July 11, 2011
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Perhaps one of the most surprising statistics of the season so far is that in the first seventeen races, there were thirteen different race winners. That fact has caused many to wonder why there hasn't been a dominate driver.
The only multiple race winners were Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch with two wins apiece and Kevin Harvick with three. The five-time defending NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson, had only one win in the first seventeen races this season and that came at the expense of Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Talladega, who chose to push his teammate to victory because of the new style of tandem draft on restrictor plate tracks.
So far this season, Jimmie Johnson hasn't exactly been dominating but he is still in the top-10 in points and given his consistent track record will most likely qualify for The Chase.
At a recent press conference at Kentucky Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was asked why he believed there was no dominant driver.
“I think because the COT is such a game-changer, man. It has really leveled the playing field. Everybody kind of has the same thing," Earnhardt said. "It is really difficult with the limitations on how we can hang the bodies on the car and all the kinds of things we used to be able to do with the old car that would set teams apart from each other.”
And Jeff Gordon believes that there has not been a dominate driver this season.
"You assume there is a dominant driver when someone is dominant. The No. 48 and No. 11 last year were very dominant. Right now, there is no stand-out, dominant driver. But, that’s not to say it won’t still happen or come," Gordon said at a recent press conference at Kentucky Motor Speedway. "Certainly when it relates to the No. 48, and I would probably throw the No. 11 in there was well, you can never count them out."
Perhaps Gordon, Earnhardt and the others who believe that one driver hasn't been dominating this season are living with their head in the sand.
Kevin Harvick has three race wins and after the July 2 Daytona race captured the points lead from Carl Edwards. How much more domination can someone ask for?
Regardless of who dominates the early part of the season one thing will remain the same. When The Chase starts, the points will be reset and Jimmie Johnson will be at his best. He's proven that over the past five seasons.
It would appear that Jeff Gordon is not willing to bet against his teammate.
"When it’s time for the Chase, whether it be leading into the Chase, who gets momentum. Or, when the Chase starts, who really takes off and that is the beauty of the Chase. We usually have seen at this point, somebody show more dominance than what we’ve seen this year," Gordon said. "I still, and again, you cannot count the No. 48 out and you can’t count the No. 11 out, but there are definitely some guys out there."
While there are a few guys out there who could threaten Johnson's current Championship run, there aren't that many. The most likely are Kevin Harvick and perhaps Gordon himself. The most popular choice would be Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yet regardless, once The Chase starts everyone else in the field is going to be "chasing" Jimmie Johnson. They call him Superman for a reason.
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