In the world of NASCAR it’s usually pretty hard to keep a secret. Rumors and news fly as fast as a Sprint Cup car at Talladega. There’s even a website dedicated to NASCAR rumors and breaking news. Keeping the lid on any news is pretty tough; yet six time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, who scored his 68th career victory at Dover Sunday was able to keep the lid on a big story for several months. And as it turns out he wasn’t really trying to hide anything.
During an interview taped with Fox that aired during Sunday, Johnson said that he had undergone hernia surgery during the off-season, right after the NASCAR awards banquet last December.
“Got home Sunday and then went in Monday morning following the banquet,” Johnson said later in his winner’s press conference. “Surprised nobody knew about this thing sooner. It wasn’t a secret by any stretch of the imagination.”
Johnson also revealed that he had not one, but three hernias. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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