Jimmie Johnson and the luck of the beard

Jimmie Johnson was asked if his new beard was bad luck, given his slow start to the season.
Johnson is coming off his third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, but has not been much of a factor in the first three races of the year.
He isn't about to blame his beard, not yet anyway.
“I’ve heard a variety of opinions from the fans," Johnson said. "Some love it and some hate it. But again, if momma likes it, it’s staying. I disagree on the unlucky thing. We’ve created most of the issues we’ve had. It hasn’t been the beard.”
The Cup drivers are at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile track, this weekend, then off to Bristol and a string of short tracks. Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee is the first of the short tracks.
“Maybe the beard will bring luck to Bristol,” Johnson said with a laugh.