| When Randy Moss bought into Morgan-Dollar Racing | | | | 20 poles coming in (JJ finished 16th and 21st at both |
| and formed his own Craftsman Truck Series team, | | | | Bristol events in 2007, 18th last Mar. 16). For his part, |
| Randy Moss Motorsports, few people took him | | | | by bringing in a driver the caliber of Johnson, Moss |
| seriously. Like Terry Bradshaw, Randy White, Brett | | | | has shown that he means business, and he aims to |
| Favre and Roger Staubach, et al.- Joe Gibbs a lone | | | | remain in the racing business for the long haul. |
| exception - the NASCAR owner thing would be a | | | | Why would Moss want to invest in motorsports in |
| hobby and Moss would make a go of it with limited | | | | the first place? Johnson says advertising is the way |
| or no success. He'd have a sizeable tax write-off | | | | to make money in NASCAR. The cars and trucks are |
| when it didn't work. | | | | "rolling billboards" that attract high visibility and |
| That's been the setting for other celebrity sports | | | | worldwide exposure when a driver and team are |
| figures. Moss vows his will be different. | | | | winning. Promoting a product on a vehicle fender or |
| The setup is in the beginning stages and the | | | | hood costs big bucks - the bigger the driver, the |
| enterprise has yet to pan out, but if is doesn't, it | | | | higher the asking price. Moss's name lends instant |
| won't be for lack of groundwork. Before he ventured | | | | exposure. Now he can list Johnson as one of his |
| into NASCAR, Moss sponsored a dirt track in his | | | | drivers. Fans and companies will take note of what |
| home state of West Virginia. Among his other racing | | | | RMM is doing from now on. |
| interests is his service as Goodwill ambassador for | | | | What does JJ get from this? By keeping his name |
| the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia. | | | | and face in public and in the business world, he can |
| RMM debuted on July 19, when Willie Allen drove the | | | | market his accomplishments and standing to greater |
| No. 81 Chevrolet to a 15 spot at Kentucky. The team | | | | effect. There is a balance to having too much |
| has received little attention beyond that until last | | | | exposure, he says, but the truck series is a special |
| week at Bristol, when two-time Cup series champion | | | | brand in the marketplace. Aside from younger drivers |
| Jimmie Johnson drove the 81 Kobalt Tools Chevy for | | | | like 'Rowdy' Busch and Scott Speed, there are more |
| Moss in the O'Reilly 200. Johnson had never raced in | | | | than a dozen drivers in their 40s and at least four in |
| the Truck series but was fighting Kyle Busch for the | | | | their 50s who have raced on the third-tier circuit |
| lead just before the half-way point in the race, | | | | regularly or to some degree in '08. |
| ultimately crashing on lap 101 and finishing 34th. | | | | Johnson has hired Creative Artists Agency to |
| Moss says Hendrick Motorsports approached him | | | | increase his share of corporate partnerships in the |
| about putting Johnson in a truck. He needed more | | | | global market. Forbes magazine estimates he earned |
| seat time, they said, a strange request for a veteran | | | | $23 million in '07, and the price keeps rising - for both |
| of 242 Cup events, 35 wins, two championships and | | | | Johnson and Moss. |