Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Jimmie Johnson gives pal a ride to remember
October 20, 2005
HAMPTON, Ga. - With Jimmie Johnson clutching the wheel, Marcus Giles squeezed himself through the passenger-side window of a tricked-up stock car and the two double-clutched into the sunset on a last-chance power drive.
Remarked the Braves second baseman, "I might have to change after I'm done."
On an afternoon that made Granite Hills High School back in El Cajon, Calif., proud, one old schoolmate showed the other what he does at the office. Wednesday, Johnson took Giles on a 10-lap joy ride at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Not quite competition speed: 175 mph, topping at 180. But it did the trick.
"There is no question about it," Giles said. "This is more intimidating to face than a 100-mph fastball."
Three years ahead of Giles back at Granite Hills in suburban San Diego, Johnson (Class of '93) wasn't on the baseball team, but the pair became friends on weekend "excursions."
The two tried to keep tabs on each other over the years until Giles - who confesses to not following NASCAR but is on a crash course - found his friend moving around the top of his field. Johnson sent a helicopter to fetch him to Richmond for a race after a Braves day game in Washington, D.C., and no longer does Giles believe that NASCAR is "just about driving around as fast as you can."
Which was the genesis to Wednesday's excursion. After Johnson was done with an afternoon of testing, Giles pulled on a fire suit, was fitted with a helmet and the two were off.
SUSPENSION UPHELD: A National Stock Car Racing Commission panel unanimously upheld the two-race suspension and other penalties handed down by NASCAR to Todd Berrier, Kevin Harvick's crew chief. Berrier was banished from Talladega Superspeedway on Oct.1, the day before the Nextel Cup race, after NASCAR inspectors found several technical violations in the trunk area of the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
UNSER AILING: Al Unser remained hospitalized in Albuquerque, N.M., with pancreatitis, and his wife said the four-time Indianapolis 500 champion will stay through next week for gall bladder surgery. Unser, 66, was admitted to Presbyterian Hospital on Tuesday. Doctors found his pancreas was inflamed, most likely because of gallstones.
Source: http://www.sptimes.com/
HAMPTON, Ga. - With Jimmie Johnson clutching the wheel, Marcus Giles squeezed himself through the passenger-side window of a tricked-up stock car and the two double-clutched into the sunset on a last-chance power drive.
Remarked the Braves second baseman, "I might have to change after I'm done."
On an afternoon that made Granite Hills High School back in El Cajon, Calif., proud, one old schoolmate showed the other what he does at the office. Wednesday, Johnson took Giles on a 10-lap joy ride at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Not quite competition speed: 175 mph, topping at 180. But it did the trick.
"There is no question about it," Giles said. "This is more intimidating to face than a 100-mph fastball."
Three years ahead of Giles back at Granite Hills in suburban San Diego, Johnson (Class of '93) wasn't on the baseball team, but the pair became friends on weekend "excursions."
The two tried to keep tabs on each other over the years until Giles - who confesses to not following NASCAR but is on a crash course - found his friend moving around the top of his field. Johnson sent a helicopter to fetch him to Richmond for a race after a Braves day game in Washington, D.C., and no longer does Giles believe that NASCAR is "just about driving around as fast as you can."
Which was the genesis to Wednesday's excursion. After Johnson was done with an afternoon of testing, Giles pulled on a fire suit, was fitted with a helmet and the two were off.
SUSPENSION UPHELD: A National Stock Car Racing Commission panel unanimously upheld the two-race suspension and other penalties handed down by NASCAR to Todd Berrier, Kevin Harvick's crew chief. Berrier was banished from Talladega Superspeedway on Oct.1, the day before the Nextel Cup race, after NASCAR inspectors found several technical violations in the trunk area of the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
UNSER AILING: Al Unser remained hospitalized in Albuquerque, N.M., with pancreatitis, and his wife said the four-time Indianapolis 500 champion will stay through next week for gall bladder surgery. Unser, 66, was admitted to Presbyterian Hospital on Tuesday. Doctors found his pancreas was inflamed, most likely because of gallstones.
Source: http://www.sptimes.com/
