MIAMI -- NASCAR's Championship Weekend officially kicked off Thursday during a contenders press conference that couldn't have been less like boxing's version of a pre-bout showdown. This was more meet-and-greet than stare-and-glare.The players here -- three-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin -- like each other, so much so it was difficult to remember that they are actually competing against one another.
Johnson gushed about what a great driver Martin is. And Martin humbly insisted he was just happy to be in position to challenge Johnson. And their team owner Rick Hendrick maintained, "I'm just living the dream."
Whitley: Johnson the Great Unknown
Of course, that's understandable when you're either on the verge of a historic fourth consecutive title, as Johnson is, or stand a mathematical chance to win your first at the age of 50, as Martin is.
And either way, Hendrick is assured of his ninth Cup championship as an owner, which ties him with the great Petty Enterprises operation which won seven with NASCAR's "King" Richard Petty.
Reporters couldn't even get Johnson and the famously-buffed Martin to predict a winner if the drivers arm-wrestled.
"I don't know,'' Johnson laughed, "have you seen his arms, he's pretty ripped. ... But remember, he only weighs about 125 pounds.''
Flanked by his two drivers Thursday in Miami, Hendrick clearly basked in his win-win situation. Johnson holds a 108-point advantage over Martin entering Sunday's Ford 400 season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway and only needs to finish 25th or better to become the first driver in NASCAR's 61-year history to win four straight championships.Hendrick Motorsports's first four-time champ, Jeff Gordon, is third in the standings.
"To be able to look back and see what we've been able to accomplish, I've just been really fortunate to be around a lot of great people,'' said Hendrick.
"It's hard for me to believe that we're sitting here tied with Richard Petty. I don't feel worthy of that. I don't know how to explain that, because when I was nominated for the Hall of Fame, I don't think I'm even in that category in my mind with a Bobby Allison, a Richard Petty, that group.
"I hope one day when we look back that we can say we've accomplished some pretty neat things. So I'm just very fortunate to be at this place in my life with this organization. I owe it all to the people. I really can't explain how it happened, it just did."
And while he and Martin, who has finished runner-up in the championship four other times, conceded they're able to enjoy the ride more this weekend, Johnson is languishing somewhere between the confidence his three previous titles have given him and the anxiety that his fourth is not a gimme. The pressure is on him.
He said he hasn't read any newspaper stories about the Chase for the Championship since his win last Sunday in Phoenix, even confessing to changing the television channel should ESPN's SportsCenter mention NASCAR or tease to a race highlight.
It's worth noting that Martin made up 111 points when Johnson wrecked in Texas and has out-scored Johnson by at least 109 points nine times in the last five seasons.
"For me personally, I left Talladega with emotion and felt very good about things, that we missed the big one,'' Johnson said. "Damn if we weren't in the first caution on the third lap at the [next] race in Texas. So I am out of emotion. There is no emotion. It's all business.
"It's about showing up tomorrow, putting in the best [qualifying] lap I can, driving the car as hard as I can on Saturday, making sure the car is set up right, and doing my job on Sunday.''
Regardless of which driver hoists the trophy Sunday night at Homestead, Hendrick said he has to consider this the best year in his team's history. It will be the first time in NASCAR history one organization has finished 1-2-3 in the standings and Hendrick drivers have won 13 of the season's 35 races. Johnson owns a series-high seven victories.
"The thing that I'm probably going to be the proudest of is that what got us here is the fact that Alan [Martin's crew chief, Alan Gustafson] and Chad [Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus] will talk on Saturday and Saturday night and they will share information,'' Hendrick said. "Jimmie and Mark will talk on Saturday and Saturday night, and they will share information.
"They'll go out and compete against each other. That won't change. At the end of the race, they know that what they've done all year has got us here.
"That's the part that I'm so proud of, that Chad in a meeting at Hendrick Motorsports on Tuesday will give Alan credit that he got the setup on Saturday from Alan, went out and won the race, when Alan will give Chad the credit.
"When you've got everybody working together, it makes a big difference."
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
It seems to me,that nascar is like wrestling. Jimmie Johnson wins every race around chase time,even dale earnhardt didn't win like that. I think nascar is rigged and they let some of the others win occasoinally. Nascar is not what it used to be when they really raced hard for it. If Jimmie had raced back in the days of Earnhardt,waltrip,and wallace,tim richmond,the allisons. He wouldn't win like he does.Nascar has gone soft.
Perfectly said pre. If cheat johnson and cheat knaus had to race with those champs of yesterday, he would be eating dust and inhaling the smoke.
The jj freaks on here just don't get it.
NASCAR is going to be the next "Great Unknown" after everyone stop watching because it is boring and most are tired of seeing JJ and Cheat Knaus winning all the time. I've been a NASCAR fan for 25+ years, and I have stopped watching it. I like watching a few guys, (Stewart, Kyle Busch, Martin) but d@mn, they get no face time because the networks are so focused on Johnson anf Junior. And don't get me started on how bad Junior sucks. My god, when are these idiots going to figure out that he is a Saturday night local track driver at the very best. I personally know many drivers that could run circles around him.
Anyway, NASCAR, I bid you farewell. Maybe soon you'll figure out that you have royally screwed yourself and you'll find a way to pull JJ's head out of your @$$ and get some real racing going on again. Someone let me know if that happens, I need some racing to watch in February until my local track opens in early May.
You said it racing 20 guy. earnhardt88sucks like the other poster screen name says.
Also we all are tired of viewing the johnson movie
"the making of a champion".A champion made out of cheats, conspiracy, favors, lies,deceiving the fans.Go martin. btw your 20 is now 14,lol.
Ya! JJ a great guy, watched him in Crandon,WI., when he raced off road, but it's getting old, go old guy!! Mark, hope you can pull it off this time!
Wow, things have really deteriorated in so many ways. I could not help but to make one more comment before I go back to watching football.
As predicted Jimmie Johnson now has the points total no matter how you add it up but there is alo another item of inerest in Nascars Manufactured Excitement Saga. I see going into the last race of the season there are no drivers within 100 points of the leader, now that is exciting and has many fans sitting on the edge of their seats to see what is going to happen, yawn. Under the old system that worked well for over 50 years here is what we would have going into the last race of the season.
Jimmie Johnson 3996
Tony Stewart 3973
Jeff Gordon 3940
Yeah, watching that race would really suck under those circumstances, LOL.
And one of the idiots posting needs to get a calculator. Jimmie Johnson is on his way to winning his second championship in which he will have the points total no matter how you add it up, not his third. Either way, it is 4 Chase Cups in a row. Personally, I hope it is a record that is never broken because I would like to see Nascar fix what THEY broke in the first place.
As for comparing drivers of different eras I see no way you can possibly say that any or all of the historical greats would prevent Jimmie Johnson from having half his wins. How do you know that Jimmie Johnson would not have prevented many of theirs? The rules are different, the tracks are different, and the cars are different. How can you compare them? The 48 TEAM practices all year for the chase. The other teams are allowed to do the same thing, they just are not as good at it.
So y'all have fun Sunday watching what has become the most boring race of the season for the past few years, I'll be hanging lights for Christmas.
Michael Bishop LeVan
OH BS, BS BS YOU WILL BE WATCHING THE LAST RACE AND YOU WILL BE WATCHING EVERY RACE IN 2010 SEASON.ALL OF THE GOODBY NASCAR, I'M NOT WATCHING ANYMORE,I HAD ENOUGH OF THE WWF SHOW ETC, ETC WILL ALL RETURN FOR THE DAYTONA 500 2010.
AND THAT'S WHY NASCAR REINS WITHOUT WORRIES!.
Please Nascar, go back to the old championship system so no one can afford to sandbag and the leader at the end is the champion not just the last 10 races. I for one think people are tiring of the JJASCAR(Jimmie Johnson Association of Stock Car Racing)
Every time you see the Jimmie Johnson pits, you see Rick Johnson(oops I mean Hendricks) in Jimmies pits. Where is his loyalty to Jeff who not only made him a lot of that money but hired and was instrumental in getting J1mmie started in the Johnson cup series
WOW....all I'm reading here is people who are jealous!! Jimmie is one of the greatest Nascar drivers ever! He has "earned" the titles that he has and is going to have next week! If you don't like it, don't watch it!!!! enough said!
Think about what you are saying... If all the people you bandwagon jumpers stopped watching as you bandwagon jumpers suggest.. 2/3 or more of the people watching would be gone. If that happens there would be no more nascar... Do You really want what you are wishing For?
JEALOUS YOUR ASS!.FANS ARE SICK AND TIRED OF WATCHING THE SAME CHEAT AND THE SAME MANUFACTURED SO CALLED CHAMP EVERY YEAR.
Nena, if you get what you are asking for nascar will disappear, at least 2/3rds of the people in the stands will be gone. Is that what you really really want?
All this B.S. about I wish NASCAR would go back to the old point system and I wish they would figure out how the 48 team is cheating and if it was the days of the old. Well you bunch of DUMB ASSES it's not the days of the old and if it was Jimmie would kick all their asses too. And as for the points system now if any of you had half the brains that God gave a duck you would realize that the way it is set up now the drivers have to run the first 26 races and make it in the top 12 of that phase and then go to run the last 10 for the championship. [THAT MUST MEAN J.J. IS ABOUT TO WIN HIS 8TH TITLE] You see the way it is now the drivers has to run good the first 26 races to make it to the top 12 for the final 10 races, if they dont then they dont have a chance, sorry didn't mean to talk about most all yall's driver's. to put it simple it's more or less the same way it was in the DAYS OF THE OLD you still have to do good all year to win the title with one exception, you have to be in the top 12 in points after the first 26 races so thats like winning a title in its self {for those of you who didn't get the 8 championship thing earlier} And as far as cheating they all have done it and the all will keep doing it. Even all yall's great Dale Sr. Thata the job of the crew chiefs to push the rules to the very edge and even to the gray and even outside the gray till NASCAR catches them. Chad has just been the best at it for the past four years.
Im sure Nena became a jimmy fan about 4 years ago. As for the post above about 2/3rds of the stands being empty, you are right. I know the economy is bad right now and A LOT of people have lost their jobs, but thats not the only reason the stands are empty. NASCAR fans are already staying away from the races because of the joke it has become. NASCAR can blame it on the poor economy if they want to, but if thats what they are going to hang their hat on then NASCAR is in serious trouble!
JJ is one of the biggest cheaters ever. Just a few weeks ago during the chase nascar did not penalize him because of who he is. they warned him. BS if it would have been JP Montoya or any other driver they would have slammed them. and the speeding on pit road during the chase by Johnson. I have never or will I ever be jealous of him. I think he is a jerk and so is his crew chief. I hope and pray JJ wrecks early and Mark "Old Guy" Martin pulls the championship out. Then all the JJ 4time champ braggers will shut thier pie holes. JJ and Chad try and make up bogus info to give to his teammates. Who do you think Chad gets his info from?? Try Mark Martins Crew Chief Alan G. Alan makes Chad look like a doofuse. If it wouldnt be for Alan who Chad comes to all the time he wouldnt have the last 2 championships he does. And JJ and CK are not team players. Even other teammates and others who get chasis and engines from Hendricks cant stand the lil snake. And that came from a few drivers mouths.
About time some fans begin to catch up on the 48 biggest cheat in nascar history.
God bless you and gonefishing and whoever other fan finally has an open mind towards the 48 fraud.