Johnson Earns Second Mario Andretti Trophy

Andretti won the Daytona 500 in 1967

Mario Andretti (R) presents trophy to Jimmie Johnson

Legendary racer Mario Andretti awarded two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson his second consecutive Mario Andretti Trophy as the 2007 SPEED Performer of the Year, as part of last night’s second annual SPEED Performance Awards, hosted by Danica Patrick and Tommy Kendall.

Johnson earned six first-place votes from the 15-member panel after winning 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2007, including four in a row during the Chase.

“I've said it before, but Jimmie Johnson's only flaw might be that he makes it look too easy," said racer and SPEED Performer of the Year panelist Tommy Kendall. “While he does have the best team in the business behind him, there is no one better right now at setting himself up for when it counts and then driving the wheels off it when they back the Brinks truck up to winners circle. He is a standout in a series full of standouts."

Two-time defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champ Donny Schatz (two first-place votes) earned runner-up honors after a season that saw the North Dakota native win 19 events, including the four highest-paying on the circuit — the Knoxville Nationals, the Kings Royal, the Williams Grove National Open and the Don Martin Memorial.

“Donny silenced his critics with his second consecutive championship," said SPEED Performer of the Year panelist Dave Despain. “While his ’06 title might have been qualified by the fact that a rival series split the talent pool, this year’s championship represented a comprehensive whipping of all the top stars."

Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen (one first-place vote) finished third in the voting, followed by MotoGP rookie phenom Casey Stoner (one first-place vote), F1’s Lewis Hamilton (three first-place votes) and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti (one first-place vote). Champ Car titlist Sebastien Bourdais also received one first-place vote.

With 100,000 fans casting votes on SPEEDtv.com. Hamilton also earned Racer Magazine Rookie of the Year Honors as part of the fan-voting portion of the SPEED Performance Awards. Other fan-vote winners included:

Biggest Hit – John Force (NHRA)
Oops Award – Jeff Hammond (FOX Sports, SPEED on-air personality)
Temper, Temper – Sam Hornish (IRL)
Biggest Upset – Kimi Raikkonen (F1)
Heart “Brake" – Mark Martin (NASCAR)
Best Rivalry – Lewis Hamilton/Fernando Alonso (F1)
Best Finish – Jamie McMurray (NASCAR)
Tell it Like it Is – David Hobbs (SPEED F1 analyst)

The SPEED Performance Awards will re-air Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. ET.

The Mario Andretti Trophy is a three-foot sculpture by renowned bronze artist Elie Hazak. It features eight cars, including six of the most important in Andretti’s rise to superstardom, as well as an array of artistic symbolism that captures the essence of the trophy’s namesake. The trophy sums up Mario’s entire journey. It encompasses all the significant chapters of his career. It’s all represented – all the eras, major victories and championships.

Earlier this year, SPEED announced that Andretti will be a voting member of the SPEED Performer of the Year panel, beginning with the 2008 award.