Jimmie Johnson learned the hard way that if you want your friends to keep hush-hush, you probably should start by telling them that something’s a secret.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted Tuesday to tell his 12.2 thousand followers about the Sept. 12 opening of his Hendrick Motorsport teammate’s new restaurant — but there was one small problem with that. Johnson didn’t want people to know that South Bound was his restaurant.
The seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion quoted Earnhardt’s tweet Wednesday, revealing that his part in the venture was supposed to be kept under wraps.
Earnhardt understandably responded by quoting the great Homer Simpson.
Although it might seem odd for Johnson to want the restaurant to open its doors before he attached his name to it, it’s fairly common practice when celebrities branch out. If he had publicized that fact ahead of time then people likely would perceive South Bound as an attempt to capitalize on his fame, rather than a legitimate place to get “made-from-scratch Southern California street food,” as the eatery’s website refers to it.
This is the same reason that Danica Patrick doesn’t plaster her name on the wine that her winery sells. It’s also the same reason that actor Keanu Reaves was hesitant even to get involved with Arch Motorcycles.
Thumbnail photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images
