Vote for Johnson as Male Athlete of the Year

CONCORD, N.C. (Dec. 5, 2008) -- Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, needs your vote to be chosen as Male Athlete of the Year. Log onto http://vote.ussa.edu/aoy to cast your vote for Johnson, who earned his third NASCAR Sprint Cup championship this year. Johnson is competing against golf star Tiger Woods, gold medalists Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and Brian Clay; tennis pros Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and football standouts Eli Manning and Tim Tebow among others. The results will be posted on the United States Sports Academy Web site on Dec. 25. Johnson tied Cale Yarborough’s 30-year mark as the only driver with three straight Cup titles. During the season's 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, Johnson averaged a finish of 5.7 and recorded three wins, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s. Overall, during his 2008 championship campaign, Johnson earned seven wins, 17 top-five finishes, 22 top-10s and averaged a finish of 7.2. The Athlete of the Year ballot is the culmination of the Academy's year long Athlete of the Month program, which recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in any sport around the globe. The Academy Athlete of the Month is selected by an international voting committee comprised of members of the media, sports organizations and governing bodies. Visit http://vote.ussa.edu/aoy for more information.