NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson to receive key to City of Charlotte

   
   Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson will be presented with the "Key to the City" during the regularly scheduled Charlotte City Council meeting on Monday, which convenes at 7 p.m.

   Johnson will be recognized by Mayor Dan Clodfelter for his outstanding philanthropic contributions to the Charlotte region and other parts of the country the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

   The Jimmie Johnson Foundation was launched in 2006 by Johnson and his wife, Chandra, and is dedicated to assisting children, families and communities in need throughout the United States. To date, more than $6.7 million has been contributed to various organizations. 

   The foundation currently focuses on funding K-12 public education and in recent years has contributed close to $1 million to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Cabarrus County school systems.

How you can get a 'Ride of a Lifetime' at Charlotte Motor Speedway

   

   Fans can bid to ride along with their favorite driver during their parade lap after driver introductions for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 25, via the “Ride of a Lifetime” auction which benefits the Charlotte Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities .

   Drivers participating in the auction include Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., among others.

   The winning bidders will receive a pit and garage tour, get to attend the drivers' meeting and see driver introductions prior to their lap around the track in the back of a Toyota Tundra.

   To place a bid, go here. The auction closes at noon on Thursday, May 22.

   VIP Experience Auction

   This year Speedway Children’s Charities is also offering more VIP experiences, providing fans with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities during the 10 days of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

   Among the packages up for auction: a Jake Owen meet and greet, a visit to Victory Lane for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race or Coca-Cola 600, a VIP Day with a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and more.

   The auction for NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race packages closes at noon on Thursday, May 15 and the auction for the Coca-Cola 600 packages closes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 22.

   To place a bid, go here.

Carolina Panthers' Luke Kuechly gets NASCAR assignment

 

   Luke Kuechly, linebacker for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, will serve as honorary pace car driver for the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

   Kuechly has been the leading tackler for the last two seasons for the Panthers and was the 2013 Associated Press Defensive Player of the year.

   In his rookie season, Kuechly, the ninth overall draft pick out of Boston College, made an immediate impact by leading the NFL in tackles an earning 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

NASCAR penalizes driver Kasey Kahne's crew chief

   Press release

   Kenny Francis, the crew chief for the No. 5 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with driver Kasey Kahne, has been penalized for rules violations committed during qualifying May 3 at Talladega Superspeedway.

 

   The infraction is a P3 level penalty and violates Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4.3(A)1-c (unapproved added weight and/or weight affixed improperly) of the 2014 rule book.

 

   As a result, Francis has been fined $25,000. The infraction was discovered in post-qualifying inspection.

 

 

Report: NASCAR driver Kyle Busch issued speeding citation

 

   Charlotte TV station WSOC-TV Channel 9 reported Sunday night that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch was issued a speeding ticket for allegedly going 60 mph in a 45 mph zone on April 29 in Denver, N.C., located west of Charlotte.

   According to the police report, the officer who issued the ticket said Busch had "a disrespectful attitude."

   A request for comment from Busch's public relations representative was not immediately returned Sunday night.

   You can read the entire Channel 9 report here.

   In May 2011, Busch was cited for speeding and reckless driving in nearby Iredell County. You can read the story of that incident here.

Marcos Ambrose: 'I was just trying to stand up for myself'

  

 

    Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose took part in a news conference Thursday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway in which N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory issued a proclamation signifying May as "Motorsports Month" in North Carolina. 

   Afterwards, Ambrose was asked about the fight he was involved in after last Saturday night's race at Richmond, Va., with fellow driver Casey Mears.

   “The altercation I had with Casey was quite impromptu.  As I was walking past the No. 13 car, as he’d finished the race, I was actually heading over to have a chat with David Gilliland just to say we’re all good after we got into each other a couple of times. Some words were said and I was confused about why Casey was so annoyed at me, and I think you just see a lot of the passion that the drivers have and the commitment we have to try to win these races and try to run at the front. That passion kind of got out of hand and got out of control pretty quick," Ambrose said.

   "To be honest with you, once he put his hand on me and started pushing me around I was just trying to stand up for myself and my country and my family and my reputation and I threw a punch down on him to get him out of the way and let him know that I didn’t respect him not giving me my private space. As it goes down, if I had my chance to think back about it, a wiser man would have walked away a little bit earlier and not got himself in that situation. I don’t apologize for my actions. I was just standing up for myself and my team and my family and letting people know that you can’t get in my private space like that and expect not to have any consequences.”

   Ambrose was asked if he and Mears have talked.

   "We have. We’ve spoken in-depth more than once. I honestly believe that we’ll enjoy having a beer with each other. I think we have a mutual respect for each other.  I like Casey a lot," he said. "I didn’t have any beef with him after the race, but emotions just got out of hand and we both recognized that if we had our time again it wouldn’t happen again, but now it has, you can’t take back what has happened. I’ve spoken to him and I’m not carrying anything forward. He has to decide what he wants to do moving forward, but if we get ourselves in a pub somewhere I’d buy him a beer no problem.”

   You can read about the penalties NASCAR assessed both Ambrose and Mears here.

Juan Pablo Montoya's NASCAR career isn't over just yet

 

 

   Team Penske announced on Wednesday that driver Juan Pablo Montoya will make two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts for the organization in 2014.

   Montoya will pilot the No. 12 Ford at June 15 race at Michigan International Speedway and he also in the July 27 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

   “Juan is a proven winner in multiple racing disciplines and he is one of the most versatile race car drivers competing today,” said team owner Roger Penske. “Michigan and Indianapolis are two important races for Team Penske. We know Juan has the ability to race for wins in both of those events while still focusing on his full-time program in the Verizon IndyCar Series.”

   A former full-time NASCAR competitor from 2007 through 2013, Montoya earned two wins, 24 top-five finishes and nine poles in his Cup career. He owns career-best finishes of sixth at Michigan and second at IMS. 

 

   “It has been a good start to the season with Team Penske in the Verizon IndyCar Series and it will be fun to get back behind the wheel of the Cup car,” said Montoya. “It’s hard to believe, but Roger Penske has never won the Brickyard 400.

 

"I think that Brad (Keselowski), Joey (Logano) and I will give Roger and Team Penske a great opportunity to check that off the list and we should be strong at Michigan as well.”

 

   To read about what Montoya said about a possible return to NASCAR during this year's Indy Car Series Media Day, go here.