Art Weinstein: NASCAR has its very own Terminator
By Art Weinstein - Managing Editor
Monday, November 16, 2009
Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson celebrates his seventh win of the season Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
Related stories: Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson dominates at Phoenix; takes commanding lead into final race
COMMENTARY
Very early in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix, a fellow race fan summed up the thoughts, or maybe dreams, of many other race fans.
“I heard someone found a rattlesnake near the track and threw it in Jimmie Johnson’s car before the race,” the fan said. “That should tighten up the Chase a little bit.”
I strongly disagreed. If that had truly happened, the next day’s headlines would have read: “Jimmie Johnson shakes off rattlesnake bites, rallies for third-place finish.”
Johnson and his team are that good. Just when a freak accident the week before at Texas Motor Speedway injected a tiny bit of drama into the rout masquerading as the Chase For The Sprint Cup, Johnson went out and shredded the field at Phoenix, leading 238 of 312 laps on his way to victory No. 7 of 2009.
Watching Johnson lead lap after lap, his machine-like performance reminded me not of Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt in their prime, nor Cale Yarborough or Jeff Gordon in their heyday. Instead, the image that came to mind was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, that Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his career-making role in the classic sci-fi movie, the “Terminator.” The muscle-bound Austrian played a robot, or Terminator, with a human-looking exterior. The Terminator was absolutely relentless and unstoppable, with a computer-driven focus on its mission. You could shoot it, run over it with a car, blow it up in a gasoline tanker, whatever, and it would continue on its mission.
That sounds pretty much like Johnson at Phoenix (and just about everywhere else he’s raced the past few years).
The Terminator was from the future, sent back in time to alter history. Johnson will alter history next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, when he captures his record fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup championship.
Is that statement a bit premature? Maybe. As we saw at Texas, anything can happen. You’ll hear that phrase quite a bit in the next few days, and there is some truth to it. But really, Johnson only needs a 25th-place finish to clinch that record fourth title. For the record, he’s had 11 finishes of 25th or worse since the 2008 season began, so he stumbles once every seven races or so. But remember, Mark Martin has to win and lead the most laps to make that 25th-place scenario relevant. Chances are, Johnson will end up with his customary top-five and make all the talk of 25th-place a moot point.
Many fans who love to hate Johnson will probably continue to hate Johnson. Some fans just hate seeing the same driver win races and
championships again and again. But the 34-year-old driver believes some fans who might have been lukewarm or even negative toward him in the past are beginning to appreciate his accomplishments.
“In the last year I’ve seen my fan base, the perception change so, so much,” Johnson said after his Phoenix win. “If we are able to win a fourth, I think it would help it even more. When I was a kid growing up, Earnhardt was winning a lot of races and championships, but nobody liked him. When I first started driving for Hendrick, Jeff [Gordon] won his fourth championship, won a lot of races [and] nobody really liked him. So I’m not the only one going through this. … Earnhardt and Gordon have gone through the same stuff I’ve gone through.”
Maybe some of the “Anyone But Johnson” fans will one day come to embrace the driver. Remember, Schwarzenegger was widely ridiculed for his performance in a string of very bad movies (“Conan The Barbarian,” anyone?) before earning public adoration and acclaim as the “Terminator.”
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Comments
15 responses to "Art Weinstein: NASCAR has its very own Terminator". Post a Comment.
Bill8848 said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 12:46 PMJimmy and the 48 team are not my favorite team,but I have to say they are a very professional team. I've been listening to them on the radio alot this year and I am impressed with the way they act during a race. Driver to crew chief chat is very professional even if their car is not running like they would.My driver would be cursing if his car aint running good. Even when Jimmy wrecked last week the talk on the radio was awesome with the way Chad was telling the crew what he wanted done in the garage.They act like champions and they deserve to be champions.Next week when they are crowned champs,they deserve it.Great job guy's in Phoenix and to a great year.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportjeff-waybright said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 1:29 PMThe only thing Jimmie is 'terminating' is NASCAR's popularity! Who wants watch races when nobody can seem to compete with the 48 team?!? The competition in this year's Chase is a joke.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportjuniegirl said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 2:36 PMThank you jeff-waybright...you took the words out of my mouth!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportminkee2 said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 4:06 PMInstead of not liking Jimmie, you guys should not be liking the other drivers who can't beat the #48 team. I know I didn't like Earnhardt or Gordon either, but it was more based on personalities than driving abilities. Jimmie is a nice guy---the kind the mother in me wouldn't mind having as a son. Guess that's why the tough he-man types don't like him. GO JIMMIE!!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSheilaLovesNASCAR said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 4:13 PMI wonder why Petty was so popular even winning 200 races. Why does Earnhardt have so many fans? I never liked Earnhardt. Not because he was winning, but because of the way he was winning. He couldn't seem to get around anyone without bumping them out of the way. I preferred Dale Jarrett, who was a clean driver. Jimmy is a great clean driver. What's not to like? He goes out there and wins. That's what he does. And he isn't an idiot when he doesn't win, or does poorly, which isn't very often. If you are new to the sport, you pick Jimmy as your driver. Because you know he will do good most every week. If you already like someone else, you hate Jimmy. Because your favorite isn't beating him. I prefer to like him, now that Dale is retired. Because he is a winner, not a whiner. This chase is made for him. I predict that if the chase continues, he will win his 7 championships in a row. Is he good for NASCAR? I think the better question is, is the chase good for NASCAR? Jimmy is out there to win. That's what he does.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportracinghcr said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 4:32 PMThe richest team builds the most expensive race car--like Mark Martin told me two years ago at Michigan when I asked him how much the driver has to do with winning in the "modern age" compared to the race car---He said 5 to 10 % maybe less is the Driver. In the Non-Modern Nascar Era---The DRIVER WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR in Winning ! There are few drivers in the garage today that could not do the same thing in Johnson's race car. THE CAR IS THE BIGGEST FACTOR NOW plain and simple--the DRIVER is NOT THE BIGGEST FACTOR ! Truth be known probably the TEAM,Crew Chief,and Nascar's "Bosses in the CONTROL BOX" are as large a determining factor in wins as the DRIVER. Like Newman said about Plate Races -We just point the cars and the fatest one usually wins!! You want to see how tallented Johnson really is???-- put him in a WORLD OF OUTLAWS car for a season where the DRIVER is the biggest factor--Enough said!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportloftisrobert said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 4:53 PMJimmy is NASCARS poster boy,Why shouldnt he dominate.orders from the God of Nascar " Let him thru".
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» Confirm Abuse Reportarhiatt said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 5:16 PMI'm so sick of Jimmie, I'm starting to root for Kyle Busch, which says a lot - not that I don't think Kyle is good driver - he is, just don't like his personality.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJimmie48 said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 5:48 PMYes, he's their poster boy...who ruins their ratings.
Report as AbuseSeriously, all the conspiracy-guys should finally wake up. Jimmie hurts NASCARs business, do you really think they would do a single thing to help him and not a more popular driver like Junior?
Ohh and if "richest team" wins, I wonder why the #5 and the #24 can't keep up. Or does anybody doubt they have the very same resources than the #48?
You guys are in denial, it's kind of pathetic....
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 6:32 PMPetty almost ran every night of the week to get 200 wins...this corporate racing isn't doing it for me...too many engineers...how about we get away from this tech stuff, setup teams, raceday pit crews, corporate drivers and get back to stock car racing...
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» Confirm Abuse ReportRainier said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 7:48 PMWERNER, I respect all the old school guys and I wasn't around when Petty was doing his thing, but what I've read differs from what the old school guys claim. How can Petty lapping the entire field be more entertaining than what we have now? How can 1 or 2 cars on the lead lap be more entertaining? How can one manufacturer with a huge rear wing completely dominating the rest of the field (without wings) be entertaining? Seriously, if you want what you just described, it still exists. I see guys hauling their weekend race toys on the highway all the time.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportMotorsportsphotography said:
Nov 16, 2009 at 8:00 PMTerminator is definitely the right word. When it is all over nobody will be left watching NASCAR.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportnovara48 said:
Nov 17, 2009 at 10:04 AMI love how the 48 haters have to try any way they can to somehow try and take away JJ's talent as a driver!! Oh it's more the car than the driver.....If he didn't have Chad as a CC.....if he didn't drive for HMS...blah blah blah blah.....hate on haters...hate on. Bottom line is this; JJ IS THE CATS ARSS OF NASCAR! Deal with it. Anybody that's been around racing long enough knows two things. 1. The best car does not always win. and 2. The best driver usually does.
Report as Abuse#5 - I think 7 in a row is very wishful thinking. Love to see it, but highly doubt that's going to happen. If he gets 4 this year, and happens to pull off #5 next year, you know Nascar will do something to try and slow them down. Maybe make 'em run 87 octane or something.
#6 - Sounds like sour grapes to me. I'm guessing you are forgeting about JJ's days racing and winning championships in stadium trucks, motocross, baja, etc......... World of Outlaws and Nascar are two completely and totally different styles of racing. Not to mention, last time I checked, Nascar was the pinnacle of auto racing.....and JJ has proven he can dominate there. What would he have to prove going to Outlaws? That said, I bet you give him a dozen races in an Outlaw and he'd get it figured out and be winning. Then what would you have to whine about?
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» Confirm Abuse Reportjbbigrod said:
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:01 PMYes, but he dominates ONLY in Cup and ONLY with Chad. Jimmie said himself: "I don't do well in Nationwide". That is why he doesn't race there. MAYBE if he had Chad with him there he would do well. But the less horsepower doesn't suit his style so he can't win there. He steers with the gas pedal, not the steering wheel. . . . . Jimmie is very good, one of the best, and seems like a nice guy too. IF he were driving a Ford I would be more apt to have him as one of my FAVORITE drivers. Nuff said.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Nov 17, 2009 at 6:16 PMRainer...i spend most of my race money at the local traks...we need to keep them going...the France's are rich enuff...
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