A news conference on Wednesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway told you everything you need to know about Jimmie Johnson.The three-time reigning Sprint Cup champion was asked about the prospects of winning seven NASCAR Sprint Cup titles -- the number, of course, that Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty share as the most ever. Johnson, ever the modest and self-doubting gentleman, politely answered that it would be "insane" for his team to win four more titles before his career ends.
Great answer, Jimmie. But come on, dude, let's be real -- we all know that answer is about as far from the truth as it can get.
First, here's exactly what Jimmie had to say, courtesy of the Charlotte Observer:
Keep telling yourself that, Jimmie.If Johnson can overtake Mark Martin in the standings and win his fourth straight championship, he'll be more than halfway toward tying the record seven titles won by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
"I don't think that's possible," Johnson said Wednesday at a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I think getting to seven is just too tough. Jeff Gordon's got four and he hasn't gotten his fifth one.
"I hope I can maybe prove people wrong, but winning four more seems insane."
Maybe its his way of avoiding a personal hex or jinx when it comes to winning more titles. Or maybe Johnson is just doing what he has always done -- being a guy that never says or does anything that his mother wouldn't be proud of.
Whatever it is, I've got to say he's wrong. Let's just look at the stats.
At the moment, Johnson is 283 races into his Sprint Cup career and in his 8th year of full-time competition. In his first 7 full seasons, Johnson won three championships -- a championship batting average, if you will, of .429. Ted Williams would be jealous.
The most comparable driver to those stats is exactly the one Johnson mentioned, his teammate Jeff Gordon. Gordon became the owner of four championships after 9 full seasons, though he hasn't been back on top since 2001. Such a clip was three years quicker than both Dale Earnhardt's and Richard Petty's run to four.
Speaking of those two, it took Earnhardt 16 seasons of full-time racing to win his 7 titles, while Petty took 19 seasons. Granted, Petty's numbers were a little different because he was racing at the start of his career in an era where racing 50 times a season was the norm. Petty also only competed in 14 of 55 races in 1965 after winning the championship in 1964 thanks to a stint in drag racing.
If Johnson wins the 2009 title -- a win last week at Dover and some struggles from other Chase competitors have increased those odds just two races into the Chase -- he'll be at four championships in 8 years of NASCAR racing.
And he'll be just 34 years old.
Petty was 35 when he won No. 4 and Earnhardt was 39 at that point.
Obviously, Johnson's torrid pace -- the guy is winning championships now like the New York Yankees wish they could be doing -- has put him in firm position to win 7 championships, even if he doesn't believe it. Certainly there's no guarantee that Johnson will ever win another championship. He can look farther than to his teammate Gordon to see how the championship production can fall off without warning, and there's more than a handful of factors that can take even the most dominant teams away from the championship.
For reference, see Kyle Busch in 2008.
But Johnson does have NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship system on his side.
The system has been the ace in the hole, really, for the No. 48 bunch. It's enabled them to start off a season in moderate fashion and really build for the 10-race run. It doesn't hurt that the final ten tracks are right in Johnson's wheelhouse.
That, of course, might have something to do with team No. 48's ability to prepare for what really matters and less to do with the physical race tracks the series visits.
Johnson may find it "insane" to consider seven Sprint Cup titles to be out of reach, but me? I find it "insane" that Johnson can get away with such a statement.
He's got a better shot at 7 championships than anyone, ever, in NASCAR history.
What's so insane about that?
Latest NASCAR Images
In a June 18, 2009, photo provided by Twentieth Television, host Jeff Foxworthy, center, is shown with NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip and fifth-grader Danielle during the taping of the new half-hour version of "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" in Los Angeles. The episode, featuring Michael Waltrip playing for charity, airs Tuesday, Oct. 6. (AP Photo/Twentieth Television, Barry Holmes) ** NO SALES **
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NASCAR legend Richard Petty, left, answers a question as defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, right, during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. The NASCAR Banking 500 auto race will be run on Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
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NASCAR legend Richard Petty, center, shares a laugh with defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, right, and Lowe's Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith, left, during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. The NASCAR Banking 500 auto race will be run on Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
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NASCAR legend Richard Petty, right, shares a laugh with Lowe's Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith, left, during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. The NASCAR Banking 500 auto race will be run on Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
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FILE -- This is a March 29, 2009, file photo showing race team owner Rick Hendrick celebrating Jimmie Johnson's win of the Goody's 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race in victory lane at the Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. With two cars on top of the points standings, Rick Hendrick appears well on his way to a 13th NASCAR championship. (AP Photo/Don Petersen, File)
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FILE -- This is a May 15, 2009, file photo showing team owner Rick Hendrick talking with driver Jeff Gordon during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. With two cars on top of the points standings, Rick Hendrick appears well on his way to a 13th NASCAR championship. (AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)
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FILE -- This is a March 29, 2009, file photo showing Jimmie Johnson, center left, celebrating with team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Goody's 500 auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. Mark Martin leads the points and Jimmie Johnson is right behind him. It's enough to leave the other Chase drivers discouraged that their best efforts aren't usually enough to get by the Hendrick Motorsports powerhouse. (AP Photo/Don Petersen, File)
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FILE -- This is a Sept. 28, 2008, file photo showing Jimmie Johnson (48) and Mark Martin (8) driving during the first lap of the NASCAR Camping World RV 400 Sprint Cup auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. Mark Martin leads the points and Jimmie Johnson is right behind him. It's enough to leave the other Chase drivers discouraged that their best efforts aren't usually enough to get by the Hendrick Motorsports powerhouse. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
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FILE -- This is a Sept. 18, 2009, file photo showing NASCAR drivers Mark Martin, right, and Jimmy Johnson talking in the garage at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. Mark Martin leads the points and Jimmie Johnson is right behind him. It's enough to leave the other Chase drivers discouraged that their best efforts aren't usually enough to get by the Hendrick Motorsports powerhouse. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
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FILE -- This is a Sept. 18, 2009, file photo showing NASCAR drivers Mark Martin, right, and Jimmy Johnson talking in the garage at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. Mark Martin leads the points and Jimmie Johnson is right behind him. It's enough to leave the other Chase drivers discouraged that their best efforts aren't usually enough to get by the Hendrick Motorsports powerhouse. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-01-2009 @ 4:38PM
ed rockwell said...
johnson and gordon could each win 7 or more titles,in the mean time JR will continue to suck LOL
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 12:25AM
THE DOC said...
and so do you norman suckwell!.
10-01-2009 @ 9:38PM
hafttwo said...
it must be hard to be humble with all that JJ and jeff have acomplished in there careers.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 7:32AM
obamaizamarxist said...
Jimmy's a great driver, but without Chad Knaus, he's 2002-present Jeff Gordon. Look at Jeff after Ray, solid but nothing spectacular. Earnhardt Sr. was the last driver who could win with bubbles the chimp on his pit box..
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 8:20AM
illsell4u said...
for the record, in two of the six full seasons since 2002 Jeff Gordon has managed to earn more points that any other driver. While it is no longer the case, it was the standard that was used when Dale Sr earned his championships. so, 2 out of 6 is not bad. As a matter of fact, it is almost exactly the same ratio as Dale Sr winning 7 championships in the 22 year career he had.
As for Jimmie, as long as he and Chad stay together I think he will easily get and surpass 7 CHASE championships. That is, unless Nascar decides to change the rules once again.
Why is Daytona considered the Super Bowl of Nascar yet it is the first race of the season and has almost ZERO bearing on the CHASE championship?
mbl
10-02-2009 @ 8:48AM
al said...
if this is between johnson and mark if jimmy was a true driver he would give it to mark this year could be his last
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 2:23PM
nzcr14 said...
HEY AL,I'M NOT A CONSPIRACY THEORY BELIEVER.
The king of conspiracyes on these pages has been MIA or posting under MPD mode for a while.
QUESTION IS about why wouldn't JJ give to MM if he was a true driver?
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SUCH A PLAN IS NOT ALREADY IN PROGRESS? REMEMBER HMS,GIBBS,J.ROACHES own the show and ROACHES DRIVERS have been irrelevant this year.TONY STEWART-HARSH a satellite HMS TEAMS
has been already backing off for 5 weeks. YA SEEN his por performance lately.JG is doing good but not at title heights.
Sure JJ IS IN HIGH GEAR AGAIN,BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE IT LOOK GOOD FOR THE FANS,RIGHT?
NAZCAR CANNOT JUST PICK THE cup and the sprint check and give to MM.HE has to earn it at least "IN THE PLAY", LOL.
works for me...
10-03-2009 @ 10:03AM
Kim said...
So Al,
Let's say you are up for yet another promotion at work, your fourth in a row and you have the ability to make history in your company. But you work with a guy who has been close many times to achieving what you've achieved, yet he hasn't moved up the ladder as quickly as you have. So, I ask you, are you going to just "give it" to the guy that's been close just because you think he should have the promotion & he's a great guy? Let me guess, the answer would be a big fat, NO!!!
Why is it that people just expect all the other drivers in the Chase to just lay down for Old Man Martin? Yes, he is well loved by all. I'd be hard pressed as I am sure would everyone else, to find anyone that didn't love the guy. But even Mark Martin himself would tell you he doesn't want to be "given" or handed anything. He wants to win it on his own, as he should! Jimmie shouldn't lay down and give another championship away just because Mark is a great guy and deserves one. Mark needs to earn it just like everyone else!
BTW: It's comments such as yours and the current points situation that once again bring up how crappy the Chase set up is. Yes, Mark won 4 races but the rest of the races, he fumbled. He had two or so DNF's. Then you have guys like Stewart, Johnson and Gordon that were on top of the points standings due to where they finished week in and week out, wins and so forth that are now sitting back further in the points standings because the points were reset for the Chase, which put Mark on top based on his wins, not based on consistency. And people say NASCAR is just trying to hand the championship to Johnson again. I think it is clear who NASCAR is trying to hand the championship to this year and it isn't Jimmie Johnson!
Kim
10-03-2009 @ 8:20AM
al said...
very happy to see JR up front again at least he lost the pole to a good team mate mark and wasn't to the A$$ bush
Reply
10-03-2009 @ 6:36PM
smellthecoffee said...
Unfortunately it will be short lived. Expect an 18th place finish tomorrow. That is unless there are a ton of cars that wreck in front of him. There is always next year.
Reply
10-04-2009 @ 12:39PM
wanderer1836 said...
Remember too that Earnhardt, Petty, and all the other championship winners of the past drove real cars, not these template make believe cars of today. I might add that Jeff Gordon drove the older cars during his championship runs, not this junk they drive now. These past drivers didnt have to worry about restrictor plates until later in their careers either. If JJ wins a dozen it wont compare to the championships that even Ned Jarret, David Pearson and all the others won back when cars were real cars
Reply
10-04-2009 @ 2:28PM
Boopelybee said...
This sport is the worst of the worst when it comes to GREED! The underdog will NEVER win again in this league. Its the Hendrick, Rousch, RCR racing league. Founder Big Bill Sr. has rolled over in his grave 10 times already, I should know, I hear it when he does, I live in Daytona where he's buried. I talked to "Smokey" Yunich, for those that dont know who he is, he was a NASCAR driver back in the 60's-70's. He even stated NASCAR IS DYING! 185 million $'s in operating costs each year for the 3 big teams, yet homeless all over our streets. If I have it my way, I would have NASCAR EXECS locked up for fraud. Afterall, they are using 110 million $'s in tax breaks, just so they can make their track "prettier". The corporate GREED of America, congrats to NASCAR and to all those that support it, how does it feel to contribute to the downfall of American values!
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