Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin take different paths toward winning 2009 Cup title

By Mike Hembree - Associate Editor

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson (left) talks to teammate Mark Martin at Richmond International Raceway in September.

Mark Sluder
NASCAR Scene

RSS Feed
Email to a Friend
Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size RESIZE
Share
- Facebook
- Del.icio.us
- DIGG This
- Reddit
- Newsvine
- Stumbeupon
14 Comments

How many times has Mark Martin gained more than 108 points on Jimmie Johnson?

Championship battle may not be tight, but Chase still has some intrigue

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Although he is an overwhelming favorite to win a fourth straight Sprint Cup championship Sunday, there is no slowdown in Jimmie Johnson.

He said Thursday he can’t wait to get to Homestead-Miami Speedway Friday to start practice and prepare for Sunday’s Ford 400. He doesn’t consider the championship a lock, although he’s 108 points ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin, the only other driver with a shot at the title entering the season’s final race.

Johnson said his recent experience at Texas Motor Speedway, where an early-race crash and poor finish allowed Martin to pull closer to him in the point chase, is a solid memory going into the final race.

“Luckily, Texas is still really close in my mind and something I think about,” Johnson said Thursday afternoon. “Because of what happened in Texas, I’m not letting my guard down, and I think about the ‘what-ifs.’ I’m trying to keep the same mindset and focus I had in Phoenix [during a race win last week]. It’s really that mentality. I’m dying to get to the race track. I’m worrying about qualifying trim and race trim. I’m eager for tomorrow [Friday]. It will help getting in the car and getting a feel for the track and the tire.”

From practice through the end of the race, the weekend will be “all business,” Johnson said.

“I am out of emotion,” he said. “There is no emotion. It’s all business. It’s all about putting down the best lap I can Friday and doing the best job I can Sunday. It’s all business this week.”

Martin, still in search of his first championship, said the year has exceeded his expectations regardless of Sunday’s results.

“I didn’t know if I could compete against Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming into this season,” he said of his three Hendrick teammates. “But I knew that I was going to give it everything, my whole heart. But I didn’t know for a fact that I could measure up to those guys in their prime.”

Asked about his place in the history of the sport and the general respect with which he’s viewed despite never winning a title, Martin said: “My record does not stand up against the greats in this business. I just want to be a winner. Just a winner. That doesn’t mean a career or at Monopoly or Scrabble. I just want to be a winner. And I’ve worked really hard to be that.”

Martin said he has never attempted to steal a championship “using a mask and a gun, but I’ve tried to work hard for it.”

Team owner Rick Hendrick is in the best position. He will come out a winner no matter what and will set a NASCAR record with 12 national touring series championships, including nine Cup titles. Hendrick could also become the first team owner in NASCAR history to sweep the top three spots in the standings.

“I would have to say this is probably as good as it gets,” Hendrick said. “You know, to have the three cars in the points where they are right now, having the championship as owner going into Homestead already secured, we've won a lot of races, and this has got to be as good as any season we've ever had.”

RSS Feed
Email to a Friend
Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size RESIZE
Share
- Facebook
- Del.icio.us
- DIGG This
- Reddit
- Newsvine
- Stumbeupon
14 Comments

Comments

14 responses to "Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin take different paths toward winning 2009 Cup title ". Post a Comment.

1

4EVER3 said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Be good if Mark could get it.Reckon we'll know soon.
2

bigj said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 5:20 PM
hope JJ gets taken out earl enough for MM to win the championship...go Mark
3

minkee2 said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 5:33 PM
GO JIMMIE!! 4-IN-A-ROW!!
4

karnevil9 said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 6:54 PM
I know Mark Martin is the sentimental favorite. I know he's on the down slide of his career. I know how old he is. I know he's never won a Cup Title, Etc..... I know and understand all of this and more. However he's not in Jimmie Johnson's class. Never has been and never will. As a matter of fact no one is. It's nothing to be ashamed of or to be depressed about. Embrace the 48 for all that it has been able to do and and gaze with wonder at perfection in motion.
5

deyanak said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 7:57 PM
number 4 maybe you should go and see if you can find any class, you lack social grace and the skills associated...
6

lady6nascar said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 7:57 PM
#4 i don't know nothing about you. But jj is not Mark and never will come close.Mark came up through the ranks.And hes earn every thing a driver could earn. Question how long have you been in this sport?
7

dtk1952 said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 10:06 PM
#4, you are right. Mark is not in the same class as JJ. He is way ahead. Remember, Mark is the IROC king, where all the cars were the exact same. The IROC series was more driver influenced then NASCAR is. JJ is where he is because of Chad, without Chad, I doubt that JJ would be there. Also without this dumb Chase format JJ would have only one championship. I have nothing against JJ, but facts are facts.
8

amcdill said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 10:47 PM
At least Mark Martin raced his heart out every race. I lost all respect for Jimmy Johnson after the Talladega race. He rode around at the back of the pack all day. That's not racing. Mark Martin is a true champion in my book.
9

dirtcar26 said:
Nov 19, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Jimmie does have talent. Mark does have talent. Both have lots, but i like the IROC remark(equal ground). there are days when i think Chad K. could take a blind retarted monkey to victory lane. Personally im a huge Martin fan on and off the track but according to guys like Jimmie and Tony and other greats of today, Mark's desire to teach is why they drive as well as they do.
10

Rainier said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 8:14 AM
Jimmie and Mark are both great drivers. Mark is the best to have never won the Cup in my opinion, but there are some facts to face. One being that Johnson has 7 more wins at the Cup level in 467 less starts. That's 13 seasons of 36 races less opportunity to achieve 7 more wins. Thats almost an entire career. Also, Johnson's winning percentage is 15% and Martins is 5%. Excuses can be made all day about why Johnson is successful, but facts are facts.
11

bhstoneman said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Nos. 5, 6, 7 & 8, you are entirely correct. Jimmy Johnson is far from being the best driver out there. If Chad ever decides to work for someone else, Johnson had better try to go with him, because he is the one good enough to keep Johnson winning. Jeff (and I am NOT a fan) and Mark are the best drivers Hendrick has.
12

trtruckin said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 12:06 PM
You Jimmy haters can whine all you want but the man has "talent". Suppose monday you'll all be crying harder as he becomes the first in history to win 4 Championships in a row. You don't do that by being mediocre. Yes Chad has a lot to do with Jimmy's success, but if Jimmy doesn't tell him the right things then Chad can't work his magic? So the talent is there!!!!!!
13

karnevil9 said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Thankfully this Nascar season is drawing to a close, because frankly I'm tired of reading and hearing the lame excuses. You 48 haters can't have it both ways. So which is it? Is it that the Jimmie Johnson is only as good as Chad Knaus or is it that the Chase format is unfairly tilted in Johnson's favor or is it the ever popular. He only wins because he drives the best cars? Now which is it? You can't have it both ways. After Sunday you all will have a few months to regroup, put your collective empty heads together and come up with something new and original for 2010, when he wins his 5th.
14

dirtcar26 said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 2:53 PM
Yes there is no reason to hate Jimmy. Especially if you're a Martin fan. A side from Jimmie's better,much better, stats they're 2 peas i a pod of the track. As a Martin fan i hear hate all the time from clowns. Dont give them the stick from your poop Jimmie fans, he is as classy of the track as they come and as talented on the track as they come. GO MARK!