Thread: Rabid Jimmie Johnson Fans Turn Up In Most Unusual Place

Jimmie Johnson (right) and Brad Keselowski will go head-to-head for the championship at Homestead. Johnson will have some unlikely, loyal fans in his corner.

While waiting to board my flight at Newark Liberty International Airport, bound for Miami to cover the NASCAR championship races this weekend, I was drawn to a family of five.
I, too, have a family of five so that may have been enough to attract my attention. The children were adorable so that was reason enough to stay fixated on them. I am traveling alone so I had time to notice them.
But what really struck me was the dad and one of the sons each had on a No. 48 Lowe's hat perched on their heads.
New Jersey is not known for being a bastion of NASCAR racing enthusiasts, so my curiosity was peaked. Before I could engage the dad in conversation the plane began boarding.
As luck would have it, the family was seated directly behind me on the plane. I inquired if the family was off to the championship races at Homestead-Miami and was shocked with the answer.
“No,” the pretty wife said as she attended to all three of her children simultaneously. “We are on our way to a vacation.”
“You're kidding,” I mused, incredulous that such obviously devoted NASCAR fans were heading toward the venue of the last race of the season, with Jimmie Johnson in contention for his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup title, and this family was going to miss it.
I had to get the story - the whole story - and, being direct like I've always been, asked the dad to write his name and family's names down so I could include them in a story. I gave him a notepad and pen.
Keselowski holds a 20-point lead over Johnson going into the final race of the season. All Keselowski has to do is finish 15th to win his first title.

Half an hour later, the dad handed back to me my official NASCAR Sprint Cup notepad, I had gotten from my time in the media center during second Pocono this year, filled with a ton of information. I am compelled to share it with you.
Scott Nied and his wife Vanessa are the parents of Sydnie (8), Jake (7), and Jaxson - (2). They are from Holmdel, NJ. Scott and his boys are avid NASCAR fans who root for Johnson and the rest of the Hendrick Motorsports stable.
Vanessa admits she is not a fan, yet she asks every Sunday how the No. 48 team did and has a strong plethora of NASCAR information floating around her head.
She has even designed racing-themed undergarments for her business - they do really well much to her surprise and delight.
Nied attends four or five races per year and takes his boys. He has met Johnson personally four times in the last 15 months. Scott beamed about this, something that warmed my heart.
Recently I had heard many fans complain that the drivers were largely inaccessible. Nied doesn't feel that way at all about his favorite driver.
Nied let me know that he is a NASCAR fan who spends a lot of money at the NASCAR.com Superstore. In every picture he has on Facebook, Nied is wearing apparel featuring the No. 48 team colors and logos.
Nied''s son even has the six-foot tall Johnson “Fathead” in his room. Clearly this family loves their NASCAR.
Nied told me that Pocono and Daytona are his “home tracks.” He has, in fact, his 2013 tickets for Daytona for the Thursday through Sunday events. Nied explained he goes to every Pocono race and tries to attend the Dover races as well. He hopes to take his boys to Bristol or Martinsville next year.
Nied NASCAR has high aspirations for his oldest son.
“I am grooming my seven-year-old son to be a crew chief,” he said. “His mom doesn't want him driving.”
Nied told me he watches every race from start to finish and begins his race days with the television coverage on Speed and ESPN. He also loves to Tweet such NASCAR media stars as Kyle Petty, Bob Pockrass, Jeff Gluck... and now, me.
Nied said that while on vacation this week, “We will be watching on Sunday from the pool in St. Kitts with my gear 48 on! We even brought our toy 48 hauler for good luck!”
When I asked Nied about the championship this year he replied, “I am dying right now thinking that the 48 may not win!”
Nied said, “I have been doing a prayer every night this week for the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) to spin, blow a tire or wreck on Sunday. His bad luck is the only way for the No. 48 to make up 20 points.
“I believe this will be the No. 48's most epic victory of his soon-to-be six Cups!”
Nied is so passionate that even the guys at work are the following NASCAR now because I've been giving sporadic NASCAR lectures to a few.”
Curious as to Nied''s thoughts about the situation surrounding Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon he said, “Bowyer deserved it! ‘Mr. Jokester,’ No. 15, has been rubbing the No. 24 all year.”
Of course, Nied and his family are all HMS fans.
“The No. 48 is No. 1 in our house,” he said. “Nos. 5 (two-Kahne), 24 (Jeff Gordon) and 88 (Dale Earnhardt Jr., are all tied for second.”
These are, of course, the opinions of one NASCAR fan. What makes it a story to me is that I found this family of fans in the most unlikely of places - New Jersey.
When I assumed they would be at the races, I was wrong.
I loved Nied''s passion, his willingness to share the sport with his family and friends, his staunch views of the NASCAR world and his willingness to talk about it all with me.
There are no better fans in the world than NASCAR fans - and that certainly includes the ones from New Jersey!