III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 371 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 7, 2009 Mrs. Hagan (for herself and Mr. Burr) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Congratulating Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports for winning the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

Whereas, on November 22, 2009, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson won the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship after finishing in fifth place in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway; Whereas Jimmie Johnson’s victory represents his fourth straight Sprint Cup Championship, a feat that no driver in the 62-year history of NASCAR’s premier series had previously been able to accomplish; Whereas by capturing 4 Sprint Cup Championships in a row, Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports have now surpassed the standard set by Cale Yarborough, who previously held the record with 3 consecutive NASCAR Championships between 1976 and 1978; Whereas since the Chase for the Sprint Cup format began in 2004, Jimmie Johnson has won 18 of the 60 Chase races that have been run, failing to finish only once; Whereas Jimmie Johnson won the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship by his widest margin yet, holding a 141-point advantage over his Hendrick teammate, Mark Martin; Whereas since its inception in February 2006, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation has been dedicated to helping children, families, and communities in need across the United States, and has awarded grants to schools throughout the State of North Carolina, including— (1)Ashley Park Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina; (2)Collinswood Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina; (3)East Iredell Elementary School in Statesville, North Carolina; (4)J.H. Gunn Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina; (5)Metro School in Charlotte, North Carolina; (6)R.B. McAllister Elementary School in Concord, North Carolina; (7)Smithfield Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina; (8)Third Creek Elementary School in Statesville, North Carolina; and (9)University Meadows Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina; Whereas in 25 years of competition, Hendrick Motorsports has garnered 8 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, 3 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles, and 1 NASCAR Nationwide Series crown (formerly known as the NASCAR Busch Series), making it one of the premier organizations in stock-car racing; Whereas team owner Rick Hendrick is just the second team owner in the modern era of NASCAR to earn more than 180 Cup Series victories; Whereas under the Hendrick banner, records have been set for both victories and consistency, with 4 consecutive Southern 500 victories (Jeff Gordon), 6 consecutive road course wins (Gordon), the youngest driver to reach 50 career Cup Series triumphs (Gordon), the youngest driver to win a race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Ricky Hendrick), the sole driver to win 3 Truck Series championships (Jack Sprague), and the youngest driver to ever win a NASCAR championship (Brian Vickers); Whereas all Hendrick race cars are constructed start-to-finish at their 100-plus acre complex, and more than 550 engines are built or rebuilt on-site in Concord, North Carolina, each year, with the team leasing some of these engines to other NASCAR outfits; Whereas the stock car industry has a rich heritage in North Carolina, and as the home to numerous race teams, suppliers, and world-class race tracks, North Carolina has a competitive advantage in this industry; Whereas as the first race team to implement professional pit crews, Hendrick employs on-site fitness trainers and operates a fully equipped gym to assure that all personnel are in shape and ready for race day; and Whereas more than 500 employees call Hendrick Motorsports home, with day-to-day activities including management of HendrickMotorsports.com and a 15,000 square foot museum and team store, as well as marketing, public relations, sponsor services, licensing, show cars, merchandising, and much more: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)congratulates Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports for winning the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship; (2)recognizes the achievements of the owner, driver, pit crew, and support staff, whose perseverance and dedication to excellence helped propel the race team to win the championship; and (3)respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to— (A)the team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick; (B)the crew chief of the Lowes Race Team, Chad Knaus; and (C)the driver of the Lowes Race Team, Jimmie Johnson.