Jimmy Johnson: Nascar

[konjo78]

I am not sure how many Nascar fans there are in these forums but I am just wondering the thoughts of others on Jimmy winning #6?

[abpk2903]

I'm a huge nascar fan. It is incredible to win 6 championships in 8 years and Jimmie is turning into one of the best champions that sports have ever seen. Professional guy that is great for the sport and ridding its "redneck" persona.

I feel like things are going to get a little more challenging for Jimmie from here though. Next year Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick are joining Tony Stewart's (who is anticipated back from a badly broken leg) race team and I feel all 3 will be championship contenders. Joe Gibbs is forming a powerful race team and a healthy Denny Hamlin will give him 3 title contenders. Plus, don't forget about Brad Keslowski who won the title last year but had horrible luck early in the year. He will contend next year too.

[konjo78]

yeah i am a huge nascar fan. I've been a Jr fan ever since he started racing. I think all the gibbs cars are going to contend next year as well as Stewart's cars. Hendrick will also be strong though kayne is going to be on the hot seat as another year of poor chase finishes.

Though what was quietly not talked about was Jr's Chase performance. After his Engine failure he was only behind Jimmy for amount of points gained in the final 9 races.

Another note is Ford having what might be their worst year in a while. Gibbs and Henrick really took over and i wonder how much pressure is on rousch and penske to get ford on top again

[abpk2903]

I'm not a junior fan but I cheer for him because his success helps the sport (just as I do for Danica). I want to say he can be a championship contender but I'm going to have to see him win 2-3 pre-chase races next year before I give him a shot. This is the best he has ran since the DEI days.

Here is my early guess to chase drivers next year:

-Johnson
-Harvick
-Kurt Busch
-Kenseth
-Kesolowski
-Edwards
-Earnhardt Jr
-Kyle Busch
-Logano
-Gordon
-McMurray
-Hamlin

Stewart is gonna struggle getting into the grove, Kayne has been awful the last 2 months, RCR is losing an A rated driver and replacing it with a B rated driver, Roush is starting to struggle again and Biffle is getting later in his career, and I never consider a rookie a championship contender, and MWR is losing way to many resources to continue to be as competitive...

[konjo78]

MWR is getting gutted severly. I feel sad for truex as he really is the innocent getting the huge end of the stick. Jr needs to man up at the end of races and not be afraid to move someone out of the way. He like kensenth straight up block him when there were times he could of run kensenth over. Don't need to put him in the wall but a bump and go gets you that position

[abpk2903]

See I don't feel for Truex that much. The guy can't win races and even though he had top equipment in the sport and one of its top sponsors he still needed teammates help to make the chase. I would argue that NAPA was leaving him if he didn't make the chase anyways. The "spingate" just gave them an easy way out. I'm not sure what he really brings Furniture Row racing, as I said he could win with top equipment.

I would have liked to see furniture row racing run a platoon schedule with some of the older drivers in the sport and a few up and comers. Maybe a something like this:

-Mark Martin - 8 races
-Jeff Burton - 8 races
-Bobby Labonte - 8 races
-Juan Pablo Montoya - 2 road courses
-Parker Klingerman - 10 races

Allow Klingerman to learn from these vets and next year try to get him in a few more races. Then maybe 2 years down the road, give him the ride full time. I just don't see what Truex really adds to that program. Platooning a team would allow a rookie to grow but give the team chances to be very competitive in a few races with Burton, Montoya, and Labonte as well...

[YANKEESUCK]

JJ is a great driver but how many championships would he have won under the old points system like Dale SR and THE KING had to run against and how do you compare them?