Jimmie Johnson

Jeremy Dunn asked:


Fans, get used to it. Jimmie Johnson is expected to complete the four-peat, four consecutive championships. At least that is what the odds-makers are saying. Is it really a surprise that a driver who has won twenty-two races in the last three years is expected to win the championship? When does it stop, right?

Eventually, his championship run has to end. Realistically, we all know that, including the odds makers. However, with that said, the odds makers must formulate their odds based on probability, and all they have to go by is what has taken place. Jimmie Johnson has dominated the Sprint Cup Series over the past three years, so naturally, he is the favorite to capture the championship, and a smart bettor would shy away from betting against the three-time defending champion.

Initially, Jimmie Johnson has 4-1 odds to win the 2009 Sprint Cup championship. Nine-time race winner . In 2008, Carl Edwards, has 9-2 odds to win his first Sprint Cup title. Edwards will likely emerge as the trendy pick when the early preview guides are released in January.

Kyle Busch, who tallied eight total victories in 2008, has 5-1 odds to win his first Sprint Cup championship. Busch dominated the first 26 races of the 2008 season, only to crumple in the final ten. Nevertheless, if Busch is as stout as he was for most of 2008, do not anticipate another late-season collapse.

Greg Biffle was the surprise championship contender in 2008; however, he will no longer sneak up on anyone in 2009. Experts predict another solid season for Biffle, who is listed as 10-1 odds to win his first championship. Biffle has emerged as a veteran leader in Sprint Cup, and is getting better with age.

NASCAR’s. Favorite son, Dale Earnhardt Jr, is listed at 12-1 odds. Earnhardt Jr’s odds have plunged since last year, following a perceived disappointing season. However, Earnhardt, Jr. was solid for most of the season. Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin are listed as 13-1 odds. Gordon and Hamlin produced one victory between them, and it was not Gordon that enjoyed the victory lane celebration.

Mark Martin, now a member of the Hendrick Motorsports cronies, is listed as 18-1 odds, along with his former protégé Matt Kenseth, who is the 2003 champion. Kenseth failed to win a race in 2008, his first winless season since 2001, which was also the last time he finished outside the top ten in the championship standings.

Richard Childress Racing teammates Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick are listed as 20-1 odds and 22-1 odds respectively. Burton is still searching for championship number uno, as is Harvick; however, Harvick would be happy just to rekindle his once close relationship with victory lane.

Listed at 30-1 odds are Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, and David Ragan. Stewart is in the midst of a new endeavor, as he will run his own Chevrolet operation. Obviously, his championship odds are significantly lower than they were while he was with Joe Gibbs Racing. Bowyer will begin the 2009 season with a brand new team, still in the Richard Childress Racing organization.Kurt Busch hopes to rebound from perhaps the worst season of his career. Ragan is the up and comer of the group.

Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray are listed as 40-1 odds. Kahne won twice in 2008, but stammered in the latter half of the season. McMurray was only getting started as the season ended. Rookie Joey Logano is also listed at 40-1 odds. However, this is a bit of an overrate. Logano struggled mightily in 2008 in his handful of starts. You mean to tell me that he has a better shot at the championship than Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr, or even Juan Pablo Montoya?

Obviously, the odds are subject to change as the 2009 season approaches, but this is just a taste of what to expect in the looming season.



DALE

Kentucky Jeff asked:


In your opinion where is JJ among NASCAR’s all time greats??

Consider…
* He has NEVER finished worse than 5th in points - ever
* He already ranks 15th in all time wins and probably has 10 good yrs left
* He is already tied (w/ 4 other drivers) for 3rd with 3 NASCAR Championships

Do you think could be consider the greatest ever in the modern era or at least up there with Waltrip, Gordon, and Earnhardt?

JESSE

Jeremy Dunn asked:


‘Nothing is as good as the first time’. We have all heard that old adage at some point in time. This is especially true when it comes to NASCAR’s championship format, the Chase for the Championship.

When Brian France and his team of constituents revealed this innovative way of determining the champion in 2004, it was a gimmick indeed, but at the same time, they envisioned an annual barn-burning championship battle, something that was few and far between with the previous championship format.

The new format was widely ridiculed by traditionalists, as well as many drivers. Some fans vowed to boycott the final ten races, but most of them tuned in with curious eyes. As September neared, interest began to pique. On that warm late-summer night in Richmond, Virginia, Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman barely squeezed into the top ten in dramatic fashion while Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, and Dale Jarrett just missed the cut.

Heading into the inaugural Chase for the Championship, Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon emerged as the favorites as they dominated the first 26 races, winning nine combined. Other solid favorites included Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who won four races during the regular season, and Ryan Newman, who at the time was one of the more streaky drivers and could very well hit his stride as he did in the previous season.

However, Kurt Busch pieced together a masterful run of consistency, finishing in the top ten in nine of the final ten races. Meanwhile, Johnson limped through the first half of the Chase for the Championship, but won four of the final six races to close to within 18 points of Busch. Gordon was a mere 21 points behind Busch heading into the season finale. This was exactly what NASCAR intended, a snug battle to the end, with three star drivers.

The race itself was full of drama. As non-Chaser Greg Biffle dominated the event, championship hopefuls Busch and Johnson had to battle through adversity. Johnson started the race with terrible track position, and Busch had a wheel fall off while pitting under green early in the race. Busch evaded complete disaster and patiently and methodically worked his way back to the front. Johnson and Gordon also made their way to the front. However, Johnson was unable to pass Biffle for the win, and settled for a runner-up finish. Gordon finished in the third position. All they needed was for Busch to slip up. In the latter stages of the race, Busch picked up positions by passing Jamie McMurray and Brendan Gaughan. He rallied to finish in the fifth position, therefore holding on to win his first Sprint Cup championship.

It was intense drama right down to the very last lap. NASCAR could have superciliously laughed in the face of the cynics.

It is a good thing that they did not. Four seasons have come to pass since the suspenseful conclusion to the first Chase for the Championship, and not one of them has even come close to matching the intensity or excitement level. In 2005, Tony Stewart owned a 52-point advantage over Jimmie Johnson heading into the season finale. While 52 points is not exactly a mountain to climb, Johnson would have needed a near flawless race, and a mediocre performance from Stewart. Well, Stewart was mediocre in that race, as one of NASCAR’s most aggressive drivers played it safe, but Johnson blew a tire and finished 40th.

The 2006 rendition of the championship battle was just as anticlimactic. Johnson headed into the season finale at Homestead with a 63-point lead over Matt Kenseth. In 2007, it only got worse. Johnson owned an 86-point lead over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon. It only gets worse from here. In 2008, Johnson owned a commanding 141-point lead over Carl Edwards.

In each of the four years since 2004, the championship battle has become less of a battle and more like a one-man show.

Conversely, under the traditional championship format, this would have been one of the most exciting championship battles of the decade. Johnson would have had a 56-point lead, but by finishing fifteenth while Edwards won the race by leading the most laps, Edwards would have won the title by 16 points. For most of the race, Johnson struggled while Edwards had the fastest car bar none. The drama would have intensified right down to very last lap.

NASCAR has altered the Chase for the Championship format since its implementation, but adding two more slots, and adding ten bonus points for winning a race during the regular season has not remedied the lackluster championship format.

It does not help that the Craftsman Truck Series title, and even to a certain degree, the Nationwide Series battle, came down to the wire under the classic format.

NASCAR cannot turn back the clock on the championship format. What’s done is done, and they must stick to their guns. Obviously, this format is not perfect, but it can be fine-tuned. Unfortunately, even some fine-tuning cannot guarantee an exciting championship battle. Regardless of the format, sometimes there is just one driver and team that are faster and luckier than the rest. Over the past three years, that driver is Jimmie Johnson.



REID

gojohnson48 asked:

Jimmie Johnson go to the url below for high quality www.youtube.com

BARNEY

EGR Whats the DEAL? asked:


Has Gordon got this thing won or what? I think Johnson may be 2nd but I doubt he can catch Gordon right now. He is just that good!

Who do you think will win it all and where do you think Gordon will finish in the points if not FIRST?

RAYMOND

Tina asked:


…Jimmie is looking better and better. Do you think it may play a roll in early retirement?
…for Jeff?

LESTER

Rosie asked:


I want to make a video of Jimmie Johnson and i can’t think of any songs do you have any ideas please help thanks.
Most help 10 points

NUMBERS

Richard Paul asked:


Jimmie Johnson does not receive the media attention that other drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, or even Jeff Gordon demand. In fact, despite his accomplishments, Johnson sometimes takes a back seat to younger drivers such as Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch, as they are considered spitfire personalities as opposed to Johnson’s nice guy, sometimes robotic image.

Nevertheless, the three-time defending Sprint Cup champion does not allow it to bother him. He does not fret over his standing in the sport, but he will admit that he deserves some sort of recognition due to him and his team’s hard work, even though there may be more colorful personalities in the sport.

“This is my moment in the sun too. I’m out there doing my job, trying to win races. There are other guys that are the characters and start the fights and say things and keep it colorful and entertaining. And I certainly enjoy watching those guys do their thing as well but I’m here to do my job and try to win as many championships and races as I can,” he said in a recent interview.

Johnson is regarded as one of the good guys. Most of his fellow competitors admit that they have a difficult time disliking him because he is such a nice guy. He is not the driver that is going to intentionally wreck you, or punch you in the face if he feels that you said or did something that bruised his ego. There are times when Johnson may refrain from saying exactly how he feels because he is simply not the controversial sort of individual.

When asked if he was too nice for his own good, he responded by saying, “It’s a great problem to have. I think the world’s changing. The days of flash, I don’t think people are so interested in those stories anymore. So maybe it’s the year of number 48 in that respect, and the year of Jimmie that respect.”

While fans and media typically flock in droves to storylines that entail controversy and hullabaloo, it is nice to give the good guys their due as well. Having a nice guy image does not take away on track achievements. Johnson is still NASCAR’s top driver at the moment. After all, he owns three Sprint Cup championships and forty career wins in only seven full years on the circuit.

Jimmie Johnson is not the only nice guy in NASCAR that is sometimes disregarded. The 2003 champion Matt Kenseth often flies under the radar, even more so than Johnson. Kenseth opened the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with wins at Daytona and California, yet he is not ‘The Story’ in NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Jr’s rough week in Daytona, as well as a possible Jeff Gordon resurgence seems to pique the interest of media and fans alike.

When their careers come to a conclusion, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth will be in the Hall of Fame, and they will be remembered as a couple of NASCAR’s good guys, proving that ‘Nice guys finish last’ is nothing more than an off beam adage.



ARRON

gibbysgarage asked:

A day in the life of Jimmie Johnson 2008

ERIN