Though trials and tribulations have stood before them, “The Closer” and his newest crew chief, Rodney Childers, have turned out to be one of the strongest pairings in the garage this season thus far.
Currently second in the points standings with two wins, the pairing of Kevin Harvick and Childers may have been just what Stewart-Haas Racing needed to get back into Championship contention.
While mechanical failures have barred success at multiple tracks this year, the pairing has shown obvious signs of being in contention for wins week after week, as well as being one of the early favorites for the Sprint Cup championship.
The real question is does the dynamic duo at Stewart-Haas Racing have what it takes to become a powerhouse team like the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports has been in previous years? After six championships together, the pairing of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus has been near about unstoppable.
Only just now marking his first win of the 2014 Sprint Cup season at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600, Johnson seemed to have been lacking the spark the No. 48 team usually shows from day one. While with this win Johnson all but locks up a spot in the 2014 Chase field, is the No. 48 team prepared for another year of multiple wins, or will the lackluster beginning of their season follow their strong run in Charlotte?
Many NASCAR fans turn down the idea of Johnson winning a seventh championship, saying it is bad for the sport to have such domination. Would fans be open to another pair dominating the series, or is simply the idea of an individual team’s domination what turns fans away?
The newest Chase format has yet to be seen in action and could potentially create a ton of excitement in the post-season. The season is a third of the way through, and already the 16-driver Chase field is filling up quick. As the summer heats up, we will begin seeing who is a contender and who is a pretender for the championship, and while everyone will always keep an eye on the No. 48 team, this season may be the year of the fresh pairing of the No. 4 team.
Without a doubt, the pairing of Harvick and Childers seem to be a strong pick to make it to the final round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but will Johnson and Knaus finally pick up where they left off at the end of 2013 and be there as well? Only time will tell.
