September 6, 2010
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Jimmie Johnson began the season in strong fashion, reeling off five wins and causing many to believe that he would win his fifth consecutive Championship. However, he seems to have faded down the stretch and has dropped somewhat in the points, although he still remains in position to make the Chase.
Some critics claimed that his misfortune began when NASCAR switched from the rear wing to the spoiler. The chances of the spoiler being the cause for his recent mediocrity is slim and none. Even if the 48 team didn't have a handle on the spoiler, a championship team of its caliber with Chad Knaus as the crew chief would soon have that problem under control, especially with all of the Hendrick resources at its disposal.
Most likely the problem with Jimmie Johnson is simply the law of averages. A man can't win every race and every championship, particularly when there are 42 other drivers and teams doing everything in their power to beat him.
In previous years, Johnson has seemed to be bulletproof, keeping his nose clean on the track and staying out of trouble. Yet this season, he has found his share of bad luck, bringing home several torn up racecars. He's finished 20th or worse nine times this season, which is a career high for him. He even experienced equipment failure at Daytona when his rear axle broke, which is something unheard of for a Hendrick team.
Despite currently being in the middle of a slump, the fact remains that he will make the Chase and with five wins on the season, Johnson will be back atop the standings due to the bonus points from those wins.
However, there are several other drivers who might take offense at awarding Johnson the Championship this early in the season. Perhaps the driver with the strongest case for knocking Johnson off his pedestal would be Kevin Harvick.
Harvick has been the picture of consistency so far this season. After the first 24 races, he has eleven top-5 and sixteen top-10 finishes this year. Perhaps his most amazing stat is that he is one of three drivers not to have posted a DNF, while Johnson on the other hand has four DNF's. Also, when compared directly to Johnson, Harvick has only finished outside the top-20 twice this year.
Denny Hamlin also has five wins on the season and will be tied for first once the points are reset for the Chase. He was on a hot streak when NASCAR switched to the spoiler, but seems to have quieted a bit recently.
Jeff Gordon would love to add another Championship to his total. After butting heads with his teammate Johnson on the track earlier this year, Gordon is certainly not going to back down from his one time protégé.
It’s a well known fact that Jimmie Johnson excels during the Chase. During all of his previous Championship wins, he seems to peak during the postseason. The majority of the Chase races are Intermediate mile and a half tracks where he always excels. Of his 52 Cup victories, 36 of those wins have come on Intermediate tracks.
This year is perhaps the best chance that NASCAR fans have to see someone besides Jimmie Johnson hoist the Championship trophy at the end of the season.
While the fact remains that Johnson is not currently having the best season of his career, the idea that someone else could beat Johnson during the Chase is almost inconceivable.
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