Congrats to Jimmie Johnson on winning his third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.
What an amazing feat for J.J. and Chad. Its seems almost surreal that Jimmie is the one to tie Cale's amazing record. I have known Jimmie since his ASA days and always wished the best for him. After his crash at Watkins Glen in 2001, I feared that his highlight of climbing out of the destroyed No. 92 with hands raised, would be his 15 minutes of fame...ever to be repeated on Crashes, Spills and Thrills on ESPN2 at 2am. Boy was I wrong.
But who really knew back then that this was the future of Cup racing? Certainly his resume on asphalt up to that point wasn't a sign. He was a good ASA driver, but he was far from Mark Martin, Dick Trickle, or even Johnny Benson. In Busch, he was a 10th place car at best in most races (though he did score a win with Rambo as the crew chief). But those inside the ropes knew Jimmie was a favorite of Chevrolet. The folks in Detroit saw the potential in the El Cajon native from the very start.
I remember my good friend Sue Seaglund, who headed GMSPO motorpsorts, always talking about how JJ was the one. Even as Goodwrench and ACDelco sponsored winning drivers Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday, Sue would always talk about Jimmie. And that feeling about what he could do both inside the car and maybe more importantly at that time, outside the car, was extremely strong.
I have been fortunate to spend some time with Jimmie in my career. There have only been three drivers to ever come over to my home - Kevin Harvick, Ron Hornaday and Jimmie Johnson. For Jimmie, it was after the January Busch Series preview. We had left the event and grabbed dinner. I asked if he wanted to come by and try a new NASCAR sim game called NASCAR 3. He followed me back to the house and he raced that game for a couple of hours. I laughed at how bad he was at IRP. He even joked, "I never could race this track." Of course this all took place when we had nothing better to do (some say I still don't). I also remember during that time that his little brother used to like to sneak attack me like Kato in the Pink Panther, jumping on my back and trying to take me down.
A year ago, my wife and I moved to South Charlotte. It is miles from the daily racing encounters of Lake Norman and Race City USA. This area is more about golf and fashion. It is closer to my wifes work and for me, closer to the airport. We have a favorite italian spot where we like to eat dinner on the South side. It's called Il Posto and it is a very typical Osteria in Italy. We know the owner and it feels like Cheers when we stop in. It is also a favorite of Jimmie and his wife.
One night we had finished up dinner and were leaving, saying our thanks to Augusto, Manny, and at that time Sante, who ran Il Posto. We were with another couple and my friend Dr. Belgrave said, "somebody keeps throwing things at you. I think they want your attention." I turned to look and it was Jimmie Johnson. He said, "What's the deal Rizzuti? Were you just going to walk by and say nothing?" This was two-time champion Jimmie Johnson. I never saw him. He blends into life, like Joe the plumber (bad analogy). We exchanged hello's and went on our way. Since that day, we have shared Preseco with the Johnson's several times and I look forward to toasting him once again this year.
I mention on my bio page that my biggest weakness is that I rarely enjoy the moment. Here I have one of the greatest jobs in the world...one I have wanted and worked for all of my life. Yet, I can only think of a handful of times when I left the track happy and satisfied with what I had said or done. It goes the same with people. Thinking back to those early days with Jimmie put a smile on my face and a warmth in my heart. This blog allows me to relive my experiences that I hope you find fun to read. But for me its an outlet to "enjoy the moments". I consider Jimmie to be a good friend. I wish he wasn't as busy, so we could play golf or eat together more often. But I cherish the time we have had and I couldn't be happier with his success. So I raise a glass to Jimmie Johnson...Three-Time Champ and good friend. Cheers!
PS - On a side note, but still relative to this blog. I reached out last week to my college (UCF) roommate whom I hadn't seen or spoken to in 13 years. It was hard to intially pick up the phone. I felt guilty for not keeping in touch. But I am so glad I did. I can't stress to everyone how important your friends and family are. In this Holiday season, please enjoy the moments. If you have someone from your past that you haven't talked to in a while, pick up the phone and call. Yes its awkward, and maybe they do owe you the call...but just reach out and say hello. Trust me, the happiness it brings will make everything look, feel and taste better.
