Jimmie Johnson’s 2004 Pocono win remains one of the memorable races in NASCAR. Johnson led 124 of 200 laps, and it was a dominant win. But, the real drama began in the victory lane, and a small act by Johnson cost him a $10,000 fine.
Powerade was NASCAR’s official sports drink in 2004. This meant every Cup Series winner was greeted in Victory Lane with a prominently placed Powerade bottle sitting on the roof of the winning car.
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Normally, it was just another part of the post-race celebration. But for Jimmie Johnson, it created an awkward conflict. Johnson was a Gatorade athlete, aligning him with PepsiCo. On the other hand, Powerade was owned by Coca-Cola.
Moments after winning at Pocono, Johnson placed a Lowe’s sign in front of the oversized Powerade bottle that had been positioned atop his No. 48 Chevrolet. And this act prevented it from being clearly visible during the televised celebration.
NASCAR didn’t see it as an innocent move. The sanctioning body fined Johnson $10,000. This naturally made it one of the more unusual penalties of the 2004 season.
Rather than punishing on-track conduct or a technical infraction, the fine stemmed entirely from what happened after the checkered flag. Johnson later admitted the entire situation put drivers in an impossible position.
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“It’s weird that the driver in victory lane has to worry about defending and honoring your sponsor because of relationships that exist outside of your control,” Johnson said.
Similarly, four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, another Pepsi endorser, made his position crystal clear.
“I’m going to do everything I can to not let [Powerade] get publicity.”
The controversy only intensified a week later during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After Gordon claimed victory, he completed the traditional brick-kissing celebration before choosing to celebrate with his Hendrick Motorsports crew on the frontstretch instead of immediately heading into Victory Lane. Many observers believed the move was designed to avoid the same Powerade sponsorship conflict that had just cost his teammate $10,000.
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These awkward situations are rooted in one of American sports’ longest-running corporate rivalries: Coca-Cola vs. PepsiCo. NASCAR had sponsorship ties with both companies, often at different levels of the sport. Fans regularly saw races like the Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway alongside the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Interestingly, the iconic summer race at Daytona was sponsored by Pepsi, and known as the Pepsi 400. This partnership started in 1998 and ended in 2007, and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 took over in 2008. So the two brands have often battled each other to gain exposure in the sport. But, NASCAR remained firm on their stance to punish the drivers.
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter spoke in the aftermath of the controversy. He reiterated that drivers were given clear instructions about victory lane protocols. “We’re going to address these situations in an orderly fashion, just as we always have. We expect our drivers to follow this protocol.”
For NASCAR they wanted to protect the brands sponsoring their events. Meanwhile, drivers who won the race, didn’t want to share the spotlight with a brand that is a direct rival of sponsors supporting them.
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But again, it is only in NASCAR that fans can witness the clash of corporate rivals at the crowing moment.
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