Those of you who read this column regularly know I am not a Jimmie Johnson apologist. It has nothing to do with Rick Hendrick (I name his other three drivers among my favorites), it has nothing to do with him being a Californian (I am one myself), and it has nothing to with any belief on my part that NASCAR has a fix in for Jimmie (there’s way too many moving parts involved to make that happen). I think it just has to do with my lifelong tendency to root for the underdog (Gordon was the exception to that, but he was an “outsider” so it balanced out).
Call me a bandwagon hopper if you will, but Johnson may be making a convert. I saw in the race Jimmie Johnson ran at Phoenix the attitude and the commitment that makes a champion. Quite simply, he and Chad Knaus planned their work and worked their plan. Points runner-up Mark Martin ran a heck of a race to finish fourth, Denny Hamlin ran third, Kurt Busch sixth, Juan Pablo Montoya eighth, and Jeff Gordon crossed the start/ finish ninth. These drivers ran good races, but the champion was just a little better.
Before proceeding further, a BIG hats off to Jeff Burton. You can’t help but think when you see what Clint Bowyer’s doing, when you see some signs of life from Kevin Harvick, and then you see this finish by Burton, that things are going to be a lot better for the Richard Childress team next year. I’ve never been a real “R.C.”, but admire him for manning up and acknowledging mistakes have been made by the organization and that he’s committed to rectifying them.
Top tens were also scored by two guys who will be teammates next year. Martin Truex Jr. finished nearly as well as he started to finish fifth, and future MWR teammate David Reutimann ended up tenth.
Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and to a lesser extent- Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin- gunned hard to make Johnson earn the win, but the “48” proved too much. You could just tell in the post-race interviews that most drivers playing the bridesmaid gave it all they had, and there was nothing more they could do.
I like the attitude I’m seeing from Denny Hamlin. He’s talking like a guy who wants to end Johnson’s reign next year, and belief is a darn good place to start. I think if he cuts down on those instances where he shoots himself in the foot, and if Joe Gibbs Racing supplies the equipment to finish- Joe Gibbs Racing- with Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano could become the next HMS.
Along with that, I’d tell Hamlin, “Watch what these guys (the “48” team) do.” They don’t get outworked and they don’t beat themselves. I’m convinced there’s no “magic bullet”, just smart people and an almost maniacal commitment to being the best- conjuring up stories of NASCAR pioneer mechanic Red Vogt and his late nights in Raymond Parks’ garage, fueled by coffee, cigarettes and chocolate.
Other than talking about a couple of pile-ups (one of them Dale Jr.-caused), there wasn’t a whole lot else to talk about in terms of highlights. This was a “Team 48” administered butt-whuppin’.
The trophy engraver is firing up his utensil, the fat lady is sound checking (thanks for that one Scott Humm), and barring an upset of biblical proportions, Jimmie Johnson is poised to make NASCAR history.
It’s a notion I’m making peace with and I’m learning to appreciate. Hate him if you will (I choose not to), but make no mistake, the guy’s a champion.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
DW said on Wind Tunnel last night that Jimmie and Chad are simply the best right now and it is up to the other teams to figure out why and match them. That will happen eventually and I agree that it will likely be Denny Hamlin that gives them a run for their money next year. Until then, I’m loving them winning. The 48 team is the definition of “grace under pressure”.
Wow, I can’t believe you have come around on your opinion of Jimmie so much. I totally agree with your thoughts on Denny Hamlin too. I have said for some time that he is the best driver at JGR, that was even when Tony was there. If not for all the mechanical failures and hard luck DNFs he has had, he would be the one on Jimmie’s tail right now. He caught my attention when he finished 3rd in the standings his rookie year and has not missed a chase since then. Denny and Jimmie excel at the same types of tracks and are both masters of the technically demanding flatter ones (Martinsville, Indy and Phoenix). I don’t know that he will ever dominate in the same fashion as Jimmie but I do think he will win multiple championships in due time. Until then, don’t tug on Superman’s cape. The undisputed 4 time heavyweight champ may not be all that flashy but he sure knows how to take care of business when it’s crunch time. There may never have been a better closer in all of sports, let alone racing?!?
Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus are the Pipe pipers in Nascar Cup Series right now. Congradulations to them and the whole 48 team. You cannot deny their magic. It’s like poetry in motion. Like it or hate it, it is something to behold.
Jimmie is definitely driving quite well right now. The whole Hendricks team is for that matter.