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Can Johnson and Knaus be Stopped at Four?
posted in: performance parts garage, news on November 23, 2009 at 09:31 AM
Unless you just got back from a mission on the international space station or you have been living with monks in Mongolia you are probably aware that Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus, and the entire Rick Hendrick organization wrote a new chapter in the NASCAR history book at the Miami-Homestead Speedway last night.
For Johnson and Knaus it was, of course, their fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Something no one else has ever done. For Rick Hendrick it was having team cars finish the year in the top three points positions, something else that no other team owner has ever done.
The Chad Knaus led team has taken the NASCAR Chase format and turned into a personal science project. They have, without question, the best equipment in the sport and Rick Hendrick hires the best people available. But it takes more than that. There are lots of other teams out there with good equipment and talented people.
The difference is the way these guys approach the entire season. They never try to lead the points before they have to. They look at the first 26 races as a preliminary to the real race. Just as a long distance runner doesn’t run his fastest right out of the starting blocks, the 48 team doesn’t peak until the last ten races of the year.
Look at the numbers. Over the course of the entire season Johnson’s average finish was 11th. If you count just the first 26 races he has an average finish of 12.7. In the last ten races, during the “Chase”, his finishing average jumps to 6.8. The team won seven races in 2009, four of those coming after the start of the ten race “Chase”.
If you throw out the 38th place finish that resulted from his crash in Texas, Johnson never finished lower than 6th during the “Chase”. That one bad race in Texas was also the only “Chase” race in which Johnson failed to finish on the lead lap. Over the entire season the 48 car completed 98.2% of all the laps.
By comparison, Mark Martin, who was Johnson’s closest competitor finishing second in the points, had an average finish for the season of just under 14th. He had 4 DNF’s to Johnson’s 1, and completed “only” 95.1% of the season’s laps. No one else was close.
It’s well known that Chad Knaus takes an extremely analytical approach to his job. He studies every detail of the sport and leaves absolutely nothing within his control to chance. And even when things occur that are beyond his control, like the early crash in Texas, he has a plan to minimize the damage to the points.
His system works almost to perfection and there is no reason to think that anything will change. Other teams would do well to study what these guys are doing and try to copy it as best they can. But they’d better get started because there’s also no reason to believe that the 48 team can’t do it again.
Is a fifth consecutive championship possible? A sixth? Dare we suggest a seventh?
No one thought it was possible to win four!
Comments
Rat Nest Garage
November 23, 2009 at 10:02 AM
From Jimmy to Jimmie, CONGRATULATIONS you’re the BEST.
Invader2187s Garage
November 23, 2009 at 10:09 AM
They make that out to big such a big deal that it’s 4 in a row. Agreed it is very good but without a doubt wouldn’t have happened under the old championship program. It happened under this new 10 race shootout which is totally different and not nearly as good in my oppinion. It takes someone that has raced good all year and docks them to make for a closer race in the end. Another screw up by nascar along with the many others over the last few years.
Rat Nest Garage
November 23, 2009 at 11:34 AM
You can’t say it wouldn’t have happened under the old format. I for one think they would have. They study the program and rules, then race accordingly. They played the Hands They were dealt, same as EVERYONE ELSE, and beat EVERYONE ELSE. Rules are Rules, Jimmie didn’t make’em, He beat EVERYONE ELSE with’em.
Invader2187s Garage
November 23, 2009 at 01:52 PM
Here are the standings going into the chase for the last couple years. There is no way he could have made up that points difference in 10 races. Sorry you can’t compare this BS system to the old one.
STANDINGS
2007 Official Driver Standings: Sharp AQUOS 500
Select Year 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 Select After Race 36 – Homestead 35 – Phoenix 34 – Texas 33 – Atlanta 32 – Martinsville 31 – Charlotte 30 – Talladega 29 – Kansas 28 – Dover 27 – Loudon 26 – Richmond 25 – Fontana 24 – Bristol 23 – Michigan 22 – Watkins Glen 21 – Pocono 20 – Indianapolis 19 – Chicago 18 – Daytona 17 – Loudon 16 – Sonoma 15 – Michigan 14 – Pocono 13 – Dover 12 – Charlotte 11 – Darlington 10 – Richmond 9 – Talladega 8 – Phoenix 7 – Texas 6 – Martinsville 5 – Bristol 4 – Atlanta 3 – Las Vegas 2 – Fontana 1 – Daytona
Sharp AQUOS 500 | Auto Club Speedway | Race 25 of 36
RANK +/- DRIVER POINTS BEHIND STARTS POLES WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 WINNINGS
1—Jeff Gordon 3679 Leader 25 7 4 14 20 5,164,580
2—Tony Stewart 3362 -317 25 0 3 8 17 4,814,200
3—Denny Hamlin 3335 -344 25 1 1 10 14 3,718,710
4 +1 Carl Edwards 3330 -349 25 1 2 7 11 3,285,710
5 -1 Matt Kenseth 3309 -370 25 0 1 8 16 4,520,330
6—Jimmie Johnson 3249 -430 25 4 5 13 15 5,072,400
7—Jeff Burton 3219 -460 25 0 1 7 12 4,591,140
8—Kyle Busch 3199 -480 25 0 1 6 14 3,379,040
9—Clint Bowyer 3047 -632 25 2 0 2 12 2,798,820
10 +1 Martin Truex Jr. 3042 -637 25 1 1 5 10 3,618,380
11 +1 Kurt Busch 3022 -657 25 1 2 5 9 3,809,430
12 -2 Kevin Harvick 3009 -670 25 0 1 4 10 6,032,250
STANDINGS
2008 Official Driver Standings: Pepsi 500
Select Year 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 Select After Race 36 – Homestead 35 – Phoenix 34 – Texas 33 – Atlanta 32 – Martinsville 31 – Charlotte 30 – Talladega 29 – Kansas 28 – Dover 27 – Loudon 26 – Richmond 25 – Fontana 24 – Bristol 23 – Michigan 22 – Watkins Glen 21 – Pocono 20 – Indianapolis 19 – Chicago 18 – Daytona 17 – Loudon 16 – Sonoma 15 – Michigan 14 – Pocono 13 – Dover 12 – Charlotte 11 – Darlington 10 – Richmond 9 – Talladega 8 – Phoenix 7 – Texas 6 – Martinsville 5 – Bristol 4 – Atlanta 3 – Las Vegas 2 – Fontana 1 – Daytona
Pepsi 500 | Auto Club Speedway | Race 25 of 36
RANK +/- DRIVER POINTS BEHIND STARTS POLES WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 WINNINGS
1—Kyle Busch 3755 Leader 25 2 8 15 17 5,443,890
2—Carl Edwards 3547 -208 25 1 6 11 19 5,597,120
3 +1 Jimmie Johnson 3386 -369 25 6 3 8 13 5,024,710
4 -1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3323 -432 25 1 1 7 12 3,522,740
5—Jeff Burton 3234 -521 25 0 1 4 11 3,879,540
6 +1 Greg Biffle 3159 -596 25 2 0 8 11 3,459,110
7 +1 Kevin Harvick 3132 -623 25 0 0 6 11 3,917,030
8 -2 Tony Stewart 3110 -645 25 0 0 8 12 4,621,440
9 +1 Matt Kenseth 3081 -674 25 0 0 6 15 3,962,590
10 -1 Jeff Gordon 3074 -681 25 4 0 9 11 4,118,040
11—Denny Hamlin 3065 -690 25 1 1 8 13 4,031,510
12—Clint Bowyer 2989 -766 25 0 1 4 12 3,252,120
Rat Nest Garage
November 23, 2009 at 08:15 PM
What was, was and what is, is. By some old rules a few years back, if you were caught stealing my horse, you’d be hanged by the neck until dead. insert the word car,for horse, and there’d be a whole lotta’ hangin’ goin’ on. If Jimmie and Chad would have raced by the old rules they would have done things accordingly, and so would all the rest but it’s not relevant, no more than saying, “If the dog hadn’t stopped to $h!+, it would have caught the rabbit.”
