Defending NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was the inaugural winner of the SPEED Performer of the Year last year, earning the Mario Andretti Trophy (pictured). Johnson has accepted an invitation to be a member of the SPEED voting panel for the award beginning this year. (SPEED Photo)

Defending NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, last year's inaugural winner of the SPEED Performer of the Year, has agreed to join the voting panel for the annual award beginning this year.

"I appreciate SPEED letting me be a part of the voting," said Johnson, who sits atop the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series standing with six victories heading into Dover. "They have always done a great job of rewarding the best in motor sports. I was honored to win the inaugural SPEED Performer of the Year award last year and look forward to being a part of this year's award process."

Johnson, who edged MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden and F1 title winner Fernando Alonso to win last year's SPEED Performer of the Year, joins a panel that includes SPEED on-air personalities Bob Varsha, Dave Despain, Tommy Kendall, Ralph Sheheen and Dorsey Schroeder, as well as SPEEDtv.com columnists Robin Miller, Tom Jensen and others.

"We're extremely pleased to have Jimmie's support in growing the awareness of the SPEED Performer of the Year and the SPEED Performance Awards," said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. "SPEED would like to see this annual honor and the Mario Andretti Trophy grow in meaning and relevance every season in the eyes of the racers and the fans … and this is a step in that direction."

SPEED will offer all future winners of the SPEED Performer of the Year the opportunity to join the voting panel.

The 2007 SPEED Performer of the Year will be voted on beginning in November and announced as part of the annual SPEED Performance Awards in February, with the winner earning the famed Mario Andretti Trophy, a three-foot bronze sculpture created by artist Elie Hazak.

SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 77 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services.