Johnson teams with Blue Bunny for Helmet of Hope campaign

Jimmie Johnson's love of ice cream helped form a special relationship with an Iowa company.

The five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion confessed his love for the cool treat in an article with Sports Illustrated, which attracted the attention of Mike Wells, President and CEO of Blue Bunny Ice Cream in Le Mars.

"He reached out to my office and our relationship started from there," said Johnson, who appears on some of the company's packaging. "They've gotten involved with out foundation and have been a big help there ... It's been a great relationship."

The relationship expanded this season as Blue Bunny Ice Cream has partnered with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation to become the title sponsor of the 2012 Helmet of Hope campaign, donating $10,000 and providing national exposure during a Sprint Cup race for 13 selected charities. The United Way of Siouxland will be one of three charities featured on the Helmet of Hope during the Goody's Fast Relief 500 on Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Since the program was created in 2008, Helmet of Hope has raised more than $300,000 for 49 charities nationwide. Sunday marks the season debut with the program continuing until May 12 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. This season, Blue Bunny is adding a special ice cream party for the selected charities.

As the relationship with Wells, his family and staff at Blue Bunny developed, Johnson said he noticed "a good group of people with genuine hearts" and shared a desire to give back to their community. Oh, and he likes what they sell.

"I'm a huge ice cream fan. They make some wonderful ice cream," Johnson said with a laugh about the relationship with Blue Bunny during a phone interview with The Gazette on Friday morning. "Our mindsets are similar and it's been a non-traditional route in how we met, but it's turned ino an amazing relationship."

The Nature Conservancy, an organization focused on protecting lands and waters across the country, and The Chill Foundation, a Los Angeles based group providing at-risk and under-served youth to develop self-esteem and life skills through snowboarding. Charity is an important endeavor for Johnson, who started his foundation with wfe, Chandra, six years ago, helping rally sponsors and fans around noteworthy causes.

"It's just the right thing to do," Johnson said. "It's been successful beyond our wildest dreams and it's something we feel we need to do. It's a lot of fun, too."

Johnson enters Sunday's race in ninth of the Sprint Cup points championship after five starts. He has two top-five finishes and four in the top 10, trailing leader Greg Biffle by 39 points. The five-time Sprint Cup Series champion, who was sixth a year ago, wrecked on the opening lap at Daytona, a track that has been feast or famine for him in the past. He has rebounded to be competitive since the official opener.

"Crashing Lap 1 was a big letdown, but since then we've had very competitive race cars and feel like a couple of the tracks we had a car that could win," said Johnson, whose highest finish was second in the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 11. "It's always nice to start the season with that kind of momentum."

Johnson's relationship with Blue Bunny is not his first connection to Iowa. Johnson said he previously raced and tested tires at Hawkeye Downs Speedway when he was driving on the ASA circuit for a few seasons about a decade ago. He said he wouldn't mind racing at another Iowa venue, welcoming a chance to compete at Iowa Speedway in Newton.

"I have not been to the track," the 36-year-old race car driver said. "I enjoy watching the races on TV when I see them there and I've heard a lot of great things from the drivers that run on the track."

Just like the ice cream of the Iowa-based company suits his tastes, so does the Central Iowa track. The .875-mile oval is the type of track he enjoys to run a race, but he realizes the tight Sprint Cup schedule would making adding the Newton track tough.

"I think our schedule could use more short tracks," Johnson said. "I think short tracks are really entertaining and create a buzz and excitement for the fans.

"It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all to see it on the schedule."