Why doesn't El Cajon have a "Jimmie Johnson Street"?

Is there something wrong with the El Cajon town council, do they have no pride in a native son?

One that is a household name for his achievements in NASCAR while ranked first (season champion) for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009? You may not know that Jimmie is the only driver that has ever accomplished this, in all of NASCAR history.

One that reinvested in his home town with a Chevrolet dealership, and has been invited to the White House, has a charity foundation that helps the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Make a Wish... and so on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Johnson

Want to do something about it? Monday March 22nd at 7pm the planning commission will be having a meeting... lets crash it. I'm planning on being there... this I gotta see and hear!


Support of Resolution No. 10604 - Jimmie Johnson Avenue

Please pass this along to any and all who could write in a short e-mail to the address below or show up on Monday, March 22 at 7:00 PM.

Please show up to the El Cajon Planning Commission meeting scheduled for:
Monday, March 22, at 7:00 pm, at
Council Chamber
200 Civic Center Way
El Cajon, CA 92020

…and wear your Jimmie stuff to show your support


OR IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND :
If physical letters are not possible
to Anthony Sottile,
Chairman – City of El Cajon Planning Commission,

emails of support for Resolution No. 10604,
(Jimmie Johnson Avenue), can be forwarded to:

Melissa Ayres, Director, Community Development.
(mayres@ci.el-cajon.ca.us).

Include first name, last name, email address, and comments in support of the resolution.

(FYI – http://www.ci.el-cajon.ca.us)
Points to mention:
- Agree with El Cajon City Council’s decision to honor JJ with “ Jimmie Johnson Avenue .” (Approved by Council on January 26, 2010).
- Fitting tribute for ON track accomplishments, (i.e. 4-Time NASCAR Champion, Future Hall of Famer, etc.).
- Most importantly, OFF track accomplishments - a true humanitarian who continues to support his hometown.

Thank You again,
Go Jimmie (Johnson Ave.) Go !!!

Tom McGrath from Alpine opinioned that East County road naming is best left alone and chided Union Tribune readers to keep our noses out of it, and stick with North County issues. Boo and hiss to you Tom. 4th story down http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/13/oceanside-rejects-saving-1-million/

this reader had it right http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/25/jimmie-johnson-way/

Is there a city in the South that doesn't have a street named after a stock car racer? Isn't this country founded with ideals of naming locations after important contributors to civic pride? Washington DC, Washington state, Pennsylnavia state, Boone county, Crockett County, and there almost was a state named Franklin... but that is a real history lesson. We even have states named after European royalty... why? Why not rename a state for a hero? Well, if that is too much, then I guess renaming a street for a NASCAR champion is good enough for me.

Photo from an expert photographer of the great depression era, Dorothea Lange

shot in 1938, titled "Funeral Cortege, end of an era in a small valley town, Califonia"

I've posted another of Dorothea's photos, and a couple from other great well known photographers like Walker Evans, and Ansel Adams when I can find ones that have cars in them. Here's another from Dorothea https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrvu6uoPm0t3J_2iN84nys4mqZqwUTDwKS-IQG3NKI3ycvwovGS7qthH2_SagS3YzaWAAdzyLneuSCIULF3PwtJYc-Zq59525N27FEWh2Zq5dVl5aCRzZ5HAx5sIc1tyxHTuSTDxqHXI/s1600-h/dorothea+lange+from+the+selvedge+yard.jpg

An iconic moment from Bullitt

Via: http://burstsausages.com/

LUCILLE! "C'mon safety pin.. POP!"

Stone woods and Cook Swindler II was at the Grand National Roadster show

For a gallery of it at Sema, with many close ups of the exterior lettering: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/legendary-stone-woods-and-cook-willys.html

Howard Hughes, genius with a bit of an issue... but he really was on his game early on

Natl assoc of WHAT cars? Here's another banana, and another profile comparison of factory to race banana

Notice the differences in the 2 race cars, that Petty's was customized to race against all other "STOCK" road runners yet is obviously a ringer, the wheel wells are better, the c pillar looks smaller, looks like about an inch chop, and the rear tires look set back an couple inches, the truck looks more horizontal too.

For the Jr Johnson "yellow Banana" of fame : http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-junior-johnson-made-1966-ford.html

"I used more STP than the other guys" that is what I call great advertising

Mario Andretti, ain't that cool!

A Westergard customized 32 roadster was found and they tried to sell it on Ebay, reserve not met at $72k

Harry Westergard modified cowl and Auburn dash. Cowl mods are from a 1937 Cadillac LaSalle All work done in lead. License plate was recessed. Has a 1946 ford Flathead. Via: http://autoculture.org/?p=443

Jay Leno talks to Don Prudhomme about the 70 Hemicuda and transporter

Via: http://oleragtop.blogspot.com/ ( Jon finds cool stuff!)
I'm even just as amazed at the toy! Pretty cool!

This video starts with about 20 seconds of commercial, so quick, go get a cold drink to enjoy while you watch!

For a photo gallery of Don's hemicuda and transporter that I took at SEMA: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/don-prudhommes-funny-car-hauler-1967.html

I also recommend you take a look at Tere's post, Don invited her to hop inside the hauler as he showed her how it was restored: http://justacargal.blogspot.com/2009/11/sema-celebrities.html

Tony Nancy ad and racing mask kit I had no idea he sold... wonder what one of those would go for on ebay?

Trivia, how was a quarter mile chosen as the length of a dragstrip?

From Wally Parks:

We took some new (1949 model) cars down, and as part of the the regular Motor Trend road test, we ran these experimental runs. The purpose of the thing was to find out just how far you could race the average car that was available at the time before you had to start getting stopped. We had a runway down there that I think was 4700 feet long. We had probably 20 different cars running, of all types, including some dry lakes cars; and we found that if we extended the acceleration distance more than a quarter mile, some of them couldn't get stopped at the other end. It was on that basis that we (later) established the quarter-mile as the official (NHRA) competition distance.
Hot Rod Magazine Nov. 1978

Blue and orange, the Gulf iconic colors

Via: http://www.atimetoget.com/2009/04/1967-gulf-mirage.html