Jimmie Johnson, is 8 titles inevitable?

[Mike24]

^ooohh...that hits an old sore spot.


In regards to Johnson...after seeing what I saw this year, with them not being the strongest, but having the most perseverance, and rallying...anything is possible.

I think he may very well get to 8 titles...but only time will tell. Will they be consecutive? I don't think so, but anything is possible...

 

[dalejrgamer]

Under the old system...no chance. Way too many variables unless he can muster 14 wins in a season.

Under the Chase, it is possible.

 

[evan07]

No
Heres why after the next one NASCAR will crumble from his bordom and lack of emotion. I honestly wouldnt be excitied if he did. To tell the truth I dont even have him on my top 10 drivers to meet list.

 

[RacerRon13]

WOW!!!! I'm amazed. KUDOS!!!! I think this is the FIRST post I've ever read regarding Jimmie Johnson that did NOT accuse NASCAR of "fixing" the races/championships for the #48/Hendrick team.

:notworthy:

 

[TTR_Falcon]

Sunday was the last cup race I'll watch till the chase is gone. As far as it being more competitive in '92 Alan Kulwicki won over Awesome Bill by 10 points in a car he owned there is no way that will happen today. Now some will say what about Stewart but we all now he might as will put Hendrick on the 14 cause thats where the cars and the engines come from. so now how does the chase add to the series????

 

[Alan Harkleroad]

i got no complaints. easily the best racing in a few years.

JJ has earned his due its time you give it to him. Get over the 26 race crap. It doesnt pay to lead the points the first 26. You just have to qualify just like the NCAA tournament and several other playoffs. You could lay back all season just showing enough to stay in it and come in and wipe the floor if you wanted and felt you had that kind of team.

Look at what Gordon, Stewart, Harvick, Busch and Kenseth etc....all got for leading going into the chase. NOTHING. It doesnt pay, so why race like it does. Win the races you can, finish the rest as best as possible make the chase and go for broke.

I cant stand watching JJ win and even i was impressed sunday. it was put up or shut up time and the other two tripped on their feet period. Get the hell over it and lets move on to next year.

Can he win 8 sure, maybe more, their team is easily the strongest in the garage in terms of depth.

The chase is 7 years old, JJ has won 36% of the races that should tell you when winning matters. 19 of his 50 + wins are from the chase. Again when it matters. Why is their still this debate.

You the old fan may get a few things back to the old days in terms of changes in the sport. But points format isnt going to be going back as long as little france is breathing so stop wasting your time.

 

[fatcatracing]

Jimmie and Chad have the chase system figured out. There is nothing wrong with that it's just good business. IMO he is the best driver right now driving for the top team and with the best crew chief.
I have noticed based on what they play on the air (I haven't listened to him on the scanner when I go to races) They are so good at staying calm when things go bad which helps them rally back. Kyle Busch's car get s a tick to tight or loose he is cursing out his crew chief over the radio. You don't see Jimmie flying across the country racing in multiple series all season long. He isn't in a bunch of TV ads or guest appearances on TV. while everyone else is out fooling around these guys are working on their program it is no wonder they have won 5 in row and he will likely win a few more before his days are done.

I don't root for him on Sundays but I don't hate him either more power to em' Until somebody wises up he will continue his winning ways.

 

[Josh Mertz]

I picture a reverse of Schumi:

2006-2010 Champion
.....
2019-2020

 

[jaqua99]

Actually, the average finishing position of the champion have gotten lower since the chase started, only 7 teams won this year, and there were far more drivers that were capable of winning races back then. And you can't tell me it was less competitive back then if the title holder constantly changed.

Oh, and by the way, Dale won 11 (he has 4 IROC Championships too) and Mark Martin has 9: 4 ASA and 5 IROC. (And if you say those series aren't NASCAR, well, let's just say I would say the same about the Chasepionships)

IROC is not nascar sprint cup/winston cup/nextel cup....today, the chase is still apart of the cup series...thats a fact..so i dont understand what you are saying really....btw..r u a mark martin fan? lol just a premonition

 

[K.Chuck]

IMO its much harder to win one today. The 48 team is going to be one of the all time best. I dont root for them but glad to see them be able to step up and defend whats theres. And from what they have shown us why would you think they couldnt do 7, 8 in a row?

 

[nascarfreak88]

IMO, He's only a 2 time champ. Bring the old system back. How can someone be 300 points behind and be the champion? And it's unfair how you can just be most competitive during the last 10 races.

 

[dalejrgamer]

Because the Chase rewards sandbaggers. End of.

 

[celticfang]

i got no complaints. easily the best racing in a few years.

JJ has earned his due its time you give it to him. Get over the 26 race crap. It doesnt pay to lead the points the first 26. You just have to qualify just like the NCAA tournament and several other playoffs.

No, I think he has had an easy ride. Too easy? Maybe. It's like aceing a test in school/college then being given the same test the next year.

Also, The tournament/playoff analogy is flawed. Taking NCAA tourney as an example, you can have a %.750/%.800 win season and lose out to a .500/.600 team. In NASCAR that'd be like being 8th in points then seeing the guy 13th in points get into the chase instead of the guy in 9th.

Personally I refuse to rank JJ as one of the greatest. He lacks something that the others had, emtion. Am I alone in thinking he's robotic and bland? The team? Maybe, but again, they lack something.

 

[nascarfreak88]

Personally I refuse to rank JJ as one of the greatest. He lacks something that the others had, emtion. Am I alone in thinking he's robotic and bland? The team? Maybe, but again, they lack something.

Couldn't agree more man. Not only JJ, but the whole team every week are emotionless robots and nothing ever happens exciting to them.

 

[JSRouge62]

i love it i love it i love it. This is the most competitive era of nascar, there is definitively more competition now. Back then there was less competition. It may have been a bit harder to win a title back then, but there was less competition. Irrelevant, the fact the he has yet to exit race 26 as the points leader is irrelevant. A title is a title man, thats all it is, and hes won 5, petty and dale won 7...

There was less competion but it was harder to win a championship??
All the pro JJ fans are correct when they say the chase is what it is. Everyone raced under the same rules and have the same chance to dominate.
But, pro chase fans, when the driver that wins the championship is not the driver who earned the most points...it's a joke, and why NASCAR is dying.

 

[MattSRD28]

But, pro chase fans, when the driver that wins the championship is not the driver who earned the most points...it's a joke, and why NASCAR is dying.

1) NASCAR is not dying.

2) When was the last time the team with the best regular season record won the championship in ANY major sport?

No other sport has fans that complain like this. It's really amazing. What do you all really want? A Cup Series like this past year's Nationwide/Truck Series where the champion was decided long before the last race, and the championship wasn't ever a question all year? That kind of a senario would kill Nascar. The Chase is the only thing that keeps Nascar viable against NCAA Football/MLB Playoffs & World Series/NFL Football in the Fall months.

Is there anyone who says the SF Giants are somehow an illegitimate champion? They didn't get the most wins overall, but they did get more playoff wins than anyone else. Hence they are the champion. Just because the #48 team has had the best Chase performance for 5 straight years now does not at all deligitimize the Chase, or Johnson's championships. Jimmie is champion again. Like it or not, it is what it is.

Granted the championships from 2004-Present are slightly different than the ones from 2003 on back, but in 50 years, no one's going to give a flying crap about that. In fact, they'll probably wonder what we were smoking thinking a system that crowned a champion before the season was over, and had zero suspense going into the final race of the season most years was the best system possible.

 

[David24]

I agree 1000%

Very well put MattSRD28

 

[dalejrgamer]

Even with the Chase, every casual viewer will still put off NASCAR.

 

[celticfang]

Couldn't agree more man. Not only JJ, but the whole team every week are emotionless robots and nothing ever happens exciting to them.

Glad to know I'm not alone. The greats and 'greats' have had character, IMO JJ has none, yes him/the crew made a few errors this year but reacted in an emotionless way. I'd rather have a champ who makes mistakes and comes back from them with passion and emotion

EDIT: Matt I disagree, a championship's over a whole season, not ten races. Taking your SF Giants analogy that'd be akin to MLB not caring about the regular season and taking last two games of the playoffs to decide a champion.

Up until 2003, did anyone actually complain about the points?

 

[MattSRD28]

Taking your SF Giants analogy that'd be akin to MLB not caring about the regular season and taking last two games of the playoffs to decide a champion.

You mean basically precisely what happens?

A Game 7 of a World Series is one game to decide a champion. No one cares about anything that happened prior except that it led up to that point. The winner of the game is the legitimate year-long World Champion.

No other sport EVER disputes this, but Nascar fans seem to think this kind of senario is somehow illegitimate and think its causing the downfall of their sport. In fact, the exact opposite is taking place. The ones who cry and whine nonstop about how the Chase is a bad idea, champions aren't legit, whatever, are the ones who'd really kill the sport given the chance. No self-respecting sponsor would ever waste their time with a format that crowns its champion before the final race of the season, causing there to be exactly zero suspense in the final race, given its competition.

Todd Bodine is the Truck Series champion without a sponsor. That should tell you something.