The scene playing out for the 2009 season is one all too familiar: Hendrick Motorsports unloads a good car for Jimmie Johnson. Johnson practices well. Johnson qualifies well. Johnson wins the race. Johnson may very well win another championship. Some would say this is just excellence on display.
Others have their own ideas. On more than one occasion, fans have suggested that Jimmie Johnson is on the verge of another championship because NASCAR wants him to.
By nature, I am not a believer in conspiracies. I do not believe that President Kennedy was killed by anyone other than Lee Harvey Oswald. I likewise do not buy any theory concerning 9/11 that doesn’t involve Al Qaeda. Similarly, I’m not inclined to think that Jimmie Johnson is stinking up the show because simply NASCAR is invested in a fourth straight championship for the Hendrick Motorsports star.
I wouldn’t even give the notion another thought, but the debate I’m currently engaged in with a reader is not the first discussion I’ve seen where the opinion has been expressed. Given that, I take occasion to deconstruct it.
First- it would require widespread complicity. The problem with most real conspiracies, like Watergate, is either somebody screws up or somebody squeals. Keeping everybody quiet requires unprecedented discipline. It’s asking everyone whose cooperation is needed to put their own ambitions aside. Imagine if you were the journalist to blow the lid off of this NASCAR scandal. You’d be an instant celebrity, a folk hero among the disaffected fan base.
What’s more- there’s only one real winner for a conspiracy that paves a smooth path for Johnson, and that’s Jimmie Johnson and the HMS organization. What do the other drivers get from it? The officials? The fans? Ultimately, what benefit does NASCAR derive from it? Why would Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch play along? What do they get from it?
Think about it- while Jimmie Johnson is riding roughshod over the field, attendance is in decline, ratings are falling and truly, only the stubbornly deluded would conclude that NASCAR is truly great health. It seems to me that if you truly wanted to "manufacture" a champion to pump life into the NASCAR machinery, the guy to prop up would be NASCAR’s favorite son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. In spite of his struggles, his fans still adore him. If that won’t work for you, why wouldn’t the sentimental story of Mark Martin winning his first championship at age 50? How about Jeff Gordon winning that elusive 5th title that puts the "Rainbow Warrior" within shot of Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty? No less than Brian France has suggested that NASCAR would benefit from a Dale Jr. championship, and that Jimmie Johnson is something less than a compelling figure. Heck, how about Tony Stewart winning a championship in his first year with his new team? Johnson winning a fourth straight championship, while historic, is not particularly dramatic.
I just don’t see it. Now having said, it’s certainly not impossible that NASCAR looks past every transgression committed by Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus. It’s also conceivable that NASCAR wants the record book re-written in the present era in an effort to draw and keep the new fan. It’s an ill-conceived plan, but certainly it is possible.
If that’s true, it will eventually come to light. It always does with a real conspiracy. If it’s all true, I can tell you I would be done as a fan. I come into NASCAR as a fan under the assumption that it is a legitimate sport with a set of rules that govern it to reward the best performers as champions. If it’s anything other than that, then it’s not a sport. It is the "racertainment" that some accuse it of being, and I, for one, believe the governing body should be legally abolished. WWE is one thing. Most people buying tickets for that stuff know it is a show and not to be confused with the kind of wrestling they see in high school and college gymnasiums. Auto racing is different. Except for the hardened cynic, most people buying tickets and sitting down to watch a race expect that the team with the fastest car and the smartest strategy with a dash of good luck for good measure wins it. If that’s NOT what it is, I would be done with it, and I promise you a great deal of noise on the way out.
But let’s consider the alternative. Like the New York Yankees in baseball, Hendrick Motorsports is the best-heeled organization in motorsports. Perhaps Rick Hendrick has been smart enough to lure the right employees and the satisfy the most loyal sponsors. Maybe, just maybe, Chad Knaus is on a par with the best crew chiefs in the business. Yes, he’s committed violations and he’s paid the price for them. By the same token, his car has been under a very watchful microscope over the last few weeks.
Here’s another point to consider. Perhaps Jimmie Johnson really is is that good. Perhaps his team has sat down, plotted a plan for winning championships with the system that’s in place, and they’ve executed it to a "T".
Perhaps it’s that simple. Maybe Jimmie Johnson IS that good.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
You are exactly right. The 48 IS that good. Chad IS that good. Jimmie IS that good. The equipment is the best in the business. 3 cars from this stable are top 4 in points. The only one who are getting cheated are the naysayers who won’t appreciate what is really happening here.
I don’t believe there is any conspiracy but it really wouldn’t take that many people to give any team an edge. It would only take NASCAR, a handful of the guys that do pre/post race inspections, and a handful of HMS employees that work on the 48 car. If the inspectors told the team that they would be turning a blind eye to infractions (bigger engine, trick shocks, car too low, etc.) then they could certainly give that team a huge advantage.
I think you are blowing it WAY out of proportion..do I think something is Off…YES…do I think there is a conspiracy…NO. Do I think the 48 has an edge…YES…do I think they are doing it completely within the rules set down by NASCAR…HMMM..not sure…there is THE fine line I think most fans have a problem with. Don’t put words in the mouths of the fans..or try to make us drink the kool aid…(but in the medias defense with the Chase being so boring..and it’s your jobs on the line to stir things up and keep us fans interested..this has to be tough on all of you) I have never understood the purpose of the Chase..If they wanted to have 10 races to crown a Champion then why go through the first 26? Isn’t it working out backwards for NASCAR..fans watch the 26 races to get in the glorious Chase..but tune out the last 10..hmmm. But..it is NASCAR’s ball and they can take do what they wish..but right now..is it really working? Instead of talking about the racing..we are talking about “black helicopters”..is this what NASCAR has in mind? AND the people who write in and say “the fans who are complaining about the racing and the 48 must not be real fans” those must be the ones who enjoy watching an exciting game of ping pong..or paint drying!
While i’m sick of hendricks domination..i in no way believe the fix is in..if ever there was a fix..nascar would insure toyota won as they are the current big money boys in nascar…GM Dodge and Ford having cut back drastically..so no..i dont fall into the conspiracy theories..just hendricks is a cyborg automaton thats assembled ND-1000 Driveanators intent on causing trackwide destruction and mayhem..no seriously folks..he just cherry picks the best of the best and discards those that dont stack up without remorse or pity and in the end he has a well oiled machine..only problem is..its souless and makes the fans yawn
JJ winning a 4th championship doesn’t do the sport any good unless your a JJ fan. Most people I talk to including myself are completely bored with the whole thing. Something that got my attention at the end of Saturday nights race was when JJ got out in front the last time with about 10 to go (I’m guessing 10, it’s hard to tell wiith my eyes only half open due to the late hour) Chad told him to “drop the hammer” and he did. It looked like the rest of the field put on their brakes. It’s got me going HMMMMM!
Caveat 1: Jimmy Johnson is clearly a very good driver, one of the best. Caveat 2: I don’t believe there is some major conspiracy either.
That said I think the problem many people have in how they view the 48 team involves what we all intuitively know about breaking the rules: when you are actually busted for breaking the rules, rarely was that particular infraction the first or only time you were doing it. Is the first time you got a speeding ticket the first time you decided to push the speedometer over 65MPH? Was the first time you got a parking ticket the first time you let the meter expire? Was someone’s first DUI the first time he got drunk and got behind the wheel? Almost never. What else do we know about breaking the rules? Some people are a lot better/luckier in working the system to get away with those things, for a while anyway.
Knaus was busted in each season the first 2 years 48 won a championship. This year there was the very odd warning from NASCAR regarding how close they were in tolerance. A grand NASCAR conspiracy seems silly. But given Knaus’ track record it is not unreasonable to suspect Johnson’s vast abilities are sometimes augmented with a car that is a little out of bounds.
But hey, maybe the times Knaus got busted were the only times he broke the rules. But in my mind THAT is just as unbelievable as the idea that there is a grand conspiracy.
I don’t think there is a wide spread conspiracy. As you pointed out, it really doesn’t do Nascar in favors to have Johnson win again. Several other stories would be more interesting. I must admit I still am confused by Johnson’s great success. He was never very good in the Busch series. He won one race on fuel mileage and nothing else. It is unusual to see someone struggle at one level, then move up and be great. But it is not unheard of. Look at Tom Brady. He didn’t even start much at Michigan, now he is a superstar. I must admit to not being a fan of his either, but I guess I just like the guys who you see the potential in as they move up. I guess Jeff Gordon must be a great judge of talent though, because he saw something in Jimmie that I sure didn’t see. So maybe if Danica gets the right “cheater” (note, I have that word in quotes) crew cheif then maybe she becomes the next big thing. Who knows stranger things have happened.
Can a race be fixed so that a specific team will win? No! There are way to many variables involved to allow that to happen. Can NASCAR manipulate a race to benefit a specific team? Yes! A debris caution, a pit road speeding penalty that eliminates a competitor, a restrictor plate with a little bigger hole all can be used to give an advantage to a specific team. Has any or all of these things ever happened? In my opinion, yes! Is pushing the outer limits of the rules cheating? No! In fact, if your team is not doing it, they are not trying hard enough. From day #1 in auto racing, the unwritten rule is that you are not cheating unless you get caught. Every single team that puts a car on the track follows that guideline. Some are more worried about being caught than others, but they all push the envelope every race. The same is true in all sports. You look for an advantage over the competition. Is the 48 team the best that NASCAR has to offer today? Yes! Are races boring? Not if you are a true motorsports fan. If you were a baseball fan, would you turn off the TV in the eighth inning of a perfect game? Would a bowling fan walk out of the alley in the ninth frame of a perfect game? The real reason so called fans of racing find it “boring” is because they only watch it on TV. Like Fox News, TV coverage of a race only tells you what the network wants you know. Go to the track and actually watch a race from start to finish and then tell me it’s boring. Note that you must know how to watch a race in person. Just watching cars go around is not watching a race. Standing in line for 2/3rds of the race so you can eat, shop or pee is not watching a race. Pick a car and watch it all race long. You will see some pretty exciting stuff. If that seems like to big of a commitment for you, your following the wrong sport.
It would be hard to have a conspiracy with because a large number of people would have to be involved. My thought is he performs well in a chase setting, maybe with a little extra help from his crew chief. If you look at the championships he has and apply them to the old rules without the chase, he might have one champsionship instead of three. I believe after Charlotte under the old rules, Stewart be a 100+ points ahead. I also believe when you have to take points away from the leader after 26 races so everyone can catch up. it is not much of a championship and unfair to the guy leading who has reaced hard to be number one.
Great discussion here, race fans. Variety of points represented. Even the ones I kind of go “naah” to, I think are still well done.
@Josie. Couple of things I want to say here. I don’t have a dog in making this interesting. What I make off this blog wouldn’t go far. I am merely taking the level of discussion up a notch, because I am a bit taken back at what I see as rampant conspiracy thinking in the NASCAR fan base, compared to other sports. The question is one of whether or not it’s warranted. I lean towards “not”, but I am interested to learn what those with opposing points of view think. I’m not putting words in anyone’s mouths. In fact, I am merely repeating what others have said to me.
Ahhh…well then if we are discussing we should keep things on a real level. Conspiracy..no..as I said before don’t think so….The real facts are alot of fans don’t care for Jimmie..for alot of reasons..i.e. the Knaus cheating factor, the Hendrick factor, the vanilla factor, the Knaus cheating factor, the “he can do it for 10 races” factor, the Knaus cheating factor..well you see my point. AND speaking of the “10 race factor” wouldn’t it be interesting to see if JJ/CK could win the championship with a 36 instead of 10 race Chase?? Then..maybe alot of fans would take them seriously. I truly think this has as much to do with it as anything….It is alittle odd the media and NASCAR has to put so much effort into hyping JJ…oh yeah he has fans..but with a driver going on his 4th championship don’t you think he should have more..feel the love? I mean come on..if it was Junior or Stewart or Kenseth or Gordon..heck maybe even Robbie Gordon…there would be more love!! So I don’t know what to tell you…I don’t think Petty or E Senior had this much trouble with the fans..! Yeah..Big E was a love him/hate him driver…but ALL the fans secretly admired him…something the 48 will probably NEVER have. Something smells in Denmark..and I don’t think it’s just the sardines!
@Josie. LOL on the “sardines” comment. Now IMO, the media goes where the story is. Hard to ignore what JJ has accompished, regardless of the circumstances. Nonetheless, you’re right. People can like whomever they choose, and by way of disclosure, I must admit I feel no real love for Jimmie. No hate, I don’t why I don’t root for him, but I just don’t. I also get sick of how the big name guys are “Jimmie this, Jimmie that” but what can a media person do? He’s winning. Just like Gordon, it won’t last foever, then when happens?
I can’t wait until the JJ winning days are over. But look at history. There’s the next JJ waiting to take over. And when we’re all sick of that one, another one will come along. It’s just easier to take if it’s your guy winning. How are we going to feel when Joey Lagono becomes the next JJ?
As I have said..I don’t think it would be the same if another driver was winning…I just think the JJ/CK duo don’t cut it for alot of fans. Maybe they are not bending the rules..maybe NASCAR is not looking the other way..maybe JJ is just that good…maybe my red hair with blonde roots is natural (been so long I don’t remember!) I just don’t know. I don’t really have any feelings for JJ…but I am tired of the kool aid the press is drinking..tired of watching the same top five race after race…like they are the only cars on the track. AND what’s up with that? Last I checked there are 43 cars out there..with fans and sponsors attached to each and every one of them..but do we see what’s happening…NOT! Maybe it would be nice if the press and tv thought outside the box…ratings are down…maybe if a fan thought they might see their driver (no matter where he is running) on the track..and actually hear an update (again no matter where they are running) MAYBE it might lure them into turning on their tv or going to a race … How many times have you watched your driver and had to wait and look on the computer to see where he finished? And how many times have you had to go to their team website to get an idea of their problems for the race? I know this is about the championship..but it’s also about 42 other teams out there trying to do their best…I think the love should be spread..some honor and respect spread around..to the drivers, sponsors, fans and teams. It would be great if the columnists would branch out and “break a move” and do some reporting on the other teams..it might spur some interest ..get things moving again ????
The bottom line here is Chad Knaus is a cheater, no ands ifs or buts he is a cheater and any sport that has any gumption at all would have kicked his cheating ass out of racing along time ago. So I could care less about anyone especially these brain dead Johnson fans telling us how great Johnson is, what a joke, when you have a cheater like Knaus building your cars, and oh by the way lets not forget that Jimmie Johnson drives these cars so he knows full well what kind of cheating is going on!
interesting that under the old system, Tony would be 117 points ahead of JJ at this point and the big story line would be if JJ could make up the deficit. Of course if the old system were in effect, JJ and Chad would not have had the luxury of experimenting like the do now, only having to keep the leaders in sight till the last ten, then pull out the plug. Or they might have done what they know works instead of experimenting and have a 6-700 point lead by now. And yes, I think they are that good, but the Chase sure gives them the advantage.
The big problem is fact that Na$car trys to make things equal and this has caused it to become unequal. Everyone has the same rules to start with but when you have the most $ you can always stay one step ahead of the competion.
Nobody wants to pick up on my Johnson/Brady comparison? O.K. I will take it a step further. Both are so-so at what they do until they get together with a crew-chief/coach who is looked at as a cheater. How about that angle? I personally like Knaus alot more than Belecheat but that is just me. I would love to see Jeff win a 5th or Tony win a third or Mark finally win one, but it doesn’t look good at the moment. Come on somebody has to have a thought on the simularities between Johnson and Brady. Or am I the only one who sees it?
Note to Johhnyo: 48 fans don’t have to tell anybody how good their team is, they just show them the results. Now the 88 fans, they have got a lot of explaining to do. Whoever your favorite team is, I suggest you get on them for not “cheating” good enough.
Note to Joe W.: I agree with you. The right chemistry is what makes the 48 team work and it’s why Brady is successful with his team.
I can’t beleive what I’m reading here, Conspiracies! there is no conspiracy. It is what it is. What happened to innocent until proven guilty. You have no proof, until such time that you do, all you have is your opinion. We all know what opionions are, everyone has one. If you don’t like the current situation then tune out its that simple. But we know you won’t cause your Nascar Fans, Like it or not. Anything can happen. As far as the cheating thing goes, everyone does it. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?
@Joe W. Totally get what you’re saying. How about Kyle Busch’s career take off after going to JGR? Another NFL example: how about….Drew Breeees…who ‘dat?
I agree…Jimmie Johnson is THAT good. The ridiculous accusations of cheating and special consideration are completely unfounded. His car has passed inspections pre and post race, maybe a warning for riding a thin line, but they’ve passed. I think since he’s not that rough, tattered visual of what fans look for in a driver. He’s not Dale Sr. for sure, but I bet Sr. is impressed. If other drivers really felt there was a conspiracy to move Jimmie into the championship spot for the 4th time that there would be alot more rebellion. The #48 team just works. Another will come along, but for now I am enjoying his career accomplishments. There is still alot of racin’ left in the season.
There is no other way to put it that Nascar closes their eyes to the cheatin lying Knaus. He should have been kicked out of racing years ago. But just like any politican or movie star, the worse things you do the bigger star you become. Everywhere you look on any nascar show they have him giving his opinion or his take on some racing question, I see his lying ass enough on the cup race, that I really don’t want to see him any other place. In fact when he is on I turn it OFF. That is exactly what I am doing with Nascar. No more watching a stupid chase format that is supposed to be so exciting, be so BORING. I hope everyone else tunes out also and Nascar’s rating keep tanking. Johnson would not have but 1 title if it wasn’t for this GREAT CHASE. Anyone ever think of that. I for 1 have had it with Nascar and all their bull****. Guess I will start painting the house and watch it dry on Sunday, WHY? Hell you know who is going to win,why waste your time. Cheater never win? Well in this case they always seem to.
Anyone who thinks cheaters should be booted from NASCAR doesn’t know their NASCAR history. Back in the day, it was ALL ABOUT what you could get away with.
Do I think the #48 team is cheating? Nah. Not ’til someone offers up some proof that they are doing so. Jimmie’s demonstrated again and again that he can drive the wheels off a car and Chad is one of the best CCs ever. Put them on a well-funded team and they’re going to be hard to beat. Simple math.
All anyone needs to remember is who is running things. I believe Linkin said: JJ’s cars pass all the inspections. Who is it that does the inspections? Other team’s drivers, owners, crew chiefs, etc., don’t get to inspect JJ’s cars. Nascar is the one who who makes up their rules, and they do it as it suits them as a situation arises. But rest assured, whoever wins a “Chase” championship will 8 times out of 10 be driving a chevy. That’s where the conspiracy is and that’s where the cheating is.
Ford may as well fold their tent and do something else. Same goes for Dodge. Bill France said way back in the 60’s that he hated Ford, and of course, a France right off the old block has been in control ever since. Toyota can forget it too, no matter how much money they have. The drivers champion is going to be a chevy driver. The Manufacturers Trophy for the most wins in a season is going to chevy 9 out of 10 times. You can bank on that.
Rules changes? I’ve searched the internet for a list of rules changes made by Nascar over the years, and there is none to be found. But just from my watching races and keeping up with it over the years, I think it’s safe to say that 90% of Nascar’s rules changes went chevy’s way up until chevy turned tail and agreed to common bodies for the cars, after being against that along with Ford for years. Chevy only agreed to common bodies after Nascar had given Dodge Ford’s Taurus body, and Ford was running roughshod over chevy with the Taurus. Now, there will be no rules changes because, everybody is equal. And we can all see how equal it is now. Ford has 2 wins, chevy 17 right now. 5 to go.
Once common bodies were DESIGNED and implemented by Nascar, Ford’s hope of winning anything again was over with.
Nascar controls everything, and since they have always favored chevy, don’t put any money on anything other than a chevy. And for those who want to say that chevy has better drivers, such as JJ, just put him in a Ford for a season, along with Chad Knaus as his crewchief, and let him use his same pit crew. Then you’ll know for certain how good of a driver he is. It’s a conspiracy alright, but not just for JJ. It’s Nascar for chevy.
Note to JR, if you didnt have your nose so far up Knaus and Johnsons butt, you could see how they cheat.