BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Some bad news for the Cup series competition was announced on Friday: Jimmie Johnson isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
He'll remain in the No. 48 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports for at least three more years, having signed through 2020. Lowe's will also remain on the 48 car through 2018, and Chad Knaus is returning in 2018.
So why is Jimmie sticking around when some of his contemporaries, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards, are calling it quits?
"I truly enjoy competing and love being on the track, " Johnson said Friday at Michigan International Speedway. " A three-year extension makes me smile and I can't wait to get out on the track"
Regarding retirement talk, Johnson isn't saying that 2020 will be his final year.
"I've said it before and continue to say that when the fire does go out I will step down. I don't have any framework now on a timeline," he explained. "I'm as hungry as I've every been. We'll see how these three years go."
Ryan Blaney passed former champion Kyle Busch with nine laps to go and held off former champion Kevin Harvick to capture his first Cup Series race Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway, behind the wheel of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion.
Blaney and his Wood Brothers Racing teammates, celebrating their 99thcareer win, overcame a loose wheel after their first pit stop and a lack of two-way radio communications throughout the day to get the Woods’ historic No. 21 into Victory Lane for the first time since the 2011 Daytona 500. The second-year driver and the 18thto win for Wood Brothers Racing talked about dueling with Busch and Harvick in the final 10 laps of the Axalta Presents the Pocono 400.
“Kyle stayed out and he was on a little bit older tires and it looked like he was getting pretty tight, especially off of one and that’s where new tires really seemed to come alive because you could hold the line and get runs on him, downshift and get next to him,” Blaney said after climbing out of his classic red-and-white racer. “I had a big run on him off of three and he did a good job blocking, and we were able to get under him, but then I had to hold the 4 off. He was super-fast. I can’t thank Kevin enough for racing me clean. That was really cool of him, but it was definitely hectic. Hopefully the fans liked it. It was really cool.”
It’s been a rough year for Samsung in the smartphone world. Sure, they’re still one of the biggest names in the business and sell plenty of product around the world, but controversy over their Galaxy Note 7 phones catching on fire due to poorly made batteries has had them on the world’s radar for the wrong reasons.
In a business as competitive as smartphones, that’s something you need to squash quickly and move on, or you’ll be left behind. Samsung made changes and worked to solve the issues and regain the public’s trust in their phones, and are now fully focused on their next offerings -- primarily the Galaxy S8 and its big brother the Galaxy S8 Plus (which, to clarify, are successors to the S7 line of phones, not the aforementioned Note 7).
I recently spent some time with an S8 Plus from AT&T, and I’m back what a report on how it’s been improved and who should consider upgrading.
Genesis, Hyundai’s new upscale wing, is a fresh face in the world of high-end rides, but it came in with a bang. The 2017 lineup of the G80 and G90 are top-notch examples of quality luxury vehicles, exceeding what many expected from Hyundai.
For a full take on the Genesis G90, check out my review here (http://bit.ly/2iRolcn). In this review, I’m focusing strictly on the technology portion of the G90, and what it has to offer compared to its luxury rivals. Once you get beyond looks and comfort and overall ride quality, technology can be the decider for many when choosing a luxury ride, so it’s of ever-growing importance.
Growing up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Featured
You could argue that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and I grew up together, in a roundabout way.
When fate took that left turn at just the right moment and I got hooked on NASCAR a little over 20 years ago, Dale Jr. was just a kid with blonde hair trying to prove to the fans that he deserved the rides his daddy had given him.
When I attended my first ever live NASCAR event at Michigan Speedway in August of 1997, it happened to be Dale Jr’s fifth career race In the Busch series.
He started 18th, and finished 7th (his best finish in a year where he qualified for 8 races but DNQed in two others – yes, this was back when people DNQed and there weren’t short fields)
With him being roughly the same age as me, I was naturally drawn to Jr. as he made his way up the ranks of NASCAR. The stories of his fun younger days – parties at his house and nightclub, and his rumored affinity for the Budweiser girls – fit well with my narrative as a young man. He seemed like a guy you would want to have a beer with, and that’s not always the case with celebrities/athletes, especially those with a famous name.
AutoTechReviews is your home for In-depth reviews of the latest cars, trucks, and SUVs; information on all the emerging vehicle technology; and breaking news from the world of NASCAR and other motorsports.