When NASCAR fined Jimmie Johnson $10,000 for blocking Powerade bottle in victory lane amid '04 sponsor conflict trend

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson has made 83 trips to victory lane in his illustrious Cup career. While Johnson will look back fondly on all his victories, one particular celebration in 2004 put a $10,000 dent in his pocket.

Back when victory lane interviews were a thing, NASCAR officials would place Powerade bottles, a product from Coca-Cola, on top of the race winner's car. This often conflicted with the drivers' sponsors, many of whom were sponsored by Pepsi product Gatorade, a direct rival of Powerade.

The sponsor conflict led many drivers to shove the Powerade bottles off their car roofs as soon as they climbed out of their cars. Many Pepsi-sponsored drivers, including Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Matt Kenseth, were involved in "Bottlegate," preventing their rival brand from getting airtime on TV.

NASCAR cracked down on this move, with then-president Mike Helton ordering drivers not to touch the bottles. He emphasized that Powerade, as part of the series' "Official Family of Sponsors," should take priority over Pepsi.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson decided to circumvent the new ruling after his victory at Pocono. Instead of touching the Powerade bottles, he blocked them with a sign of his primary sponsor, Lowe's. This move cost him $10,000, as NASCAR deemed Johnson's actions "detrimental to stock car racing."

Watch the 7x Cup champion and several other drivers getting involved in "Bottlegate" in 2004:

Amidst the battle for TV airtime between the two beverage giants, Pepsi-sponsored Jeff Gordon cleverly stopped his car on the track after winning the Brickyard 400, avoiding the Powerade bottles altogether.

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Exploring Jimmie Johnson's Cup career before NASCAR domination

Prior to his NASCAR Cup Series debut, Jimmie Johnson didn't set the world alight during his two-year stint in the Busch Series. However, Jeff Gordon backed him to drive the #48 Chevy at Hendrick Motorsports, making his full-time debut in 2002.

The California kid immediately proved his worth in the Cup Series, clinching pole position for the Daytona 500, winning three races in his rookie campaign, and finishing fifth in the driver's standings. Building on his impressive debut, Johnson won another three races in his sophomore season, finishing second to Matt Kenseth in the 2003 championship.

Johnson in the #48 Chevy (Source: Getty)

Despite winning eight races in 2004, Johnson finished as the runner-up again, behind Kurt Busch, who clinched the first-ever Chase format Championship. Johnson followed this with a fifth-place finish in 2005, setting the stage for his dominance.

Jimmie Johnson went on to win five consecutive championships from 2006 to 2010, before adding another title in 2013. His record-equalling seventh championship came in 2016, tying him with NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.