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Judging Jimmie Johnson
10/27/2008Is Jimmie Johnson underappreciated by NASCAR Nation?
Yes!
OK, I just broke the cardinal rule of column writing - I gave you the answer without making you read all the way to the end. But, please, stay with me like you would the last 100 laps at Bristol.
Johnson is chasing his way toward history, which makes this a time for applause and respect for driver No. 48. He seems set to become the first to win three consecutive Cup championships since Cale Yarborough's 1976-77-78 hat trick.
This happening, let us remember, during a so-called "down" year for Hendrick Motorsports and its four Chevrolet teams. Measured, at least, by its own lofty standards, including victories in half of last season's races.
Those of us of sufficient vintage know Yarborough and Johnson are, in some ways, as unlikely a historical comparison as A.J. Foyt and Rick Mears would be in Indy Cars. Except, of course, they all won - BIG.
Yarborough was - excuse the expression, stocky in build - but a bulldog behind the wheel. His was a go-for it, win-at-all-costs attitude that stirred the emotions of fans and created action stories for the writers. He won 28 of 90 races during those three years - Hail Cale!
Johnson suffers by contrast in our contemporary celebrity-driven, entertainment-oriented society. His appearance reflects a, shall we say, more fitness-conscious lifestyle. On-the-track, it's more steady-as-she-goes in the Lowe's car - until it's time to GO. Consistency trumps controversy for Jimmie and, let's be honest, the points-racing age has fostered a different mindset.
I didn't like it when, as he zeroed in on the 2007 title, it got to be trendy for various commentators to bemoan Johnson's polished persona. Somehow, it was translated into being bad for NASCAR's popularity.
I suspect Johnson's impending rendezvous with Yarborough's mark will reignite the debate. It's a bad rap. Especially when it comes from those who don't understand the boxcars of Cale's time could be manhandled while today's wind-tunnel tweaked CoTs require a more delicate touch.
That says more about us - and how we judge real accomplishment - than it does about Johnson.
"When I was growing up in Southern California, NASCAR was so far away," Johnson recalled recently. "I would catch a few of the big races during the season. One of the names I did know when I was a kid was Cale's. I was a fan of Cale's as a kid growing up.
"I just loved his stocky attitude and even his appearance. The guy just had muscles all over the place. He was someone that let his actions on track speak for themselves."
Yarborough recently acknowledged the compliment.
"I went all-out every lap I ever raced in my whole career," Yarborough admitted. "I'd still be doing it today."
As for Johnson, Cale added: "I can appreciate what he's doing. He's got his head on straight and he's doing everything right."
Johnson, like Yarborough, was twice runner-up before claiming his first Cup. He missed by only eight points in 2004.
"In some ways, when I won in '06, I felt like my racing career was complete," explained Johnson. "I had everything in my mind set on being a Sprint Cup champion. Then to get it done, it was like, 'Wow. This is my life's work. It is everything I've worked for. It's here. It's done.'
"Then you wake up after the banquet and it's like, 'Wow, Daytona testing is right around the corner and I've got to go do this again.' So you find ways to motivate yourself after that. But since the first championship, I've been much more at peace with my abilities, and my team's abilities, and we're just in a sweet spot of sorts and just doing what we can and not living and dying by every emotion that comes along and only championships bring that calmness to a team."
True and legitimate comparisons of athletes of different eras - Jimmy Clark vs. Michael Schumacher, Babe Ruth vs. Henry Aaron, Johnny Unitas vs. Peyton Manning, Arnold Palmer vs. Tiger Woods -- are impossible.
It's no different with Yarborough vs. Johnson.
"The only thing I can say is Jimmie better be glad I'm not racing with him today," Cale laughed.
My advice: Just appreciate the opportunity to witness Jimmie Johnson being Jimmie Johnson.
[ Next column: November 10 ]
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(I.N. Sider is the pen name for an independent motorsports business-person who has a quarter-century of professional experience working in almost every major North American racing series. The writer is not an employee of Valvoline or Ashland Inc. The column is intended to inform, entertain, and stimulate thought on the contemporary motorsports scene. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Valvoline or Ashland Inc.)
BackAbout I.N. Sider
I.N. Sider is the pen name for an independent motorsports business-person who has a quarter-century of professional experience working in almost every major North American racing series. The writer is not an employee of Valvoline or Ashland Inc. The column is intended to inform, entertain, and stimulate thought on the contemporary motorsports scene. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Valvoline or Ashland Inc.