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Jimmie Johnson considers Tony Stewart one of season's biggest surprises
By SceneDaily Staff
Friday, March 20, 2009
Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson is 13th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
BRISTOL, Tenn. – When Jimmie Johnson reflects on the first four races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, he’s a little surprised by some drivers’ early success and others’ lack of it.
Johnson has been particularly surprised by the effort of the No. 14 team of Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner/driver Tony Stewart. Stewart spent his first 10 Cup seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing, where he won 33 races and two championships. He assumed the reins of an organization that prior to this year struggled just to field competitive cars.
But thanks to a trio of eighth-place finishes, Stewart is sixth in the standings and appears to have a legitimate shot at making the 12-driver field that will take part in the Chase For The Sprint Cup to decide this year’s champion.
“I think that the Stewart-Haas organization and what Tony’s been able to do, that is extremely impressive and shocking to me to be where they’re at,” Johnson said. “A lot has taken place in a short period of time for those guys, and [I’m] certainly happy for Tony. As we all know, he’s off on a small branch right now, and he’s doing a great job with it.”
Another competitor the three-time defending series champion has taken particular notice of is Penske Racing’s Kurt Busch, who is third in the series standings and has three top-10s, including a win. Busch, who claimed the series title in 2004 while driving for the team now known as Roush Fenway Racing, failed to make NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup last season and wasn’t a factor for the win in the majority of races.
“I think we saw him coming on towards the end of last year, and I think it’s great to see [team owner] Roger [Penske’s] team winning races and running up front,” Johnson said on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Food City 500. “When he was in a Roush car, every time that 97 [car of Busch] pulled on track, you knew you were going to have your hands full. They’re not necessarily a surprise. I think I saw it coming; I’m not sure if anyone else did, but I saw it coming.”
On the flipside, Johnson expected Roush Fenway’s Carl Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch to be a little stronger out of the box.
Edwards, last season’s undisputed king of the 1.5- and 2-mile tracks that make up the majority of the Cup schedule, has one top-five in three starts at such venues this season. Busch, despite winning the season’s third race at Las Vegas, struggled in the most recent event – the March 8 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta - where he was the defending race winner.
“I expected the 99 [of Edwards] on the mile-and-a-half tracks to be a little faster and probably the 18 [of Kyle Busch] for that matter,” Johnson said. “Even though he did win at Las Vegas, I just kind of expected to see those guys up there a little bit more and ourself, for that matter. I mean, I can’t leave myself out of it.”
Johnson, after all, has a season-best finish only of ninth and is 13th in points – not exactly up to par by his standards.
“We’ve led some laps, but I’ve made mistakes, we’ve had some bad pit stops, strategy stuff’s gone on, and we just need to clean up our act and put together a good race start to finish and get the finish we should,” Johnson said.
Mentioned Drivers: Jimmie Johnson
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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8 responses to "Jimmie Johnson considers Tony Stewart one of season's biggest surprises". Post a Comment.
Doug Yanak said:
Mar 20, 2009 at 5:19 PMI'm not surprised at Tony's immediate success! I would have made any bet on Tony. He's a class act that seems TOUGH! Tony brings talent and $$.
Report as AbusePut those two together and that's always the outcome! I'm waiting to SEE Tony and Ryan, 1 2 very soon. I hope!!!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportALLEN said:
Mar 20, 2009 at 6:54 PMIt has to be tough trying to fulfill all of the obligations that an owner driver has
Report as Abusebut being a great driver sure helps.I recall when Rudd did it and was able to have a few wins also.Great job Rooster !
Tony is a seasoned veteran and is up for the task. Good luck Smoke !
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» Confirm Abuse ReportDEBRA CHESSANI said:
Mar 20, 2009 at 8:44 PMI didn't want to say anything bout how the #48 has started out but since Jimmie said it for me, I will leave it at that.. He knows what he has to do.. I am a loyal Johnson fan and seems he starts out slow but ALWAYS GETS HIS ACT TOGETHER WHEN IT COUNTS... IN THE CHASE.. YOU Jimmie are gonna get back up there as long as you drive like you have the last three years.. CHAMP, YOU ROCK!! GO TEAM 48~ GOOD START FOR SUNDAY..
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJim Bayliss said:
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:56 PMKyle and Carl will be there at the end too. They are in there, just not as spectacular as last year, YET!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportPat Draper said:
Mar 21, 2009 at 8:57 AMWho gives a darn about what Jimmie thinks about Tony's start. The fact is that Tony is a racer from the get go. He loves racing anything on wheels and is good in anything he races in. So its no surprise that he has started out strong. Did anyone really think that he wouldn't???????????????????
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» Confirm Abuse Reportstarr webb said:
Mar 21, 2009 at 1:21 PMWho cares what Johnson thinks? It's no surprise to me where Tony is at in the standings. His 2 Championships tells us alone what kind of driver he is and he himself expects no less. He's added the title of Owner to his resume knowing full well what it entailed. The combination of both titles, owner/driver hasn't changed his driving abilities. He loves to race and does it well. So Tony, you have my support and with that a 3rd Championship in the nearer future.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportPhil Siders said:
Mar 21, 2009 at 11:08 PMI don't think there's a fan out there of Tony's that gives a rip about what Johnson thinks of Tony's success including myself. He did and is doing what we all expected of him and no less. 48, as far as I'm concerned is just a flash in the pan that happened to get a big break from Herzog (whom he left high and dry). He has peaked and now is plunged.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBruce Lassiter said:
Mar 22, 2009 at 1:06 AMI too, am not surprised by the sucess of Tony Stewart and his team. Tony is an excellent racer, smart guy and team owner, with a lot of business savvy. His two teams will do well.
Report as AbuseI am however, genuinely shocked and a bit upset about the performance and the start that the 88 team is having up to this point. I am a big Jr. fan and have been all his career. I would have "killed" for his daddy if anyone had said anything derrogatory about him in my presence....
I just don't get it. I really wish that Rick Hendrick would at least "try" another crew chief for a minimum of 5 races with the 88 team, and let's just see what would happen. (We may all be pleasantly surprised!) Then, if it didn't do any good, just go back to Tony, Jr. running the show again.... What's the harm in at least trying something different. (Look at Jack Roush - He darned sure isn't afraid to try anything new for the betterment of his teams, is he?)
Just a thought....
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