Jimmie Johnson finishes first off the track as well

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There is a good reason for The Onion to have poked fun at Jimmie Johnson’s 2008 NASCAR dominance. But it isn’t only because of Johnson’s winning ways on the track.

The newly crowned three-time Cup Series champion also earned his sponsors an estimated $510 million of in-broadcast television exposure during the past NASCAR season, according to Joyce Julius & Associates Inc., an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based market research firm.

Johnson, his support crew and his car are plastered with logos for 62 brands that were on television for 59 hours, 28 minutes and 38 seconds during 2008 NASCAR races.

But wait, there’s additional value added. Broadcasters also mentioned Johnson’s sponsors 316 times.

Joyce Julius calculates the value of in-race exposure by determining how much it would cost Lowe’s or another patron to buy an equal amount of commercial time. By the market research firm’s count, Lowe’s got nearly $200 million of ‘exposure value.’

Second place in the commercial derby went to Carl Edwards, whose 76 brands garnered about $496 million in value. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in third with 53 brands that got $416 million worth of exposure, according to Joyce Julius.

Where the cameras go, fans’ eyes follow. Which is why MLS teams sell advertising space on jerseys and the Cubs have planted ads in its fabled ivy.

-- Greg Johnson