and the series championship. Team owner Bob Stallings is anxious to begin defending his team's 2007 championship title.

"We plan to take on all comers and there's no better place to start than at the world's most prestigious endurance race," Stallings said. "Jimmie is not only a great driver, but a terrific guy, and I'm especially thrilled that he's joining the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing family. I believe that, with this incredible lineup, we have more than a fair chance of capturing one of the most elite titles in motorsports ­ winners of the Rolex 24 at Daytona."

Johnson, 32, earned his second NASCAR Nextel Cup title in 2007 capping a season that saw him earn 10 victories for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson owns 33 NEXTEL Cup victories – the 18th most of any driver. The El Cajon, Calif. native has competed three times in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He finished second in 2005 and 28th in 2004 driving for Howard-Boss Motorsports and 36th for the Riley-Matthews team last year.

"I have said this before and don't mind telling everyone again. One of the coolest things I have ever done in my career is watching the sun come up over the Daytona International Speedway at daybreak from behind the wheel of a prototype. That was such a beautiful sight and such a peaceful, cool feeling. I'm going to make sure I am in the car when the sun comes up this year."

The normally red painted No. 99 will also carry the blue and silver Lowe's paint scheme similar to paint scheme Johnson drives each weekend in Nextel Cup racing. The team will participate in the traditional three-day Rolex 24 test on Jan. 4-6.

"At our November test the car was really amazing. I could run within a tenth of a second of the best times and through the infield, we were great. This will be a fun weekend, but we are taking this very seriously. I want the trophy."

Bob Gfeller, senior vice president of marketing and advertising at Lowe's, said Johnson's appearance in the sports car race marks the third consecutive year a Lowe's car will compete on the road course in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

"We are very pleased to be part of this race once again," Gfeller said. "Everyone knows of our involvement and success in NASCAR and in recent history we have also taken an active role in sports car racing. Our customers and employees love all types of racing and we feel proud to have a place in this exciting event, and to have this opportunity to support Jimmie in his quest for another win."

From Drew Brown

NASCAR Nextel Cup: Season in Review

From NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2007) – Sixteen drivers won NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races, including all 12 drivers who participated in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

The lead in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup changed hands following each of the first five Chase races, but Jeff Gordon led the point standings in each of the next four weeks following consecutive victories at Talladega and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson posted three consecutive victories at Martinsville, Atlanta and Texas to move back into the lead in the championship standings by 30 points. His fourth straight win (Phoenix) gave Johnson an 86-point lead entering the season finale where he posted a seventh-place finish to claim his second straight series title.

2007 Season Highlights
• At Bristol, The Car of Tomorrow made its debut.
• At Talladega, Jeff Gordon won his 77th career race, breaking a tie with Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the all-time win list. Gordon had tied Earnhardt’s mark of 76 wins the prior week in Phoenix.
• Hendrick Motorsports posted six consecutive victories (second Talladega through second Phoenix), the first time since Petty Enterprises won 10 straight in 1967 that an organization had won six straight.
• Four drivers posted career-first victories: Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer.
• With his win at Infineon Raceway, Montoya, from Colombia, became the first foreign-born race winner since Canadian Earl Ross in 1974.
• Two of the top-10 closest finishes since the advent of electronic timing (1993) have occurred this season, both at Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 had a ninth-closest margin of victory of 0.020 and the Pepsi 400 on July 7 had a margin of victory of 0.005, which is tied for second-closest.
• Jimmie Johnson posted four consecutive victories (Martinsville-Phoenix) – the longest winning streak in Chase history – and the first time a driver had won four straight since Jeff Gordon in 1998.

All-time Record
• Jeff Gordon scored his 12th restrictor-plate victory with his win at Talladega and became the all-time leader in restrictor-plate victories. He broke a tie with Dale Earnhardt.

Qualifying
• There have been 18 different Bud Pole winners led by Jeff Gordon (seven). Qualifying was canceled at Texas, second Daytona and Watkins Glen due to inclement weather.
• The all-time record for the number of different pole winners is 24 (1957) and the Modern Era record is 18 (1997, 2001 and 2007).
• There were four first-time pole winners this season: Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley and Martin Truex Jr.
• There has been a first-time pole winner each season since 1987 – 21 consecutive years.
• Ryan Newman’s pole at Atlanta ended a streak of 20 races without a pole – the longest of his career.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all other drivers with 26 top-10 starts this season.
• Every pole winner led a lap in the race in which he won the pole except for J.J. Yeley at the second Michigan race.

The Races
• There were 16 different race winners, led by Jimmie Johnson (10).
• There were four first-time race winners this season: Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer.
• There were back-to-back victories eight times this season:
Jimmie Johnson (Las Vegas-Atlanta), (California-Richmond) and (Martinsville-Atlanta-Texas-Phoenix)
Jeff Gordon (Phoenix-Talladega) and (Talladega-Lowe’s)
Tony Stewart (Chicago-Indianapolis).
• There were four season sweeps this season: Jimmie Johnson (Richmond, Martinsville and Atlanta) and Jeff Gordon (Talladega).
• Four races were won from the pole in 2007: Phoenix (Jeff Gordon), Talladega (Jeff Gordon), second Richmond (Jimmie Johnson) and second New Hampshire (Clint Bowyer).
• Jeff Gordon posted 21 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes – both more than any other driver. Gordon’s 30 top-10 finishes broke the modern era record for top-10s in a season held by Dale Jarrett (1999).
• There were four final lap passes for the victory this season – both Daytona races, Texas and second Talladega.

Sweeps
• There have been 158 season sweeps in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
• Jimmie Johnson won both races at Richmond, Martinsville and Atlanta this season – giving him nine career season sweeps. Johnson has posted at least one season sweep in five of the last six seasons (he did not sweep a track in 2006).
• Richard Petty holds the all-time record for season sweeps with 23.
• Jeff Gordon swept Talladega, just the seventh time a driver has won both races in a season at Talladega.

Laps Completed
• No driver completed every lap in 2007.
• Kevin Harvick led the series in laps completed with 10,431 of 10,582.

Laps Led
• No driver led in every race this season.
• Jimmie Johnson led in 24 races, more than any other driver.
• Jeff Gordon leads in bonus points for leading laps with 150.
• Jeff Gordon has led a series-high 1,300 of the 10,582 laps – 12.3% of the laps raced.
• Thirteen different drivers have led the most laps in a race: Jeff Gordon (seven), Kurt Busch (five), Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth (four), Denny Hamlin (three), Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch (two), Carl Edwards, Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne (one).

Rookie Performance
• Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. Montoya lead David Ragan by 24 points in the final tally (276-252).
• Four different drivers were the highest-finishing rookie at least once this season: Juan Pablo Montoya (17), David Ragan (14), Paul Menard (four) and AJ Allmendinger (two).
• The best finish by a rookie has been first by Juan Pablo Montoya at Infineon Raceway.
• Juan Pablo Montoya (20th) ranked highest among the rookies in the point standings.

Penalties
• There have been 537 on-track penalties issued this season.
• Every team that has competed in two or more races this season has received at least one on-track penalty.
• Penalty Recap:
Pitting Before Pit Road is Open 316
Too Fast Entering Pit Road 37
Too Fast Exiting Pit Road 81
Others 103

Points
• Only two drivers have ranked in the top 12 in points for every race: Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon.
• Robby Gordon finished the season ranked 26th in the points – the highest of those who did not compete in every race.

The Chase
• Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon both had 5,210 points after the first Chase race. Johnson held the number one position based on the tiebreaker of six wins to Gordon’s four.
• Gordon assumed the points lead at Dover with Johnson retaking the top spot after Kansas.
• The third change in the point leader took place at Talladega when Gordon moved back into the lead.
• The fourth change in the point leader came after Texas with Johnson regaining the lead by 30 points.
• The 77-point margin that Jimmie Johnson claimed the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship by was the largest margin in the history of the Chase.

Changes up Front
The record for changes in the point leader in the four year history of the Chase is four (2006 and 2007). The fourth change in the point leader in both seasons took place in the eighth race.

Manufacturer
• Chevrolet won the manufacturer point standings with 290 points to 208 for Ford, 178 for Dodge and 116 for Toyota.
• Chevrolet clinched the manufacturers’ championship at Richmond.
• Chevrolet won 26 races. Ford had seven wins and Dodge three.
• Chevrolet scored its 600th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory with Kyle Busch’s win at Bristol. Busch’s victory was the first for the Chevrolet Impala since Wendell Scott won at Jacksonville (Fla.) Speedway Park on Dec. 1, 1963.
• Toyota scored its first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup top five when Brian Vickers finished fifth at Charlotte in May and its best finish of the season with Dave Blaney’s third-place posting at second Talladega.
• Chevrolet posted 26 victories this season, breaking a tie with Buick (1982) for the most victories by a manufacturer in the modern era. Plymouth holds the all-time record for victories in a season with 31 in 1967 – a 49-race season.