Clinching the Championship With a Win
Tuesday November 13, 2007
Jimmie Johnson could make NASCAR history in Homestead this weekend if he wins his fifth consecutive race. No driver has ever won five in-a-row in NASCAR's top series. A race win would also guarantee him the 2007 Championship.
If Johnson wins in Homestead he will join a very exclusive list of NASCAR Champions that ended the season with a victory. Here is every driver in NASCAR history that won both the Championship and the final race of the year.
Comments
JJ is a good driver no doubt, but I would also have to say he has the best of everything too. The more you are up front the better sponsors you have that is $$$’s. I wish more of the 43 drivers/Teams could put a win under their belts, right now only 5-6 win most of the time. However, through it’s history Nascar has always been that way 3, 4, 5, or 6 drivers are on top and the rest of the field are nothing more than field fillers. Whom would want go to the track and there is only 6 cars on the track? Irl is “almost” that way now.
Hey John:)\
Your right who would pay to watch 6 drivers?
My Biggest concern here is being in the top 35 in owners points means u always start a race.
The Chase would have never have been needed if that rule and free ride was gone.
Lets see JJ fails to qualify and sits out this week. OMG how fair would that be.
Oh wait the number 7 top qualifer isn’t in the race instead he’s being sent home because he’s not a top 35 good ole boy.
Bubba is in the garage laughing and smiles as he see’s him load up telling his boys “we would never had been racing today if NASCAR hadn’t stacked the deck for us”.
But that’s ok boys cause is isn’t about being fair or just its about being a good ole boy. Sponsers need to stand up to this because they are really losing sales when there drivers race weather they deserve it or not.I wont buy a product that isn’t being marketed and sold on a level playing field.
NASCAR needs to be sued by a few of these drivers sent home with fast qualifing times while the slugs that
Belong to the Red Neck Club Get to RACE!
HISTORY NEEDS TO CHANGE,
VOTE UNION FOR NASCAR!
John M’boy….
When the last place driver makes $45,000.00 x let’s say he qualifies in 20 races..
That comes to $900,000.00!
Ummmm!
Nascar needs to make racing a little more fair. Maybe they should limit how much money each team can take from sponsors, or even how much information sharing can go on between teams. Give them a budget that each team can reach and then see how fair it is. Now that would be real racing.
It’s easy to finish near the top every week when you have unlimited resources.
If one of your drivers was one of the “elite top 5″ drivers, you would not be complaining. My driver is not one of the top 5. That is competition.
Does JJ have the best of everything? Yep. It was earned. Let me explain.
How does JJ get the best of everything? Through engineering, sponsorship, research, teamwork. ALL these things are available to ALL teams. How do teams get these things and other teams do not? Choices.
If Rick Hendrick works hard to gather the funds to do the proper engineering, hire the proper team members (including the driver)invest in engineering, technical research and have the leadership to pull all this together, should that be held against JJ or anyone for that matter? Any team owner can follow the same path Rick Hendrick did. Most choose not to.
A few years ago, it was Jack Roush and Matt Kenseth. Even further back it was Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt.
I think more credit should be given to Rick Hendrick for what he has done. It is much harder to consistamtly win in today’s enviroment that it was, say 20 years ago. NASCAR has restricted teams much more today making competition much closer than it was 20 years ago. To be this dominant in todays enviroment is truely a work of talent.
As for union in NASCAR, man that would ruin the sport even more. Unions are why US auto makers are not profitable, why US airlines are not profitable. The only auto makers and airlines that are profitable are the ones outside the US / union enviroment. Years ago, unions were needed. Today’s enviroment, it just drives up the cost. Unionize NASCAR, don’t you think ticket prices are high enough? Sorry, I would not pay $500 for a race ticket.
1969rs you are right, I could not agree more. I am a Johnson fan, but I can remember years ago when it was Dale Sr. that was on top of the Nascar Circut,People complained then and they always will. I told someone a few weeks ago that I wish they would just do away with the points system altogether and let the guy who wins the most races win the cup. But guess what? They would still be B****** because Jimmie would be the Champion again. People can say what they want, but if he does pull it off I for one think he more than earned it…..
OK, let’s do away with Owner points spots and Past Champion spots . Let’s make everyone have to Qualify ! If you are not fast enough to make the field then BYB BYE ! Make everyone have to Qualify to make the field. Then we have an even playing field. NO FAVORITES !
Lou what you are missing is how much of that 900,000 does the driver get and how much does the team owner get? UMMMM
1962rs I am not complaining my driver is in the top 10.
Yes, Hendricks did go out and found great sponsors, which is great for him. Great drivers? Well that is an opinion. I think a great driver would be if you take him out of the best of everything car and put him in one of the bottom 35-43 cars and then see how well he drives. Research, testing, leadership, I am all for it. Let the mess with the chassis, tires, shocks, etc go back and use the factory body style and aero #’s of the cars, only thing be different use wings of course and standard air vents for cooling the breaks down.. If gm has better #’s oh, well let ford and dodge fix their #’s the next year. Maybe we can get better car shape for us also. Let the crew chiefs figure out how to make the car go faster.
I disagree with put on a limit on info sharing. However, I do agree put on a limit on how much money the teams should get from the sponsors. Other wise the smaller teams, and not so small teams would have to start merging with one and another or sell, or get outside people to buy in to the teams, OH WAIT that has already started to happen, what was I thinking?. The problem is the teams like HMS going to price the other teams out.
I also think they should get rid of the top 35 and make all teams qualify ever week. Every car race leagues, World of outlaws, nascar Indy grand prix, NHRA, and even the local tracks have a point system always has, which is good, so they need a point system just get rid of the top 35 owner stuff. Get rid of the point system, people do not stop and understand it what got the chase crap started in the first place.
1969rs I don’t have a thing against JJ, I like him, he is a good driver, I just not judging him to be the best out there when all he has is the best, put him in a not so good car and see how he drives. Will he win then? Probably, not just see how he does with what he has.
John, you may have hit on something….
I think we should send your idea to Humpy for ideas for his May races at Charlotte.
He could start all 43 drivers, and at the half way point, everyone pits, drivers get out of the car and the car numbers are placed in a hat. Each driver pulls out a car number and that is the car they race for the remainder of the race. If Kyle Petty draws the 48 car, he finishes the race driving the 48. If Jeff Gordon draws the 7, move over Robbie, get a booster seat as Jeff’s driving.
Then we’ll see if it is the driver or the car.
Oh Boy here we go again with the Union thing, why the automakers not making profits. Unions have their place while some unions do abuse their power I think. Prime example the Union at Boeing here in Seattle. Every four years they go out on strike, After two days they show the strikers whining they don’t have money to buy food, and we suppose to feel sorry for them. Then when the strike is over Boeing pay them thousand to go back to work, so they don’t loose much if not anything at all. Then some say wish it lasted longer, I may not go back for a week or two. I know they want the best for their group but sometimes they lack common since too. I mean if union people rather shut down a factory instead of dropping some benefits or pay to keep a company folding that is stupid. No one wants to take less but having a choice and dropping a few dollars and have a job or be stupid and have no job at all.
Other countries automakers and airlines making money well yea, then again they most, don’t pay anything either. Why automakers not making any money here? Well when people go and buy cars and trucks made elsewhere, and now put together here, people pay more for them instead of buying us brands, that’s a no brainer too, don’t sell as much don’t make as much. Don’t give the thing their cars have less problems, EVERY car has problems. Some people rather pay $600 to get their Toy fix then spend half that amount to get their US brand car fix with the same problem.
1969rs would that be something, LOL. There is some good drivers out, I still like the old drivers, they race what they had and they was good. They did not cry (well petty did some crying) when someone touch them, they may got even, lol but did not cry.
Wash state, I have had the oppertunity tour an American auto assembly plant recently. I followed the assembly of a very popular truck from the chassis to finish. I was totally amazed at the inefficiencies I seen all along the assembly process. Example; one section a girl sat reading a magazine and every three minutes she would get off her chair for 20 seconds and place six rubber bushings into six locations on the chassis. Then she sat down for another three minutes reading her magazine. At the next station, another girl (also reading a magazine) would get up, turn those six rubber bushings over, then place six bolts thru those rubber bushings. THAT WAS IT! Couldn’t that job be done by one person? Maybe then those two people would actually spend more time working and less time reading a magazine. These inefficencies were seen all down the assmebly process. I spoke to someone afterwards who has had the oppertunity to tour other US auto assembly plants. The same thing happens there as well.
Why are not these inefficencies corrected? Unions.
What happened to the days of working hard and getting paid for it?
I tell you, I don’t know if I be able to sleep at night now or not for worrying, For the elephants or for Paris Hilton. I just read that elephants get drunk in India. Paris Hilton said they have to keep alcohol away from them because it’s dangerous. I think this is more important than the chase.
1969rs that problem is not only happens in a union, my friend. The last union I was in if we did anything like that we was canned and the union would not back us for being stupid. If we don’t have anything to do we had to go help someone eles, we all knew everyone else jobs if they need help. That was in the contract. Is that rare for a union shop? maybe but the place I am at now you could sware it’s a union shop, but it is not.
I don’t think jeff gordon will try to win the race sunday, when he gets down he usally does’nt put much heart in his driving. I have noticed this in the past he does well when He is leading and he seems to give up when he feels beaten already.
JJ is going to do the same thing he did last year and Tony the year before that; maintain just enough position to win the championship. It kinda makes that aspect of the race boring. Bifle has won every Homestead race I’ve been to. It’s spooky.
Well we sparked some life here atleast:)
1969r Might I take a guess your real name is Chad:)
My Point wasn’t to Promote or not to promote Union’s.
It was infact to Make people aware that NASCAR has rules in play that are old unfair and Have nothing to do with how someone managed there teams/sponsors.
Bottom line is your not going to sit at a table playing poker if you know your not going to be around to play after
everyones showed up and your not on the
top 35 list.
Wait you might because theres alway away to cheat.
The casino will pay you just for showing up and charge 10% more on ticket prices to cover that cost.
Thats fair right!
Make em all earn the right to RACE>
QUALIFY not for a pit stall but a place in the race.
Very nice boobman. ?
Man licker – I highly doubt you could show me anything about life. I have seen / lived it all.
wasington state – guess they need to shut down Ford / Chevy / Dodge assembly lines, because they are all packed with the crap I explained. It is a shame that some people do not take the pride in thier jobs like you do anymore. Many feel the company “owes them something”. Don’t we owe our company something for hiring us and investing in us? After seeing the assembly plants, then shortly after, hearing that they were going on strike, I was astonished.
Whew, sorry Steve, we really veered off track this time!
The championship is a lock for Jimmy. He has momentum, and everything is clicking perfect for him. Highly doubt anything earth shattering will happen in Miami this weekend.
I am not a Jimmy fan, but I admire his talent and the team that Rick Hendrick has assembled. He has the formula right now and with adding Jr. to the stable next year, they should have a strong year in 2008 as well.
Hats off to champ JJ.
1969rs I have no doubt they do that, and it’s a shame too. My example was the Lazy B’oeng here in Seattle. B’s union abuses their power, their problem (one of many) was years ago they wanted high wages for their people and they didn’t worry about the future I.E. retirement fund, they wanted their money NOW. Now when the majority of them getting to the age of retirement, they discovered they won’t get much, and they say what happen it’s unfair. That was the strike two years ago. (read my last comment #11, some wanted a longer strike, and they get Thousands to go back to work bonus) Where as the union I was in when we negotiated contracts we didn’t get as much of a pay raise the Lazy B did but we made sure they funded the retirement for us, so we have something to fall back on. Because of the B’s union, they make it hard on the rest of the unions here. People that live here beginning to tire of the stuff the B’ union stuff, and stop feeling sorry for them, because of that it’s making it hard on the other unions when they do have a legit complaint, they all think as well in you all unions are all the same.
1969rs, as I said before I have no doubt you seen this stuff, what I am saying Not all Unions work that way, maybe they are in far in between, like not all nonunion shops work in efficiently. The place I work in now you could swear it’s a union shop as you mentioned. By the way the myth of all union people get well paid w/ benefits verses the nonunion, Although the place I work now has it’s problems with people attitudes as mentioned, I get paid more now than the union job I had, go figure.
Yes, I do agree with you WE do owe the companies for hiring us, good hard work.
Ok enough of the union stuff.
Just think, I put my comment in there to speak up for the guys at the bottom of the list so they would have a better chance of winning. MY MAN IS IN THE TOP FIVE!!! GO TONY!!
If I was going to say who is one of the best drivers out there today. Although I hate myself for it and kick myself for saying it. I would say the spoiled Kyle busch kid. I can’t stand him or his brother they need go back and grow up some. However when he drives the #3 car in the hendricks stable and still places like he does he is a good driver. True #3 car with HMS may have more funds then #1 car with another team. Still I can’t stand the bucsh kids or the flash in the pan #9 kasey kane.
Here is my way to improve the race.
1) Do away with the chase. Go back to the old system (see # 7).
2)Put money caps on cars. That would make more of a even playing field, let the crew chiefs use their head for more spead and power instead of buying it.
3)Do away with the Guarantee 35 spots, Not fast enough in time trials don’t race.
4)Suspend drivers that whine or belly ach if someone bumps or touches them. Hey, it’s racing not fast enough get out of the way or get knock out of the way.
5)Suspend drivers if they whine or belly ach because they got bump or touched, Again it’s racing when you drive a few inches apart things do happen!!!
6)Automaticly start of Every season and the Midway point either suspend or fine ALL crew chiefs because THEY ALL cheat one way or another.
7)Do away with the chase, give all newbie’s fans a test and make them understand what and how the point system works. (see #1)
8)Do away with the cot crap. The bodies should look like the cars on the show room floor plus a wing.
9)Make the winning purse for first place be at least $100,000 more than second place. Second place be no more than $100,000 and big drops for third all the way to 43. Maybe some will try harder to win.
10)Either have split screens or less commercials right now the race and commercials times are just about 50/50.
11)NASCAR let them race.
12)Drop the ticket prices at the tracks maybe the tracks will sell out again.
13)Nascar stop putting stupid rules in.
14)Nascar stop having 5-15 lap yellows, if it’s raining or it’s raining a few miles out and heading towards the track don’t start the race, (that’s why you have radar there, if you don’t use it get rid of it or pay someone knows how to use it) stop this yellow flag crap so you can get the halfway point then call the race.
The driver only gets part of the winnings.Base salary plus 40-50% of winnings.
It’s easy for the Hendrick Team to win when they have help from the sanctioning body.
HarleyPilot, I’ve been saying this for 2 years—I am a Tony #20 fan—there were a couple races he didn’t qualify in the top 43, but made the race on owner points—that’s not fair. JJ & #24 weren’t allowed to qualify that one race, but was in the raace because of owner points—again, not fair. I say you have to qualify, and the best 43 cars for that race make it. End of discussion.
I like Gordon, Johnson, Stewart, and Dale Jr.. One will win the championship, but not Homestead. I think Stewart’s and Dale Jr’s BAD LUCK will end with this race. Anyway, I’ll be watching in case they pull it off.