NASCAR

Another day, another athlete honored at the White House ... this time, President Donald Trump held a special ceremony for NASCAR champ Joey Logano.

"It's my pleasure to welcome to 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano and Team Penske to the White House," Trump said on Tuesday.

"Over the course of the 2018 season, the #22 team earned 26 top 10 finishes, led 934 laps, won 3 races and competed against 3 former champions in the playoffs and came out ahead," Trump said.

Trump also shouted out Joey's wife and their son, Hudson -- noting Joey celebrated the championship by placing Hudson in the trophy.

"That was quite a scene," Trump explained.

Logano was stoked to be at the White House -- saying, "It's an honor to be speaking here."

He gifted Trump a track-worn racing helmet from the championship season -- which Trump says he'll put on display in the Oval Office.

Trump says he considers himself a NASCAR fan and says he's been good friends with team owner Roger Penske for years.

Trump referred to the 82-year-old as "one of the truly great people of our world."

At the end of the ceremony, Trump invited the entire NASCAR team to view the Lincoln Bedroom -- and promised to personally give the tour.

10:36 AM PT -- Johnson finished the marathon in 3:09:07 ... JUST missing his 3-hour goal.

Still, an AMAZING performance from a guy running his very first 26.2 mile race.

His average time per mile was 7 minutes and 13 seconds. Incredible!

Congrats!!

Jimmie Johnson doesn't need a car to go fast -- the NASCAR driver is running the Boston Marathon and he's CRUSHING IT SO FAR ... on pace to finish right around the 3-hour mark!!

43-year-old Johnson's been training for months with the goal of breaking the 3-hour mark ... and at the time of this post, he's almost at the halfway point -- on pace for a 3:03 final time based on his splits.

What's even more amazing ... Jimmie's never completed a marathon before!

Oh, and on Saturday, he was RACING CARS -- he competed in the Toyota Owners 400, a 300-mile race at the Richmond Raceway in Virginia.

Jimmie is wearing bib #4848 during the marathon, a tribute to his #48 car.

Johnson says he's always wanted to run the marathon but his NASCAR schedule got in the way -- but this year, NASCAR shifted the schedule, which freed him up to run.

During his training, Johnson suffered injuries to his pelvis, left calf and IT band -- but battled through it ... and he's out there running right now!!

If you want to track Jimmie, click here.

GO JIMMIE GO!!!

Add "Boyfriend of the Year" to Aaron Rodgers' trophy case ... the QB took Danica Patrick to Paris for her birthday -- and she was SWOOOOONNNNIIINGGGG!!!!

"For my birthday he said pack a bag, we are going somewhere......" the ex-NASCAR driver said ... "Amazing."

The Green Bay Packers superstar and Danica have been going strong for over a year now ... and things are DEFINITELY getting serious.

The two have traveled the world together during Aaron's downtime from football ... with both droppin' L-bombs left and right -- and postin' lovey-dovey pics all the time.

But, France for an on-the-whim birthday trip?? Now, we KNOW this really ain't a fling ...

"Happy Birthday to this Beautiful, intelligent, strong, driven, bad ass woman that I get to stand beside in this life," Aaron wrote ... "#lover #friend #travelpartner #smokinhot #finewine"

Aaron's got a few more months to hang with Danica before it's back to the daily grind of Packers training camp.

Which begs the question ... could there be a ring in Danica's future before Aaron chases his second one with the Pack next season????

Stay tuned ...

Aaron Rodgers and Danica Patrick are a happy, loving couple these days ... and they can thank Jim Carrey for that -- so says the ex-NASCAR driver herself.

Danica was delivering a motivational speech in North Dakota on Wednesday ... and afterward, she fielded some questions about her relationship with the Packers star QB.

One of the questions ... what was Aaron Rodgers' first line that got you to (eventually) go on a date with him?

That's when D.P. said the future Hall of Famer went straight to the "Dumb and Dumber" quote well to catch her attention.

"He was at the bar, puttin' out the vibe -- 'Dumb and Dumber,' you know?" Danica says.

"And, I remember he was doing movie lines! And, people that love movie lines, LOVE movie lines. So, I think we had a dialogue in movie lines, and I was like, 'This guy is really funny!'"

Danica says that all went down at the ESPYs back in 2012 ... and it helped lay the foundation for their future relationship, 'cause they kept in touch until they got serious about a year ago.

As for the actual first date ... Danica wasn't spillin' many beans there, but did say, "We were cooped up. We were cooped up. We weren't out in public."

In other words .... touchdown, Rodgers?!?!

Aaron Rodgers dropping L-bombs!!

The Green Bay Packers QB opened up on his relationship with Danica Patrick -- telling Michele Tafoya he already feels comfortable saying he loves her.

"We're just two people who enjoy being around each other and love each other," Rodgers said in the interview for Artful Living.

"We're really into each other ... We're really attracted to each other."

Aaron and Danica went public with their relationship back in January -- and things have gotten pretty serious ever since.

"We really enjoy traveling. She went on the trip to India and Africa [back in the spring], and we had a blast. And we’ve taken some trips domestically that have been fun."

He added, "She’s a good travel partner because she’s so laid-back and low-maintenance. And she’s a hell of a cook, so we love just staying in, too. She eats really healthy. She’s inspired me in that way."

The only real issue in their relationship -- Danica's family cheers for the Chicago Bears.

Aaron joked to Tafoya, "They can’t come to the games if they’re doing that."

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France ain't exactly rolling over in his DWI and Oxycodone possession case ... 'cause he pled not guilty to multiple charges in an NY court.

France -- who's currently on a leave of absence from NASCAR -- was arrested August 5 in Sag Harbor, NY.

Cops say they pulled BF over and suspected he was intoxicated ... so they gave him a field sobriety test -- which they say he bombed.

During the stop, police say they also found Oxycodone pain pills.

To make matters worse, we're told France name-dropped President Trump during the arrest ... in an effort to skate on the charges.

France's attorney appeared on his behalf in Sag Harbor Village Court on Friday ... and pled not guilty to misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance, aggravated DWI, and DWI.

He's facing up to a year in jail for each charge.

Nobody was happier to see Aaron Rodgers' insane comeback Sunday night than Danica Patrick ... 'cause she showered her man with praise after the win -- calling him the greatest of all time!!

The ex-NASCAR driver had a luxury box seat to Rodgers' rollercoaster ride against the Bears ... with cameras showing her nervous during Aaron's injury and shock during his comeback.

When the game was over -- and the injured QB had led his team from down 20-0 to a 24-23 win on one healthy leg -- she took to social media.

The pic was of a Lambeau Field T.V. -- complete with a goat emoji and the words, "Unreal baby."

FYI ... this ain't the first time Danica's celebrated her man's Packers greatness -- remember the custom bottle of champagne she popped after he inked his mega deal?!

Seems like Aaron's not the only one angling for a ring this season ...

By the way ... Randall Cobb -- the dude who caught the game-winning, 75-yard touchdown from Rodgers -- had quite the postgame celebration too ... giving his newborn baby the game ball!!

The baby boy -- Caspian Cyrus Cobb -- is barely a month old ... but little man's already got a piece of Packer history for the rest of his life.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. just got REAL candid about his relationship with his wife -- admitting they were crashing and burning in a big way ... until they started going to couples therapy.

"Every day was like grinding gears,” Earnhardt said about his relationship with Amy Reimann ... "Just a lot of tension and disagreement and misunderstanding."

Dale and Amy started dating back in 2009 -- and got married in 2016 -- but it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows.

"There were great times -- and then there were days when we would both sort of withdraw and get frustrated with each other and not communicate and hold grudges and, 'I'm gonna show you!'”

Dale fought back tears as he opened up on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" -- explaining how things finally turned around when they sought professional help from a woman named Jane.

"Jane was the reason why we were married. Jane is the reason why we're having a family. And, Jane is the reason why every day is way better."

The couple just welcomed their first child -- a baby girl named Isla Rose -- back in May ... and Dale says even though they still get regular checkups with their therapist -- they're a very happy family now.

Question: What would YOU do if your boyfriend just signed a $134 MILLION contract?!?!

Answer: POP BOTTLES LIKE A BOSS, SON!!!!

That's what Danica Patrick did Wednesday night -- after her man, Aaron Rodgers, inked the richest contract in NFL history.

Check out the custom bottle of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades champagne -- engraved with Aaron's name -- surrounded by yellow and green balloons, Green Bay Packers colors.

Danica commented, "Big day."

Yeah, she's right.

But, Danica ain't hurting for cash either ... she reportedly made around $13 MIL of her own in 2017, according to Forbes.

By the way ... these two have been an item for nearly a year -- with Danica rolling out to his games in Green Bay and Rodgers returning the favor at her races. Aaron even came to her defense after she got grilled for her ESPYs performance last month!!

NASCAR star Kasey Kahne says he's stepping away from being a full-time driver -- explaining the grind is taking too much of a toll on his personal life.

"I've thought about this decision for many months, if not longer," the 38-year-old said ... "It's time for me to step away from racing in NASCAR full time."

Kahne says he's "at ease" with his decision because when it comes down to it -- "The highs didn't outweigh the lows and the grueling schedule takes a toll on your quality of life."

"I need to spend more time doing the things I enjoy and love and that's spending time with [my son] Tanner and my sprint car teams."

"I've had a great career in racing and met so many amazing people and fans along the way, some that I'll remain in touch with for life. We still have some work to do this year in the #95 and I look forward to finishing the season with this team."

Who needs CSI when you have the Internet?

The cops who arrested NASCAR honcho Brian France found 5 oxycodone pills on him during the bust and used the website Drugs.com to identity them ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

The Sag Harbor PD says the pills -- yellow in color, labeled T194 -- came right up on the website ... which touts its "pill identifier" feature on the home page.

Don't worry, the cops also submitted the pills to the lab for confirmation.

There's more ... cops say France's blood alcohol level was .19 -- more than twice the legal limit in New York when he was busted at 7:08 PM on Sunday.

During the arrest, France had slurred speech, glassy eyes and was unsteady on his feet.

France was booked for drunk driving and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

If convicted on both counts, he faces up to a year in jail and loss of driving privileges for a year.

Brian France -- CEO and chairman of NASCAR -- says he will be taking an indefinite leave of absence after his DUI and oxycodone arrest.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... France was busted in the Hamptons on Sunday evening. Cops say he was drunk and illegally in possession of prescription oxycodone pills.

France -- widely considered one of the most powerful people in pro sports -- has issued a statement apologizing.

"I apologize to our fans, our industry and my family for the impact of my actions [Sunday] night. Effective immediately, I will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from my position to focus on my personal affairs."

NASCAR says Brian's uncle, Jim France, has "assumed the role of interim chairman and chief executive officer."

Story developing ...

9:54 AM PT -- NASCAR has issued a statement to TMZ Sports saying ... "We are aware of an incident that occurred last night and are in the process of gathering information."

"We take this as a serious matter and will issue a statement after we have all of the facts.”

Brian France -- the CEO and Chairman of NASCAR -- was arrested for DUI on Sunday evening in The Hamptons and cops say he was also in possession of oxycodone .. TMZ Sports has learned.

The 56-year-old -- one of the most powerful people in professional sports -- was initially stopped in Sag Harbor, NY while driving a 2017 Lexus. Cops say he blew through a stop sign at 7:30 PM.

During the stop, we're told officers suspected France was intoxicated and conducted a field sobriety test ... which France bombed.

We're told France's blood alcohol level was more than TWICE the legal limit. Cops say during the stop, they found oxycodone pills during a search of his person.

France was arrested and hauled to a nearby station where he was booked for DUI and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 7th degree. France spent the night in jail and was released Monday morning after his arraignment.

And sources tell us ... during the process, France was name-dropping all of the powerful people he knew and even mentioned his relationship with President Donald Trump.

The France family is racing royalty -- Brian's grandfather Bill France Sr. (aka Big Bill) founded NASCAR back in 1948 and ran the organization. Brian's father took over the role from 1972 to 2000.

Brian has been CEO since 2003.

Sag Harbor is one of the most exclusive communities in the Hamptons -- where stars like Billy Joel have homes.

And, as one local puts it, "It's so stupid to drive drunk in the Hamptons. They have police checkpoints everywhere and police are always looking for drunk drivers."

Story developing ...

Here's racing star Josef Newgarden giving Danica Patrick's racing career the respect it deserves ... praising Danica as a trailblazer, who opened the door up for generations of women racers.

All while standing next to his solar hot girlfriend.

First things first ... we got Newgarden -- the 2017 IndyCar series champ -- and asked what Patrick's legacy to the sport would be, and he couldn't have been more gracious.

"Danica's been great for our sport, I think to me someone who was a leader for not just female race car drivers, but female engineers and female fans of the sport."

Second things second ... Josef did all this praising while standing next to his GF, Ashley Welch, and we gotta say GOOD LORD she's fine.

Doing a nice thing doesn't ALWAYS pay off ... just ask Dale Earnhardt Jr., who says he crashed his Jeep while helping a guy who got stuck in the snow.

We got the NASCAR legend out in NYC and wanted to know if world-class drivers like him ever get into fender benders in the real world.

"I ran into a pine tree with my Jeep in the wintertime," Dale says ... "going through the snow."

And, how the hell did that happen?

"I just pulled a guy out of a ditch and drove him down the road about 2 miles ... and then I hit a tree."

Chase Elliott's day job is driving a race car 200 freakin' MPH ... but he tells TMZ Sports that ain't nothin' compared to his gig this weekend ... judging the Hooters pageant!!

We talked to the NASCAR star days before this weekend's 22nd Annual Hooters International Pageant in Charlotte, NC -- featuring 80 of the hottest Hooters girls from around the world -- which Elliott is judging.

So, how does meticulously grading dozens of hot chicks compare to driving a race car at ridiculously high speeds?

"I feel like it has to top it, for sure. The challenge of judging that many beautiful ladies is pretty difficult."

FYI -- Chase isn't the only athlete getting in on the fun. UFC star Ovince Saint Preux (who we also talked to), NFL player Mario Addison and NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney are also judging.

While you wait for this year's contest ... enjoy some photos from last year's pageant.