(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Hopefully, the ride to Lowe’s Motor Speedway is not indicative of the weekend to come for Jimmie Johnson. While riding in his Chevy Tahoe with contest winner, Kimberly Hanson, who was chosen as the winner in the Quaker State’s World’s Worst Commute Contest, Johnson was part of a small fender bender that damaged the back of his SUV. In a humorous twist, Hanson had been quoted as saying, "I think accompanying Jimmie Johnson on his ride to work will be the best commute I’ll ever have."
Accidents aside, both on and off the track, Johnson's return to LMS comes as many see him as a near lock for the Championship title, but such resignation is short-sided. For all of Johnson’s touted dominance at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and intermediate tracks in general - his recent performances show that there is a weakness in the 48 team’s armor. Johnson has not had a top-5 finish at LMS since the Fall 2006 race. Though Johnson has an overall average finish of 9.1 at LMS, his average finish in the last five races has been only 16.9.
In the five previous years that the Chase has been in existence, no driver has been able to achieve an average finish of better than fourth to this point. This year, no only is Johnson accomplishing such a feat, but also team mate Mark Martin and rival Juan Pablo Montoya have similarly high average finishes.
Driver ratings reaffirm that the battle is still very much a three-way proposition with three of the top-5 spots for driver ratings going to Johnson, Martin, and Montoya. Johnson currently has a 133.4 rating to Montoya’s 123.8. Martin is fourth with a 113.0 rating. Johnson’s run last year and Tony Stewart’s 2005 Championship run round out the ratings at third and fifth spots.
With the shear competitiveness of this year’s Chase, the conventional wisdom that drivers can get away with one “Mulligan” is being proven wrong. Any slight problem by a member of the top four in the standings could change the complexion of the entire Chase.
That being said, in a rain delayed practice setting up for a night time qualifying session, Johnson laid down a 28.05 and promptly shut it down. Knaus met Johnson in the garage with a wide grin and a swagger, as the second place lap was a 28.30 from Greg Biffle. It looks like the 48 team will bring their 'A' game. The question is: what hand will lady luck deal them?
For more information on Southern California Motorsports, check out:
Johnson faces pit problems and debris cautions to keep the hometown party alive
Fontana more than just a Chase race for Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson, dog poo, pink tutus, and pompoms make for an eventful day in Kansas
Jimmie Johnson goes to Kansas hoping to avoid Kryptonite (Hint: The reference is regarding comments by Mark Martin)
Janelle Jalbert is a fan of a variety of racing formats and equally enjoys the history of the sport. Janelle grew up in an auto mechanic’s family and swears that there is carb spray running through her veins. She can be reached via email for both comments and story ideas. You can follow Janelle as the Southern California Motorsports Examiner on Twitter as @SoCalMotorsport.
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