Top-30 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers: Jimmie Johnson, first
To fully appreciate Jimmie Johnson’s sensational 2008 Sprint Cup season – one during which he matched Cale Yarborough’s record of three consecutive championships – go back to the start of the season.
He finished 27th in the season-opening Daytona 500, and after a runnerup finish in the second race at Auto Club Speedway in California, he was 29th at Las Vegas, 13th at Atlanta and 18th at Bristol. After the first five races of the season, Johnson and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team weren’t even in a position to make the 12-driver field for the Chase For The Sprint Cup, standing 13th.
Many were wondering what was wrong with Hendrick Motorsports, wondering if Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus had lost their edge.
Clearly, Johnson, 33, answered the critics. By the time his 2008 season was over, Johnson had seven victories, won more than $15.1 million and secured his third championship in a row.
During the offseason, SceneDaily is taking a look at the top 30 in 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points. Here’s how Johnson’s season unfolded:
By the numbers: Johnson’s season totals weren’t quite up to his 2007 numbers, but they still were impressive: seven victories, 15 top-five finishes, 22 top-10s, six poles. In the Chase, as has become Johnson’s calling card, he was even better. In the 10 Chase races, Johnson finished 15th or better all 10 times, with three victories and six top-fives.
Season highlights: There were plenty, clearly, with seven wins. But the moment of the year may have been a race Johnson didn’t win. At Atlanta Motor Speedway in October, Johnson struggled most of the race, while Chase rival Carl Edwards was out front. Running eighth late in the race, Knaus decided to bring Johnson to pit road for four tires under caution. Johnson restarted 11th with 11 laps left but charged to second, passing Denny Hamlin for the runnerup spot on the last lap.
Key setbacks: In addition to his early season slump, Johnson had a four-race stretch later in the year where he finished 13th or worse four times, including finishes of 30th at Richmond and 39th at Charlotte – where he had his lone DNF of the season. And Johnson’s struggles at Bristol Motor Speedway continued, as he was 18th in the first race and 33rd in the second – eight laps down.
Newsworthy moment: During the awards banquet in December at the Waldorf-Astoria, Johnson was surprised by Yarborough’s appearance on the stage to help celebrate the 2008 championship.
In his words: “Yes, I want to win a fourth championship. Right now, I’m just part of history. I’d love to make history. I’m not pulling a Babe Ruth and pointing over the outfield fence and saying I’m going to hit it over here, but, yeah, I want to win a fourth championship. We’ll see.”
