Support » SCENE-please remove inappropriate photos of the dead/horrific
Meg, I liked the flowers, too! Especially the gold/yellow one. I would much much rather look at those than the wrecks. I opened one of the wrecks and ignored...
Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus on track for Chase run
By Rea White - Associate Editor
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Jimmie Johnson (left) talks with crew chief Chad Knaus earlier this season.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus know how to play the game in NASCAR's Chase For The Sprint Cup.
The two-time defending Cup champions may not have enjoyed their traditionally strong season to date, but they are starting to show some awfully familiar signs of strength these days. If there's anything certain about Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports crew, it's that they know how to shine in the Chase.
If things go as they have in the past, this two-win streak the team is on is simply the beginning of a run toward the top in the standings. While it will not be easy to pick off the men ahead of him - Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch with eight wins and Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards with six – it's clear that Johnson and his team are in the best shape they've been in all season.
Johnson is more comfortable with the new model car being used in all races this season, the team is more confident in the changes it is making to it, and the results are showing it. The team has finishes of seventh or better in six of the last eight races. They've won three in that stretch - pushing their season tally to four – and also have a runner-up result and third-place finish in this current run.
So as the team prepares for the final 10-race run to the championship - a stretch of races in which they won four times last season - they are feeling fairly confident about their chances for a third straight title.
"Momentum is certainly something we are looking at and trying to carry, but more than anything, I think we are just confident in our stops and what I'm doing on the track and the way we can adjust on the car," Johnson said after winning Sunday at Richmond. "We even showed up [at Richmond] a bit off in practice on Friday and worked throughout the practice and got it right. So very, very proud of the effort."
Johnson is only 40 points behind leader Busch in the standings now that the field has been seeded based on a system that awards 10 bonus points per victory in the season's opening 26 races.
He admits that the closing of the gap - he entered Richmond 369 points behind Busch - has further boosted confidence for his group. But he's not taking anyone lightly. He looks over the field and sees a lot of top teams that can strike quickly.
He's also dodging talk that his team could be a Chase favorite and trying to focus on performance.
Johnson says it's hard to tell, right now, exactly what type of run it will take to snare the championship.
"You just don't know," he said. "From my standpoint, you don't have a clue until five or six [races] in what that average target is going to be. You get through the first five and do all that you can, and you kind of look around and say, all right, this is what we need to do, and then you go for it from there."
Busch agrees. Both are veterans of the past three Chases and know how things can change. Last year, it took an average of finish of fifth to win the title. The previous season it seemed as if every contender had a bad race somewhere in the stretch, lowering that mark.
"I think it's going to come down to the wins if you can get some and the top-fives, of course and on the bad days. Everybody says you have one or two mulligans, which it's hard to say, but would you rather not have to use those up? But whatever comes back the best with some of those is going to be the key, too," Busch said.
For now, though, Johnson is trying not to think too far ahead. He's trying not to think about the possibility of becoming only the second driver in NASCAR to win three consecutive championships, but to take things one race at a time.
But after a season in which the wins were harder to come by than they were last year, the team has made the dream of a third championship a possibility.
Can they continue the turnaround and turn this into a championship season?
"Now it's becoming more of a reality," Johnson said. "Still, the less I can think about it, the better I'm going to be. The less I can think about all of the stuff that's coming up in the next 10 races, the better I'm going to be and just fall back into the confidence that I have in my race team and my abilities and the confidence that we are bringing to the track and give 100 percent.
"If you show up and you're swinging for the fence every time, you're going to make mistakes. With the way the pack is running, especially the 99 [of Edwards] and the 18 [of Kyle Busch], you can't show up and run at 80 percent and just hope that a top-10 is going to get the job done. You have to show up and bring your A-game each week.
"I feel confident that we are there, now, and that we can run with these guys."
Mentioned Drivers: Jimmie Johnson
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6248 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -184 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -192 |
| 4 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -239 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -279 |
| 6 | Kurt Busch | -312 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -340 |
| 8 | Ryan Newman | -402 |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | -414 |
| 10 | Carl Edwards | -437 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | -448 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -556 |
Popular News
-
Hendrick Motorsports' Dale Earnhardt Jr. eager for return to Texas Motor Speedway
Comments (138) -
Richard Petty Motorsports' AJ Allmendinger charged with driving while impaired
Comments (73) -
JR Motorsports continues work on bringing Danica Patrick to NASCAR
Comments (69) -
NASCAR says bump-drafting rules not to blame for single-file Talladega racing
Comments (67) -
Dave Rogers to become Kyle Busch's new Cup crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing
Comments (64)
Recent Headlines
-
Nationwide penalty likely for opening-day violation by Kyle Busch team
Comments (6) -
Kyle Busch pulls off Texas two-step by winning Nationwide race
Comments (9) -
Oklahoma teacher named Dickies American Worker of the Year
Post Comment -
Roush Fenway Racing's Donnie Wingo set to return to organization for 2010 NASCAR season
Post Comment -
Toyota executive addresses Formula One decision, Earnhardt Ganassi possibility
Comments (6)
Poll PositionView All
Which NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner from the past two seasons is most likely to earn his first victory of 2009 in the next three races?
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.
-
Cast your vote for the NASCAR Illustrated 2009 Person of the Year, presented by Old Spice.
-
Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.
Comments
11 responses to "Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus on track for Chase run ". Post a Comment.
Irene Macfie said:
Sep 9, 2008 at 10:10 AMI am hoping Jimmie can do it again this year.
Report as AbuseGo Jimmie!
Report 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 Reportgwen thompson said:
Sep 9, 2008 at 11:10 AMThis is really going to make it more exciting. We know there are 3 but there will be more I do believe. Chad is one smart guy and so is Jimmie. With the personality A and B, heck so what, it makes a fantastic team. They do it everytime. As long as the engine is GOOD,they know how to make it work. LOOK OUT KYLE BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE CHAD AND JIMMIE KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR. Oh this is going to be GREAT. Really, we got Jeff and JR., man I want all of the HENDRICK GUYS TO DO AS THEY HAVE DONE. LET'S GO GUYS. 88-48-24=(16+2=18)kb. LETS BRING THE CHEVY TO VICTORYLANE HOMESTEAD.yea!!!!!!!
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 ReportAnna Fie said:
Sep 9, 2008 at 2:41 PMJimmie Johnson will always be my favorite driver. You can't always win, but wouldn't it be wonderful if Jimmie could win the 3rd championship? I really believe he can do it if he does as he said in his comment I just read. This would make him the second to win 3(three) years in a row and I think noone deserves it more than Jimmie. There are alot of good drivers, but Jimmie stands out and I would like to see his name go down in history as one of the greatest drivers ever.
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 ReportAshley said:
Sep 9, 2008 at 2:44 PMNot a big fan of the 48 because I wish the driver would show his (apparently very engaging & funny) personality more... But the one thing you cannot fault Jimmie on is his talent. Yet very single bit of that talent would go to waste if not for Chad Knaus-- who is simply the shrewdest, most talented Crew Chief in Nascar. With only 40 points separating Jimmie from Shrub... This Chase is far from over.
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 ReportHELEN FORD said:
Sep 9, 2008 at 2:53 PMI, too, am a Jimmie Johnson fan and I think he and Chad are the very best team in the garage. Kinda like Ray and Jeff until Ray jumped ship........go for it Jimmie....you would aready have 3 or maybe 4 if Nascar had not kept changing the rules........good luck and God Bless my man............
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 ReportPat Draper said:
Sep 9, 2008 at 3:40 PMI am not a Johnson fan infact i don't like any of the Hendricks yes that right folks even Jr. I still say Hendrick has nascar in there back pocket. I just don't have any respect for a cheating crew chief like chad. He has been caught 3 times in the last few years but still everyone thinks he's so great. Well if you have to cheat to be great then more of them should do it.
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 Reportrobert mcleester said:
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:03 PMim a dale jr fan but i think jimmy is the man to beat in the chase. can you say champion for the third time.
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 Reportbeth emerson said:
Sep 10, 2008 at 6:48 AMI also am a Jr fan. but I di not like Chad at all. He is a cheater always has been and always will be.
Report as AbuseI like Jimmy very much but Chad should be out of racing cheater. I do not think Jimmy will be a 3 time winner. Not goona happen. Also folks all one the other guys has to do is get on a hot streak.
You better watch out cuz someone else is gonna come from behind and shock ya all.
Report 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 Reportsally whan said:
Sep 10, 2008 at 9:38 AMI AM A ONE HUNDRED PERCENT JR FAN AND STILL LIKE JIMMIE AND HOPE HE CAN WIN IF JR CANT...AND AS FAR AS CHAD GOES THERE IS NOT A CREW CHEIF THAT DONT TRY TO CHEAT AND SOME GET CAUGHT AND SOME DONT..I HOPE ALL THE HENDRICKS GO FOR THE CHASE AND CAME IN ONE TWO THREE FOUR...GO GET THEM YOU GUYS
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 Reportbeth emerson said:
Sep 10, 2008 at 10:10 AMI disagree with you Sally not all crew chiefs cheat. Chad has gotten caught 3 times. I dont care who the crew chief is if they cheat and get caught they should be out.
Report as AbuseI was raised to believe that cheating is wrong. I dont want my guy out there driving doing his best and because dumb crew chief cheated my driver got sc----d.
Grow up get a life not all chiefs cheat but Chad does and will contiue till they dump him for good.
Report 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 Reportbrenda fetterman said:
Sep 19, 2008 at 1:10 PMWould love to see Jimmie get a 3peat but if that doesn't happen then I'll take JR or Jeff. Love the HMS giys.
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