NASCAR driving champion Jimmie Johnson returned to his hometown bearing gifts, only to be surprised when the City of El Cajon offered its own gift in exchange.
On Tuesday (June 18), Johnson, a Granite Hills High graduate, began a three-day series of events by dedicating a running track at Chase Elementary School.
NASCAR driving champion Jimmie Johnson returned to his hometown bearing gifts, only to be surprised when the City of El Cajon offered its own gift in exchange.
On Tuesday (June 18), Johnson, a Granite Hills High graduate, began a three-day series of events by dedicating a running track at Chase Elementary School.
“It’s always great to come home and be welcomed by everyone in the community,” said Johnson. “I am always shocked to see the number of ‘48’ stickers I see on cars and trucks everywhere I go.”
Johnson, 37, will also partake in a golf tournament and a dinner-auction during his stay before turning to the circuit for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway.
But what caught his eye while traveling through downtown El Cajon is what brought a smile to his face.
Earlier this spring, the city put on display a series of light-pole banners honoring the hometown hero.
The banners are similar to ones outside of Qualcomm Stadium for the San Diego Chargers and San Diego State University Aztecs football, but are instead directed toward an individual rather than a team.
“I was so pleased and thankful when I saw the banners,” added Johnson, the lead driver for the Hendrick Motorsports team. “It’s just an awesome feeling to be honored that way.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of Chase students met Johnson and members of his staff at the school celebration. Each classroom took turns taking pictures in front of his Lowe’s Chevrolet SS race car.
Only one thing almost stopped it.
On the way to the running track, Johnson’s race vehicle broke down in the middle of the campus.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a problem for Chase students, who needed to walk pass the car to return to classrooms following the ceremony.
The track was funded by a grant from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, which has funded more than five-dozen projects, mainly educational, totaling more than $2.6 million in the East County.
The foundation also provides funding to Habitat for Humanity in San Diego County.
“It still amazes me that people still remember me, so it’s only right to contribute back to the community,” he added.
Johnson offers similar programs near his other residents in Muskogee, Okla., and Charlotte, N.C.
However, neither location has placed banners on its streets to honor the driver.
“I remember approving the artwork several months ago, so I knew what it looked like,” he noted. “But to actually see the banner with me on is at a whole different level.”
Johnson also contributes to a camp for chronically ill children founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their late son, Adam.
The banners were also placed as part of the city’s Centennial celebration.
