Competing in Nationwide Series just doesn't 'make any sense' to Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson is leading the Chase For The Sprint Cup standings heading into Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway.
// David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
FORT WORTH, Texas - The top six drivers in the Chase For The Sprint Cup have driven in a total of four NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season, including none by Sprint Cup point leader Jimmie Johnson.
The bottom six of the Chase heading into this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway? They’ve entered a total of 80.
The fewest amount of Nationwide races entered by driver ranked seventh through 12th in the Chase is four by Kasey Kahne. The most by the drivers in the top six? Three by Tony Stewart.
Is that a coincidence? Could that be what gives Hendrick Motorsports’ Johnson his edge?
“Everybody is, ‘How come you don't run the Nationwide Series?’” Johnson teammate Jeff Gordon said. “I think that's a smart move, especially these days, the cars being so different, it doesn't make any sense.”
Gordon hasn’t raced in the Nationwide Series this year, and he’s third in the Cup standings. Second-place Mark Martin has one Nationwide start, with fourth-place Juan Pablo Montoya and sixth-place Kurt Busch each starting zero races in the No. 2 series.
“Listen, the bottom line, you want to know why those guys are running Nationwide races?” Gordon said. “For money. They're wanting extra money. The sponsors are there supporting the car owners to run the series. Those guys are able to make extra money. That's why they run it. Of course, somebody like Kyle [Busch] has the opportunity to go win a championship, or Carl [Edwards], then, hey, why not do that, too? But the Cup drivers that are over there, that's why they're doing it.”
Not Johnson.
“Jimmie is a well-paid driver,” Gordon said. “I think that he sees the benefits of not being over there. I don't know if he looked at the way I did it or not. He still runs sometimes. But, again, these days those cars are so much different. Maybe next year when they go to the new car, whenever they go to the new car, if the cars are more similar, maybe you'll see more guys, it benefitting them on Sunday.”
The most Nationwide races Johnson has run in his three Cup championship seasons was four, and that was last year.
Why has he stayed away from the series he used to run full time? Several reasons, he said.
“At times I felt like I may have been missing some opportunities,” Johnson said. “I think there was a period of time where running a Nationwide car did help the Cup car. Obviously, since we've been on the COT, it's not that world anymore. There was a period of time where I thought I was missing something, an opportunity there, a chance to be on track more, things like that.
“But for one, I'm not very good in a Nationwide car. So it's no fun to go run in the car, run 15th all day long, beat up my confidence, then hop in the Cup car and do great with all the extra horsepower. That's one aspect to it.”
Also, unlike some of his fellow drivers like Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick, Johnson has no interest in becoming a car owner.
“I've had a lot of great opportunities from Nationwide, Truck, motocross, rally car, off-road teams,” Johnson said. “Especially as time goes on, there's more and more opportunities there. I don't want to do something, I don't want to enter into a business relationship or into another part of my professional career in an area that I don't have a lot of knowledge in.”
And perhaps most importantly, Johnson has clearly been terrific in a Cup car. Why mess that up?
“I'm finally good at something,” Johnson said. “Why dilute that? Why start doing a lot of other things, do it half-assed? I'm not saying in the future those opportunities would be more appealing if I wasn't driving a car. But just right now, man, I'm finally good at something. It's taken me 34 years to get to this point. I don't want to dilute it.
“I like having a little extra free time, spending time with my family, my wife, traveling a little bit, keeping some available kind of mental space so that when I get in the Cup car, I'm not irritated, whatever it may be. I think it kind of helps with the whole mindset I have, as well.
“I have plenty to do, but I'm not so overworked that I just have a short fuse and things frustrate me, that kind of thing. So I do also have three, hopefully four years of proving to myself that this formula's working really well and to not change anything. So all those things kind of add up.”
Add up to a Cup champion, for sure.
