Earlier this evening, David Ragan or whoever the UPS driver saddled with the route my domicile is part of may be stopped by with a box. Inside was one genuine Jimmie Johnson diecast, specifically his 2007 championship commemorative version (I’ll look for the 2008 car come next year at Infineon, given that its expected ship date is the end of April), autographed by JJ himself. So states the genuine certificate of authenticity certifying… uh, it’s a genuine certificate. Since the car was purchased from RCCA, I’m quite certain it’s the real deal. The signature, that is. The certificate is on its own. Anyway, the car is now mine.
It was also on sale.
This symbolizes as well as anything the relationship between NASCAR and Johnson. In any other sport, a team or individual winning the championship three straight times would be hailed as legend and immediately assigned a prime location in the pantheon of the gods. Johnson? Were the points standings not so clear there’d probably be a recount to see if someone’s math is off and it’s actually supposed to be Carl Edwards or Jeff Burton or Joe the Plumber at the championship awards banquet head table next month. Oh, it’s still Johnson? Drat. Well, let’s get this over with. Johnson is the least enthusiastically welcomed Cup winner since Chick Hicks in Cars.
Exactly what it is about Johnson that gives so many grand indifference seizures is a mystery. Certainly the early association with Jeff Gordon as a mentor at a time when Gordon was still Earnhardt Nation Enemy #1 didn’t help. But what’s the excuse now? His unperturbed nature no matter the situation? His envelope pushing — make that shoving, he goes at it so hard — crew chief? His drop-dead gorgeous wife? His secret stash of Bay City Rollers albums? (Okay, I made that one up. It’s actually Nick Carter.)
‘Tis suspected the fundamental reason Johnson’s popularity is lower than GM’s profits is how he can win seemingly at will. This is especially true come Chase time, during which if NASCAR was a reality show it’d be titled Jimmie Johnson and the Forty-Two Dwarfs. Oh, he might allow a smidgen of excitement somewhere along the line, dangling a carrot in front of the masses as a method of fooling people into believing someone else has a chance. He will then proceed to stomp on the carrot. Not to mention the rest of the field. When it’s winning time, it’s Johnson. No others need apply as the position is filled and its holder has no intention of moving on anytime soon.
Cheering for Johnson — which I freely admit I do — is the motorsports equivalent of forming a pep squad on behalf of Godzilla as he’s paying Tokyo a social call. He is the standard by which all drivers must measure not only their skill but also their raw desire to win. For the past three years they’ve all come up short. There is no indication of this changing anytime soon. Jimmie Johnson is already one of the greatest drivers in the history of NASCAR. What should frighten everyone trying to overtake him is his thorough disinterest in anything save continuing to feed his insatiable desire to be even greater.
I wouldn’t bet against him pulling it off.
And he's not done yet.
duh! With America $53 trillion in debt and the nincompoops in Congress with the help of tat FED (private bank) stickin’ another $2 trillion of debt in the stockings of the taxpayer this week…poor Jimmie will be riding a stick horse in 2011 cause the Detroit 3 will be call the California Bander Mo-Ped club.
You nailed it.
Hehe, great article. I totally agree. Johnson is a force to be reckoned with. I dunno about GREATEST in the history of Nascar, but definatly top 3. Pull out that 4th Championship win, and he is Number 1 for sure.