Thankful to Witness Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson and his extended loved ones have a lot to be thankful for this Holiday season. His racing success the last eight years, in particular the last four, is unprecedented. He has accomplished what no other driver ever has in NASCAR’s top series.

Please think of the names referenced that tried but could not achieve what is now attached to Johnson’s name. Petty, Earnhardt, Waltrip, Yarborough, Allison, Gordon and on and on. Jimmie and his team at Hendrick Motorsports have won four consecutive Cup championships.

In this day and age winning a single race means being spot-on perfect. It is beyond impressive to think of the performance that must be laid down to claim the Cup title for four years in a row.

Newer fans of the sport would love to witness those hall of fame all-time greats actually drive in their prime and compete for a race win. The children of all our current fans, when grown will look back on the NASCAR record books and imagine what it was like to see Johnson battle a Tony Stewart or a Denny Hamlin. Those same children will be wearing hats and belong to fan clubs of top drivers we have not yet even heard of in 2009.

Take note of what we are all seeing. Whether you are a fan or not of the forty-eight team appreciate what you are watching. I am thankful that I did witness Jimmie Johnson, Rick Hendrick, Chad Knaus, and the rest of that team pull off the feat of four straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championships.

And on a personal note…

On Thanksgiving Day my sister used to have family and friends who were visiting and sitting down for turkey and stuffing say what they were thankful for. A round-robin type of ceremony would ensue while guests were seated at her large dinner table. The meal sat in front of everyone steaming from the oven it just came out of, almost teasing the eyes looking it over. But while everyone stated individually what he or she was thankful for, it reminds us all of what the day is really all about. Not potatoes and gravy but the simpler things in life like health, family, and friends.

In my own life I am also appreciative of the unique opportunity presented to me this racing season. Moving from race team mechanic to racing writer started as something to do after the NASCAR downsizing and many jobs in my field were eliminated. It has turned into an enjoyable experience. While my grasp on a solid, regular paycheck still eludes me, the search continues and I have been able to hone a new skill that may be my future.

Thanks for reading and commenting when moved to. Like all aspects of racing we could not do what we do without the fans. Thank you for stopping by and please keep coming back.