May 31, 2013 3 min read

Jimmie Johnson was simply heartbroken. He saw the damaged neighborhoods, destroyed homes, fallen trees and tons of debris in tornado-ravaged Oklahoma.

It was the stuffed animals that really choked up the five-time Sprint Cup champion.

“There’s a kid involved. Kids lived here and families and people, and it kind of brings a human element in,” Johnson said. “You start jockeying back and forth in your mind at just the amazement of these big items. You can’t imagine them blowing around like they’re scraps, to the human element of a stuffed animal.”

Johnson spent Thursday in Moore, Okla., to help distribute supplies to victims of the May 20 tornado that killed 24 people, including 10 children. He was accompanied by his wife, Chani, a native of Muskogee. The visit was in conjunction with Johnson’s sponsor, Lowe’s, and the Feed the Children initiative.

“I met a child who was in one of those schools and I could still see on his face and in his eyes the fear that he had and he still looked like that today,” Johnson said Friday at Dover International Speedway. “It really hits you deep to meet the people, see the damage and, in some ways, kind of imagine in your mind what they went through.”

Johnson, who leads the Cup standings, filmed a public service announcement for a benefit concert hosted by country star Blake Shelton. He also reached out to Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops about finding other ways to help. Johnson donated his All-Star race winnings – about $1 million – to relief efforts.

Johnson’s foundation each year also donates to school projects in Oklahoma, along with California and Charlotte, N.C., where he currently lives. He expected the foundation to assist in this case, possibly to help build more storm shelters. NASCAR President Mike Helton, team owner Rick Hendrick and Sooners football players joined the Johnsons in passing out supplies and food at a Lowe’s in Moore.

Hamlin wins pole at DOver: Denny Hamlin has another top spot in his comeback from a back injury.

He’ll need to turn poles into checkered flags if he wants to make a serious run at a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Hamlin turned a lap of 157.978 mph Friday to win the pole at Dover International Speedway. He won the pole last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway and has three overall this season. But a four-race absence because of his injury has him needing wins to make the Chase and race for his first career championship.

Hamlin, who finished fourth last week, has never won at Dover. He has only a 19.6 average finish in 14 career races on the mile track.

Hamlin’s fourth-place finish moved him up three spots to 24th in the standings, 53 points out of 20th position, where he’d need to be to be eligible for one of two wild-card berths.

“I feel like we’re hitting our stride,” he said. “We’re running really well at different types of race tracks. Overall, I’m pretty happy. We still need to get those race wins.”