| 4+8 = Johnson |
| Story by J.R. Andres |
| Photography by J.R. Andres |
It all began with 480 reserved seats set aside in Turn 7 for Infineon Raceway’s Jimmy Johnson “48 Special” but their math was off, way off, because before the end of the second week in April it became apparent that an additional 520 seats were needed to meet the overwhelming demand for Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR tickets with an unheard of price of $48.48 per. Incredible as it may seem, the package also included an invitation-only Q & A session on April 16, 2009, with the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson.
Before an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 500 loyal followers, Johnson, flanked by Infineon's President and General Manager, Steve Page, and Vice President of Media and Community Relations, John Cardinale, patiently fielded questions ranging from why he’s grown a beard to how he intends to win this year’s race.
Until fairly recently, racing fans have had few opportunities to engage their heroes without a fence standing between them, having to rely upon television or an occasional chance sighting at the track to meet their need to identify with and to express their admiration for individuals such as Johnson. The reasons behind this are many but it’s important to keep in mind that from the standpoint of the people who pay to walk through the turnstiles, there’s more to the racing experience than hotdogs, beer and sunb
urns. There’s the feeling and the need to be a part of something that adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
Ticket programs such as the “48 Special” make sound financial sense for the track but more importantly they make sense to the fans who have longed for the opportunity to express, first hand, their adoration to those who occupy a very special place in their lives.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the 2009 Toyota/Save Mart 350, please call 1-800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com (http://www.infineonraceway.com).
Brass in the Grass
