Trouble in Turn2

Does anyone still believe Jimmie Johnson is merely a product of the Hendrick Motorsports machine? Ten wins, including four straight during the Chase, 20 top fives and his second straight Cup championship should erase all doubts. Sure he has some of the best equipment in the garage, but so did Petty, Earnhardt and Gordon. He has 33 wins in just six full Cup seasons. It might also be time to start considering adding the name Johnson with the likes of Petty Earnhardt and Gordon.

When Johnson hits on something that works, it usually works really well. Johnson is especially adept at sweeping races at tracks. In 2007 Johnson swept both races at Atlanta, Martinsville and Richmond. In his career he has also swept races at Darlington, Lowes (twice), Dover and Pocono. He also has repeated as champion at tracks like Las Vegas (3 straight), Martinsville (3 straight) and Lowe’s (5 straight). Rule number one: If Jimmie Johnson is good at a track, he’ll be very good at a track.

One of the defining traits of the #48 team is how it is continually improving, on both a small and large scale. Johnson and Chad Knaus spend all race tweaking the car to run best as the laps wind down. In a broader sense,the team has also improved their weak tracks. Two years ago Johnson’s two glaring weaknesses were Richmond and Indianapolis. In 2006 Johnson won at the Brickyard, shaking off his 23.5 career average finish. Last year Johnson swept Richmond, a track where he previously struggled.

Not only have they improved their weak tracks, but they have done it without losing ground at others. The next track to tackle might be Bristol. Johnson still struggles at the high-banked, half mile short track. Along with road courses they might be the two areas of weakness for Johnson.

If Lowe’s Motorspeedway is Jimmie Johnson’s house, then Martinsville is like a super-cool tree fort in the backyard. Johnson has four wins and five straight top three finishes in his last seven Martinsville races. If he does have a super-cool tree fort, he will always know what time it is with his four grandfather clocks to keep him company.

Johnson is one of the best drivers on intermediate tracks. It doesn’t matter which track, he is capable of winning at any track where the name of the game is downforce. His record at Lowe’s is well-documented, but he’s also excellent at Atlanta, Las Vegas and California. He is definitely a capable restrictor plate race, although he does suffer his share of big wrecks.

The only other chink in the armor is Chad Knaus’ reputation as a cheater. Based on his history of suspensions and penalties, it is a deserved rep, however to attribute all of his success to breaking rules also falls short. Knaus is one of the top crew chiefs in the sport because of his attention to detail and organizational skills. His desire to push the gray area can sometimes cost the #48 points, as well cause fans to question the team’s merit.

Right now there is not a more complete team than the #48 team. The cars are fast, Knaus and the over the wall crew make the right adjustments and Johnson is one of the top three drivers in the sport, capable of winning almost anywhere. Until someone proves they can be more consistent and reel off 5-6 wins each year, he is the man to beat.