This is not looking good. Before the Daytona 500, this column suggested Jimmie Johnson was inevitable. We simply could not see any plausible competition capable of breaking up his run for a fifth championship. The Hendricks operation is the class of Sprint Cup, and Jimmie Johnson surely has a leg up on Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Roush-Fenway, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Richard Childress had much to prove after last year’s results. What other teams could possibly be wild cards in the Championship Chase, Earnhardt-Ganassi or Penske?
That the #48 car did not finish the Daytona 500, 23 laps down in 35th place might have made us temporarily forget our prognosis. Then came Fontana, a convincing win over second place driver, Kevin Harvick. On to Las Vegas, déjà vu all over again, a convincing win over second place driver, Kevin Harvick, though teammate Jeff Gordon looked like the team to beat until a late pit move decision to take only two tires leaving the #24 not strong for the long run.
The bottom line is the #48 team looks poised and powerful. All their resources are in place. In previous years, other drivers have been hot out of the gate only to find Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus pulling things together in August before taking charge in September and dominating the chase.
While a fifth championship would certainly be a historical accomplishment in the history of sports and would vault Johnson easily into the same status as Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. as the greatest drivers in the sport, there are plenty of other teams fans would love to see in the running for the trophy in their name at Homestead in November. For all the effort NASCAR has put into providing a sort of parity in the sport especially since introducing the Car of Tomorrow, not since Richard Petty in his prime has one team dominated the sport so thoroughly, but only Cale Yarborough won three straight championships, and the “King” himself never won back to back championships while Dale Earnhardt perhaps was the most dominant driver during his reign scoring back to back awards twice, 1986-1987 and 1993-1994.
The most noteworthy story behind that of Johnson’s dominance has to be the resurgence of Richard Childress racing with Kevin Harvick having finished second behind Johnson in the last two races. All three Childress cars placed in the top 11.
Chevrolet is absolutely dominating the 2010 season, with the first four cars, and six out of the top ten.
Top 12 Standings:
1- Kevin Harvick, #29, Chevrolet
2- Clint Bowyer, #33, Chevrolet
3- Mark Martin, #5, Chevrolet
4- Matt Kenseth, #17, Ford
5- Jimmie Johnson, #48, Chevrolet
6- Greg Biffle, #16, Ford
7- Jeff Burton, #31, Chevrolet
8- Joey Logano, #20, Toyota
9- David Reutimann, #00, Toyota
10- Carl Edwards, #99, Ford
11- Tony Stewart, #14, Chevrolet
12- Kyle Busch, #18, Toyota
Of note, Ryan Newman’s performance boosted him, an 18th place finish, up to 32nd for Stewart-Haas racing moving toward securing a place in the top 35. One has to wonder what’s going on with the #26 team driven by Boris Said having inherited top 35 owner’s points from the #26 Roush-Fenway effort last year. Their performance has been horrible so far this season falling to 36th dropping four positions in the standings with a 40th finish just above three of the parking lot crew. With Roush-Yates power and Frank Stoddard as crew chief something is very wrong with this operation. Robby Gordon’s single car operation is falling like a rock in the standings based on horrible results so far putting him in 34th place.
We must hope that Earnhardt-Ganassi teammates have different arrangements for the ride home to North Carolina after some sloppy driving by Daytona winner, Jaime McMurray ruined his day with a miserable 34th finish taking teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya out of the race completely.
NASCAR is attempting to put some pressure on the “start and park” practice. NASCAR spokesman, Ramsey Potson, announced the first car to exit a race without wrecking would be inspected. We continue to believe all teams intending to race must register a full pit crew whose credentials would be checked for all practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself, and that teams should have to purchase a minimum number of sets of tires to finish the race.
Of the start and park crew, Dave Blaney, who led three laps last week, did complete the race three laps down after being inspected last week; however, the last three positions were the usual suspects, Joe Nemecek, 65 laps (overheating); Michael McDowell who also ruined Danica Patrick’s day in the Nationwide series, 40 laps (brakes); and Aric Almirola, 23 laps (vibration).
The Sprint Cup series returns to Dixie next weekend and another 1 ½ mile race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway the next to last race before assured starts are based on 2010 owner’s points. Jimmie Johnson has three wins at Atlanta, one spring race, two fall races. The weather should be decent, in the mid-to-upper 50’s next weekend helping Georgia residents recover from a vicious winter.
All teams (aside from #48) are hereby put on notice, step it up and get results. Shake it up and let’s see some new faces in victory lane!
That the #48 car did not finish the Daytona 500, 23 laps down in 35th place might have made us temporarily forget our prognosis. Then came Fontana, a convincing win over second place driver, Kevin Harvick. On to Las Vegas, déjà vu all over again, a convincing win over second place driver, Kevin Harvick, though teammate Jeff Gordon looked like the team to beat until a late pit move decision to take only two tires leaving the #24 not strong for the long run.
The bottom line is the #48 team looks poised and powerful. All their resources are in place. In previous years, other drivers have been hot out of the gate only to find Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus pulling things together in August before taking charge in September and dominating the chase.
While a fifth championship would certainly be a historical accomplishment in the history of sports and would vault Johnson easily into the same status as Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. as the greatest drivers in the sport, there are plenty of other teams fans would love to see in the running for the trophy in their name at Homestead in November. For all the effort NASCAR has put into providing a sort of parity in the sport especially since introducing the Car of Tomorrow, not since Richard Petty in his prime has one team dominated the sport so thoroughly, but only Cale Yarborough won three straight championships, and the “King” himself never won back to back championships while Dale Earnhardt perhaps was the most dominant driver during his reign scoring back to back awards twice, 1986-1987 and 1993-1994.
The most noteworthy story behind that of Johnson’s dominance has to be the resurgence of Richard Childress racing with Kevin Harvick having finished second behind Johnson in the last two races. All three Childress cars placed in the top 11.
Chevrolet is absolutely dominating the 2010 season, with the first four cars, and six out of the top ten.
Top 12 Standings:
1- Kevin Harvick, #29, Chevrolet
2- Clint Bowyer, #33, Chevrolet
3- Mark Martin, #5, Chevrolet
4- Matt Kenseth, #17, Ford
5- Jimmie Johnson, #48, Chevrolet
6- Greg Biffle, #16, Ford
7- Jeff Burton, #31, Chevrolet
8- Joey Logano, #20, Toyota
9- David Reutimann, #00, Toyota
10- Carl Edwards, #99, Ford
11- Tony Stewart, #14, Chevrolet
12- Kyle Busch, #18, Toyota
Of note, Ryan Newman’s performance boosted him, an 18th place finish, up to 32nd for Stewart-Haas racing moving toward securing a place in the top 35. One has to wonder what’s going on with the #26 team driven by Boris Said having inherited top 35 owner’s points from the #26 Roush-Fenway effort last year. Their performance has been horrible so far this season falling to 36th dropping four positions in the standings with a 40th finish just above three of the parking lot crew. With Roush-Yates power and Frank Stoddard as crew chief something is very wrong with this operation. Robby Gordon’s single car operation is falling like a rock in the standings based on horrible results so far putting him in 34th place.
We must hope that Earnhardt-Ganassi teammates have different arrangements for the ride home to North Carolina after some sloppy driving by Daytona winner, Jaime McMurray ruined his day with a miserable 34th finish taking teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya out of the race completely.
NASCAR is attempting to put some pressure on the “start and park” practice. NASCAR spokesman, Ramsey Potson, announced the first car to exit a race without wrecking would be inspected. We continue to believe all teams intending to race must register a full pit crew whose credentials would be checked for all practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself, and that teams should have to purchase a minimum number of sets of tires to finish the race.
Of the start and park crew, Dave Blaney, who led three laps last week, did complete the race three laps down after being inspected last week; however, the last three positions were the usual suspects, Joe Nemecek, 65 laps (overheating); Michael McDowell who also ruined Danica Patrick’s day in the Nationwide series, 40 laps (brakes); and Aric Almirola, 23 laps (vibration).
The Sprint Cup series returns to Dixie next weekend and another 1 ½ mile race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway the next to last race before assured starts are based on 2010 owner’s points. Jimmie Johnson has three wins at Atlanta, one spring race, two fall races. The weather should be decent, in the mid-to-upper 50’s next weekend helping Georgia residents recover from a vicious winter.
All teams (aside from #48) are hereby put on notice, step it up and get results. Shake it up and let’s see some new faces in victory lane!
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