A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP champion jimmie johnson.
Whereas, Jimmie Johnson began racing on 50cc motorcycles at the age of five and within a few years had moved to the 60cc motorcycle class winning his first championship at the age of eight; and
Whereas, Jimmie Johnson's racing career accelerated and he moved on to the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group Stadium Racing Series and later advanced to off‑road racing; and
Whereas, in 1998, Jimmie Johnson began driving in the American Speed Association series. ASA racing was his first taste in pavement racing and he has never looked back. He was named ASA Pat Schauer Rookie of the Year; and
Whereas, Jimmie Johnson raced in the NASCAR Busch series beginning in 1998 and posted his first Busch series win in 2001 at the inaugural race at Chicagoland Speedway; and
Whereas, Jimmie Johnson began his career as a driver in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series in 2002 driving the Lowe's #48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. His #48 Chevrolet has been sponsored by Lowe's Home Improvement Company, one of North Carolina's true business success stories; and
Whereas, in 2002, Jimmie Johnson became the first rookie in NASCAR Nextel Cup racing to lead in the point standings. He notched three victories in his rookie campaign, winning twice at Dover International Speedway and once at California Speedway. He is the first rookie in series history to sweep both races at a track; and
Whereas, in 2003, Jimmie Johnson finished second in the Nextel Cup points standing with three wins, 14 top fives, 20 top tens, and two poles. His wins include sweeping the May races at Lowe's Motor Speedway capturing victories in the All‑Star Race and the Coca‑Cola 600 and two wins at New Hampshire International Raceway; and
Whereas, in 2004, Jimmie Johnson was able to complete the season with a second‑place finish in the inaugural Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship, had the most number of wins of any driver with eight victories, claimed 20 top‑five and 23 top‑10 finishes, and led 24 races for a total of 1,312 points; and
Whereas, during the 2005 season, Jimmie Johnson's victories included a fifth- place finish in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship, the lead in point standings for 17 weeks, first place finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway, won both points events at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and became the only driver ranked in the top 10 in point standings after every race during the season; and
Whereas, in 2006, Jimmie Johnson captured his first NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship at Homestead‑Miami Speedway and became the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first five full‑time seasons; and
Whereas, Jimmie Johnson's success placed him among four other drivers in NASCAR's history to have won the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship in the same season and the title of Driver of the Year; and
Whereas, in 193 NASCAR Nextel Cup races, Jimmie Johnson had 27 wins, nine poles, and 73 top‑five and 117 top‑10 finishes; and
Whereas, during the current 2007 season, Jimmie Johnson has posted four wins, seven top‑five finishes, and seven top‑10 finishes; and
Whereas, when he is not racing, Jimmie Johnson hosts a weekly radio show on XM Radio and is a frequent guest on late night television shows and other media outlets; and
Whereas, Jimmie Johnson has also taken the time to give back to the community, founding the Jimmie Johnson Foundation with his wife Chandra Johnson in February 2006 to assist children, families, and communities in need; and
Whereas, in March of 2006 the Jimmie Johnson Foundation established Victory Lanes, a bowling alley for campers with chronic and life‑threatening illnesses at Kyle and Pattie Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina; and
Whereas, Jimmie Johnson's achievements as a member of the Hendrick Motorsports team, is a fitting memorial to Hendrick family members and others who lost their lives during a plane crash in October of 2004 traveling to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia; and
Whereas, those lost in the plane crash were Ricky Hendrick, John Hendrick, Kimberly Hendrick, Jennifer Hendrick, Joe Jackson, Jeff Turner, Randy Dorton, Scott Lathram, Richard Tracy, and Elizabeth Morrison; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly congratulates Jimmie Johnson on his outstanding achievements as the NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion and expresses its appreciation for the contributions he has made in the lives of the children who attend the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the lives of needy families and children.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly honors the memory of those who lost their lives in the Hendrick plane crash on October 24, 2004, on the way to a NASCAR race at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to Jimmie Johnson.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.