The Final Word goes to Jimmie Johnson…again

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November 19, 2013

johnson_13champ_lanier — Photo Credit: Noel Lanier

He is one of the greatest drivers of all time. Jimmie Johnson’s name has long been among such icons as Tony Stewart, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, and Lee Petty. By the time he was done his run of five, he had even surpassed Jeff Gordon and now only Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty have claimed more titles. He is the best driver of his era, he has the best crew chief in Chad Knaus, drives for the best team owned by Rick Hendrick and, with the departure of NAPA, you could argue that Lowe’s is even the best sponsor in NASCAR. Is it any wonder Johnson has six Cup championships to his credit?

There are those who do not like to see one guy win so much. If I am watching greatness, if I am watching what has become an historic championship dynasty, I believe I am fortunate to be a witness to it. No one had before won five straight crowns and only two legends have won more titles over their career. Some may forget that Matt Kenseth, the race and season runner up, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, or even 2012 winner Brad Keselowski are former champs. No one with even a passing interest in the sport could ever say the same about Jimmie Johnson even years from today. Love him or not, Johnson is the Celtics, Yankees, Canadiens, and Eskimos (remember, I am Canadian) of his sport. Chad Knaus is their Red Auerbach, Joe McCarthy, Toe Blake, and Hugh Campbell. By the way, is Six Time a real athlete? If Donovan McNabb, who is ten months younger than Johnson, would like to challenge the driver to wind sprints, be my guest.

Johnson finished ninth on Sunday, while ten of the 13 Chasers finished among the Top 13 on the day. The race marked the likely final run in the Cup career of Juan Pablo Montoya (18th at Homestead) while Mark Martin (882 races) and Ken Schrader (763) seem to be done at this level. Still, something tells me that you can be sure to see them racing something somewhere yet.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr was 22nd on Sunday and named the circuit’s top rookie. His competition, and girlfriend, Danica Patrick was two spots better at Homestead. That did not happen often enough. The boy had 25 Top 20’s in 2013, the girl had 9.

Rating Homestead – 7/10 – Only late in the game was one fully secure in the probability Johnson would lay claim to the crown. Kenseth threatened to win the race to maximize his points day, and it was up to the newly named Six Time to avoid disaster. Denny Hamlin ended a horrid season with a victory, Junior mattered in this race and season, and we learned not to get too close to a burning tire. Now, if I could mute the announcers while maintaining the ambient sound, my television experience could be truly enhanced.

No change in the announce booth for 2014. Same goes for the schedule, though some off season tinkering with the car hopefully might equate into more successful passing. Change is coming on the track, as ten full-time rides will have different hands on the wheel. One ride is gone (#56) to be replaced by two new full-time entries (#41 and #95), with two changing numbers (#29 becomes either #3 or #33, and #39 becomes #4). All this, and we still have about a hundred days before they fire up at Daytona.

Enjoy the winter!

Roush Fenway Reorganizes Crew Chief Lineup; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Mike Kelley to Reunite in Sprint Cup Series

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November 19, 2013

Reutimann battles handling at Homestead-Miami Speedway

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November 19, 2013

Early spin slows Kvapil in season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway

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November 19, 2013

The Near Infallible & Unstoppable Force That Is Jimmie Johnson & Team 48

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SM Staff

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November 18, 2013

In racing, there are three kinds of champions. The first one is obvious; it’s the driver who hoists the Cup at season’s end after they out-perform their adversaries on the track. Then there are the ones that were born champions but hold no such trophies. The ones of impeccable character who only speak when they have something say. They are humble, tenacious, self-motivated and are incapable of comprehending the words, “it can’t be done.” Then we have the racers that are both. Jimmie Johnson is among that elite contingent.

Jimmie Johnson is now a six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion which is a feat accomplished only by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt until now. That team has gone into the final race of the season with a mathematical shot at winning the championship nearly every season since 2004 with the exception of 2011. Over the years, he’s battled and defeated great drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Mark Martin in his pursuit of six championships.

Why Is The No.48 Team So Good?

When you take one of the most talented drivers out there, put him in the best equipment there is and combine that with a genius like Chad Knaus, magical things are going to happen. This is the era of the No.48 and in my eyes; it’s the greatest race team to ever exist in the history of NASCAR. Rick Hendrick doesn’t need to give pep talks to his guys as motivation. Hendrick Motorsports employees know what is expected of them and they always deliver.

Jimmie has the car control, the mental fortitude, the natural talent to wheel the fastest cars in the field to the max of their capabilities and most crucially, he thrives when the pressure is applied. Chad Knaus is an innovator that takes the fastest and most durable cars in the field and somehow, makes them go even faster. You can put their backs against a wall, throw as much adversity as you want their way and they will still find a way to emerge victorious. That is why this group is always at or near the top every single year. They are the complete package. There is no Achilles Heel.

What Does Title No.6 Mean?

When this team won a 5th straight, that was a remarkable accomplishment but there is something about winning a 6th that takes them to whole new level. Jimmie is plus two titles over any other driver in history besides Petty and Earnhardt who hold a coveted 7th. Less than a decade ago, he didn’t even have a single championship to his credit and to think that Jimmie Johnson is just one more stellar year away from matching those two immortals of stock car racing is nearly incomprehensible to me. The No.48 team can certainly be beat, they are human believe it or not but take away the rear gear failure at Homestead in 2012, the wreck they had there in 2005 and we may be looking at an eight-time champion right now.

Impact On NASCAR

For NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson winning yet another championship is a double-edged sword. It’s great because Jimmie is a perfect representative for the sport. He is a family man, a class act, articulate, engages with the fans on social media and never ruffles any feathers. Now here’s why it’s a double-edged sword. Johnson’s dominance has led a lot of fans to greatly dislike him. (That’s the nice way of putting it) In fact, I read countless tweets from people saying that they were not going to watch the season finale just because he was most likely going to win the title.

Some of his detractors have quit watching the sport altogether and then there are others who come up with eccentric theories in an attempt to deny the incontrovertible fact that he is one of best drivers of all-time. Last year, NASCAR’s champion was the highly outspoken and sometimes brash, Brad Keselowski. It’s obvious that someone stirring the pot all the time and giving interviews to SportsCenter while drunk is going to get more eyeballs turned our way compared to a driver such as 6-time (gotta get used to saying that sooner than later) who is never embroiled in any controversies.

What The Future Holds

Chad Knaus issued an ominous warning Sunday night when he said that the No.48 team isn’t even close to their full potential yet. Cue the audible gulp from the racing community. When will this dynasty finally come to an end? At seven? Maybe eight? Heck, could they even reach 10? I see no team, no driver that is capable of taking this team down for good. The thing that will permanently end the reign of Jimmie Johnson will most likely be something you can’t fight back against and that’s time. He’s 37 years old and considering how fit Jimmie is, he could have well over ten more years left in him although I don’t see 42 year old Chad Knaus sticking around that long. Keep in mind that he’s won six titles and sixty-six races in eight years when thinking about how many he’s got left behind the wheel.

One day, Jimmie Johnson will be inducted into the NASCAR HOF and people will watch old videos of him in absolute awe of what he accomplished. He will be labeled a legend and revered by all. Fans will want to be edified about his career and wish they could have been there in person to witness it. He will be idolized, immortalized and no longer criticized. That day is not here yet though.

We are witnessing history right now with Jimmie Johnson. You don’t have to like it but you better respect it.

Homestead Might Not Be That Bad After All

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SM Staff

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November 18, 2013

Homestead Racing — Photo Credit: Getty Images

A change to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule has been on the wish list of many fans for years. However, season after season, no major changes have presented themselves, frustrating much of the fan base. The 2014 schedule is pretty much a carbon copy of 2013.

There is some hope, however. As 2015 nears, so does the next TV contract for the sport. A record $8.2 billion deal with Fox Sports and NBC Sports Group have many excited for the future years of NASCAR.

For those wanting a schedule with a different look, there is excitement as well – at least optimism. As a new page is about to be turned with the TV landscape, opportunities for change in the schedule are coming. While no one knows for sure how big the changes may be; there might not even be any major changes at all despite talk from NASCAR executives that change is likely, and there is certainly some buzz around the idea.

There is no denying that NASCAR has some issues with its schedule. The abundance of intermediate racetracks, the lack of short tracks, and a similar schedule each year is concerning.

For years now, the biggest focus with this topic has been the season finale race weekend, which currently takes place at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Las Vegas, Texas, Phoenix, and even Daytona have been desired possibilities and ideas thrown out by media and fans over the years to take the final race weekend away from Miami. NASCAR, on the other hand, has been fairly quiet about this talk.

For many, Homestead is just another mile and a half track, a cookie-cutter circuit that is not the right home for a championship crowning. However, in the recent years, and as 2015 approaches, there are perhaps more reasons than ever to consider keeping Homestead’s place on the schedule.

First of all, while the track is 1.5 miles in length, it is far different than any other intermediate track. Just looking at it, there are noticeable differences. For one, it is not a tri-oval, but the biggest and likely the most important difference deals with the surface itself.

The corners are banked progressively, with the lower lanes of the track flatter than the higher lanes near the outside wall. Combine that with the aged surface from the heat and sand of Miami, there is a great recipe for racing entertainment.

In the recent years, Homestead has produced some of the best racing. Dirty air appears to not be as much of a factor as drivers can work their way in and out of traffic, making passes in multiple grooves. The tires wear out on the long run while drivers take their vehicles to the high line, inches off the wall, for maximum speed and momentum down the straightaway.

Compared to other tracks of similar distance, Homestead takes the cake of being the best. In an era where fans are asking for more side-by-side racing and passing, Homestead delivers. While other tracks have played host to good races over the years, Homestead is a track that has been standing out recently.

Last weekend is a prime example. As a champion was named in all three of NASCAR’s top series, each race was entertaining, even if the championship battle was not that close.

So, as 2015 rolls around and talk of schedule changes heat up, consider the recent years of Homestead-Miami Speedway. The speedway has really come around. It has been the track to take the most criticism, but it is also the one to deliver.