NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson to ride in the 2016 Assault on Mount Mitchell
May 9, 2016
SPARTANBURG, SC – The Freewheelers Cycling Association is excited to announce six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson will be riding in the 2016 Assault on Mount Mitchell, taking place Monday, May 16. Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, has a deep-rooted appreciation for the cycling world, and enjoys participating in century rides and triathlons.
Johnson, who has always placed a high priority on fitness, began competing in triathlons in 2012, fitting training and events into his busy NASCAR schedule. He often approaches an athletic competition in the same manner he would a NASCAR race – utilizing similar strategies to tackle both.
Johnson began his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career in 2001, and by 2006, Johnson earned his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. From there, Johnson won five consecutive titles from 2006-2011, becoming the first NASCAR driver to win more than three titles in a row. Johnson is the only race car driver in history to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, and in 2006, Johnson and his wife Chandra launched the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, which focuses on funding K-12 public education.
The Freewheelers Cycling Association welcomes Johnson to his first Assaults experience. He joins his friend George Hincapie for this year’s ride to the top of Mount Mitchell.
“We are thrilled to have Jimmie Johnson join us for his first Assault on Mount Mitchell,” said Katie Jordan, Director of The Assaults. “His participation speaks to the caliber both of the ride and the athletes involved. Jimmie Johnson and his brand are known nationally, and we are pleased that his participation will further elevate The Assaults as a premier cycling experience.”
Registration is open for The Assault on Mount Mitchell and its sister race, The Assault on Marion, until Sunday, May 15. The ride begins at 6:30 a.m. on May 16, and takes riders from Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium to either Tom Johnson Campground in Marion, N.C., or to the summit of Mount Mitchell.
About The Assaults
A bucket list ride for serious cyclists, The Assaults is one of the most intense, premier cycling experiences in the Southeast, and draws a full field of nearly 1,000 cyclists from across the world each spring to ride from Spartanburg, S.C. to either Marion, N.C. (74.2 miles) or the top of Mount Mitchell (102.7 miles). To learn more, register, sponsor or volunteer, visit www.theassaults.com or email [email protected].
About The Freewheelers Cycling Association
The organization behind The Assaults, The Freewheelers is a Spartanburg, S.C.-based, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit community service organization founded in 1973. The Freewheelers’ mission is to provide education and promotion of bicycle safety and a forum for amateur sports competition and touring. To learn more about The Freewheelers, visit their website at www.freewheelers.info.
