Johnson nominated for Best Male Athlete ESPY award

BRISTOL, Conn. (June 24, 2010) – Jimmie Johnson is vying for Best Male Athlete and Best Driver at the 2010 ESPYS, which will be held July 14 in Los Angeles. The driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet repeats as a nominee, and this time he's looking for his first Best Male Athlete award and third straight in the Best Driver category. Voting for the 2010 ESPYS starts today, and fans can log onto espn.com/espys through July 10 to make their selection. ESPN2’s half-hour nomination show will be televised at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, and the winners will be announced during The 2010 ESPYS, televised live on ESPN/ESPN HD at 9 p.m. ET on July 14. Johnson, the lone NASCAR nominee for the ESPYS, made NASCAR history last season when he clinched his fourth straight Sprint Cup Series championship. Seventeen races into this season, Johnson already has four wins and ranks second in the driver standings as he seeks his fifth consecutive title. NASCAR has dominated the Best Driver category, picking up 11 of the last 14 awards. Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammates have won five of them: Jeff Gordon in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2007, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2004.