Need for Speed
A NASCAR BLOG BY Jared Turner
Don't expect Jimmie Johnson to drive conservatively
MARTINSVILLE, Va. - With a 90-point lead over Mark Martin and five races to go, Jimmie Johnson is in good position to capture the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup title.
So will Johnson drive conservatively in an effort to avoid trouble and coast to a fourth straight championship?
Not if history is any indication.
In his title runs of 2006, 2007 and 2008, Johnson rarely shied away from pushing the envelope for wins or the best finish possible.
His eight victories over the last three Chase segments are enough proof of Johnson’s willingness to put it all on the line even if doing so puts him at greater risk of finding trouble.
But if there’s one race where Johnson has been prone to play it a bit safe, it’s the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Johnson has finished 15th, seventh and ninth, respectively, at Homestead the last three seasons as he wrapped up the title.
On each occasion, Johnson held a semi-comfortable lead entering the final race.
While some observers might see this as Johnson easing his way to a championship, it’s hard to fault a guy with a reputation for holding nothing back.
And if Johnson goes on to win a record-breaking fourth straight championship in 2009, don’t expect his strategy to change much.
Jared Turner
Jared Turner has written about NASCAR for the past three seasons. He joined SceneDaily as a staff writer in February 2008.
Latest Tweets
Poll PositionView All
Which has been most detrimental to NASCAR television ratings and attendance this season?
Promotions
-
Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!
-
Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.
-
Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.
-
Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.
Comments
1 response to "Don't expect Jimmie Johnson to drive conservatively ".
STP43FAN said:
Nov 2, 2009 at 3:24 PMSo what did he do at Talladega? He chickened out - and got a miracle when half the field ran out of gas under yellow and the other half crashed.
Report as AbuseReport Abuse
This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Report