First of all, congratulations to the Hendrick Motorsports “48” team of Jimmie Johnson, going where NO NASCAR driver has gone before. It’s taken 60 years for someone to do what Johnson has just accomplished, and it may be 60 more before someone equals it. You can say what you want about the Chase, I am convinced that no matter what the format or the tracks involved, the trio of Jimmie Johnson, Rick Hendrick and Chad Knaus would find a way to make it happen.
Thinking back to this race, it’s not hard to see where Johnson’s stiffest competition will come from next season. In his post-race interview, Denny Hamlin declared he WILL win a title in the next season or two. Never underestimate the power of attitude and determination when it is backed with good people and good resources. With his win at Homestead, Hamlin finishes 2009 with a career high four wins. If you look at it, Joe Gibbs has the making of a super team- with Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. I’ll be watching with great interest to see if Hamlin can translate desire into growth.
Speaking of teams, Richard Childress placed two drivers (Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick) in the top five, and Clint Bowyer was also a major player in the top ten, before settling for 11th. If the team ran one good race as a group, I might call it lucky. If they strung two or three good races together, I might still resist the temptation to be excited for them. This team has been rolling right for several weeks now, and has a nice little window to get geared up for a great 2010.
Kurt Busch has been charging hard at the end of 2009, and one can’t help but think this may provide a good springboard for 2010. Busch takes home a 4th place finish. In spite of some bumps in the road this season, and the departure of Pat Tryson, there’s every reason to believe Busch will hit the ground running next season.
With his 9th place run at Homestead- Miami, Martin Truex Jr. ends his run with Earnhardt- Ganassi. It’s easy to forget that Truex was once a back-to-back Nationwide Series champ earlier this decade, and once looked like he’d be the “next big thing.” He may be making the move to Michael Waltrip Racing at the right time, as David Reutimann’s team and the MWR-affiliated team of Marcos Ambrose make strides forward. I would also be remiss if I didn’t tip a cap to A.J. Allmendinger for his top ten run. When you consider how far he’s come, Allmendinger could be a dark horse in 2010.
The mention of the name Earnhardt makes me think of something else. It is this observer’s opinion that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of a fresh start in 2010. It seems like everything Junior and his team has tried from about Spring onward has been an attempt to things better has essentially been an attempt to put lipstick on a pig. The guy just needs to clear his head and know that 2010 is a brand new ballgame. Let us not forget that this young man started out the decade with 16 wins between 2000 and 2005. If he NEVER had it, I’d say by this point he never will. BUT he has had it, and Earnhardt can get it back.
Talk of Earnhardt reminds me of Jimmie Johnson’s other teammates- Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon. They too made history by giving a team owner a 1-2-3 driver finish for the first time in NASCAR history. Gordon capped off a remarkably consistent season with a 6th place finish in this race, and there’s no reason to think Gordon might not make his own date with history by surpassing legends like Yarborough, Waltrip and Allison on the career wins list next year. If Martin can be good in his first season with his new team, there’s nothing that says he can’t make a run at a title in 2010.
Of course, all these people are still going to have to run through Jimmie Johnson to make it happen. Someday, the field will catch up and the mojo will run out. Nothing on this Earth lasts forever- guys like Petty, Waltrip and if he were still here today, Dale Earnhardt- could tell you that. When will that day come? Who knows. What we do know is that this is a driver and team with incredible staying power, and at this moment, it’s inconceivable that 4-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson won’t be in the mix and a threat to stink up the show in 2010.
