Throwback: Jimmie Johnson Faced NASCAR’s Wrath As Getting Caught Up in Sponsorship Rivalry Cost Him $10,000

Aug 1, 2024 | 9:08 PM EDT

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Did NASCAR overreact by fining Jimmie Johnson $10,000 for a sponsorship rivalry? What's your take?

Who can ever forget the greatness of Jimmie Johnson? The legend who holds the record for winning the 7 Cup series championships is known for not only his driving but also his dramatic personality. His talents and charm have bagged him many sponsorships and one that he was most loyal to was Pepsi, some would say too loyal. While NASCAR’s official partner was Coca-Cola, Johnson has had many tiffs with the sponsor as he fought for Pepsi to get more screen time after winning races.

At the time, Johnson and other Pepsi or Gatorade-sponsored drivers had developed a habit of knocking the PowerAde bottles off their cars on Victory Lane. This led NASCAR president Mike Helton to issue a directive, forbidding such actions. Johnson tried to sidestep this rule by placing a Lowe’s sign in front of the bottle to hide the branding of his rival sponsors.

That’s when NASCAR stepped in and gave him a warning, which soon turned into a fine, for his actions that were “detrimental” to NASCAR. It has been 20 years since then, but the memories of the infamous controversy remain evergreen in the community’s minds.

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Jimmie Johnson: The driver who fought for his sponsors

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Two decades ago, NASCAR was the battleground for a unique sponsorship clash that saw Jimmie Johnson getting fined for an unexpected workaround after winning at Pocono Raceway. Back then, it was visible that Johnson was caught up in a sponsorship tussle. That’s because PowerAde, made by Coca-Cola, was a NASCAR sponsor, but Johnson had a deal with its rival Pepsi.

Reflecting on the incident, Johnson stated, “It ended up being an expensive move on my part. The bottom line is that I’m just trying to defend my options as a driver.” When Johnson decided to cover the PowerAde bottles and branding, NASCAR didn’t appreciate the clever maneuver and fined him for not “following the directive of a NASCAR official” and for actions they deemed “detrimental to stock car racing.” The warning was not well received by Johnson, bringing in the fine.

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Earlier that same year, Jimmie had won the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and he had knocked away several bottles of coke that were placed on his car. Infamously known as ‘Bottlegate’ to today’s generation, Johnson was not the only Pepsi-sponsored driver involved. Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Mark Martin were a few other names who also didn’t allow their rival brand to get airtime.

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What’s your perspective on:

Did NASCAR overreact by fining Jimmie Johnson $10,000 for a sponsorship rivalry? What's your take?

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This news was brought back to light by a fan who has followed NASCAR for over 2 decades, as they reminisce about the changes within the sport during that time. They captioned the post saying, “August 1, 2004: In Pocono victory lane, Jimmie Johnson (a Gatorade athlete) blocked a bottle of Powerade on the roof of his car and was fined $10,000.” The fan uploaded a video with footage of how drivers used to knock Powerade bottles off their cars while celebrating their win.

“It was part of a trend in ’04 where drivers had to casually remove the Powerade placement when it conflicted with their sponsors,” said the fan, as they highlighted this old, short-lived tradition. This news was all the more relevant as this issue was addressed by none other than Jim Hunter, who went on record to talk about Jimmie Johnson’s behavior.

Hunter had explained that Helton had already warned drivers about their conduct in Victory Lane just weeks earlier in New Hampshire. “We’re going to address these situations in an orderly fashion, just as we always have,” Hunter stated.

“We expect our drivers to follow this protocol.” However, it was not only Jimmie Johnson who got caught up in sponsorship issues between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, as Tony Stewart has had his fair share of experiences from back in the day, too.

Tony Stewart once blamed “corporate” NASCAR for putting him “in a bad position”

Back in the day, Tony Stewart was right in the middle of NASCAR’s sponsorship wars, and he wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts. Stewart, a Coca-Cola-sponsored driver, found himself in a tricky spot because NASCAR had a sponsorship deal with Coke, while its sister company, International Speedway Corp., had a deal with Pepsi. This meant that while he was supposed to promote Coca-Cola, he often found himself surrounded by Pepsi branding at the ISC tracks. Stewart didn’t hold back when he spoke about the situation. “I think it’s a bad position corporate NASCAR has put us in,” he said.

“We have sponsors that we’re responsible for and have obligations to, and I don’t think it’s fair for anybody to put anything on top of our race cars after we win the race.” His frustration was clear: the conflicting sponsorship deals were putting drivers like him in a tough spot, trying to balance their commitments while dealing with constant brand clashes.

However, sponsorships are managed differently today as NASCAR has grown to a global audience. Teams no longer need to excessively promote their sponsors during the races, as the world has entered the digital realm. It’s much easier now to promote a sponsor with the availability of social media, so drivers are not bombarded with more work during the post-race on Victory Road.