Jimmie Johnson Wins 4 Consecutive Title!

[Z77 3]

Johnson eases to record fourth consecutive title

By The Associated Press

November 22, 2009

07:42 PM EST 

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- 

Jimmie Johnson

 never let up in pursuit of a NASCAR record fourth consecutive championship.

This was no easy Sunday drive for the most dominant driver of this decade, even though Johnson needed only a 25th-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway to hold off teammate 

Mark Martin

 in the race for the Sprint Cup title.

"History, boys!" he shouted as he crossed the finish line. "How about some history!"

Instead, Johnson raced hard for 400 miles and even threatened to try to run down the leaders to better his eventual fifth-place finish.

Johnson gave team owner 

Rick Hendrick

 his own record, a 12th NASCAR championship, on a day that saw mighty Hendrick Motorsports take the top three spots in the final standings. Martin wound up with his fifth runner-up finish in the standings, while 

Jeff Gordon

 was third.

"I feel really, really blessed to have had a chance," Martin said.

Upon leaving his car in Victory Lane, Johnson thanked the fans, tears sparkling in his eyes.

"Man, it's going to take a while to sink in," he said.

It was a sometimes-testy drive into history for Johnson, who was at times annoyed at rival drivers and even Gordon, the mentor and teammate who helped him land his job with Hendrick Motorsports.

Nobody gave Johnson anything, either. The other drivers raced hard around him all day, making Johnson earn every point in a race won by 

Denny Hamlin

, who established himself as the driver to watch in 2010.

 

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson! 4 straight years as NASCAR's Champion! 

[WillR116 60]

Its not that I hate nascar just that I'm suprised that they have more of a fanbase left than just johnson fans and that there are many johnson fans left either. This is just getting to where Its pointless, 4 in a row? seriously?

[Z77 3]

I do have to say one thing, there isn't any new fans to NASCAR, so to speak. Most NASCAR fans are fans because their parents and their grandparents were fans. And, Believe it or not, but racing (not NASCAR, but racing in general) is one of the worlds oldest sports. So saying that NASCAR is a pointless sport is saying that the roman empire was pointless, etc. I myself have a father who stock car races, a 70 year old grandfather who still stock car races and i did (before college that is...) and i admit..there are times when i watch NASCAR, and i decide to watch the first 20 laps and last 20. Because it does get boring at times. But i have played basketball and American football, and BY FAR, racing has always been the greatest adrenaline rush i've ever experienced.

Oh, and btw. its actually not pointless that JJ won 4 in a row. NASCAR today is the most competitive its ever been. in the 70's people went out to their local car dealership and bought a Plymouth Superbird or a Mercury Cougar, Then spent all their money on the biggest engine they could buy. Nowadays everything has to be the same. So in theory, Jimmie Johnson has the same car as Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, and Kurt Busch. The only differences is the driver and that 1/1000 of an inch on the rear wing, or that 1/50 inch ride height difference...so for someone to win 4 in a row nowadays is nothing short of spectacular

[Meg 368]

NASCAR is on the list of things that elude me. They go around and around, and just for a change of pace, they go around again. But I'm told that actually racing is more exciting than just watching it.

Which makes sense to me. I find it more interesting to actually ski than to watch someone else do it.

[MattShizzle 11]

I've only been a NASCAR fan maybe 3 or 4 years and neither of my parents/none of my grandparents are (a couple uncles are.) I was kind of hoping Mark Martin could get one before he retires - though my favorite by far is Dale Jr. Only one I absolutely hate is Kyle Busch. He's reckless and a crybaby.

And for the haters, no I'm not a redneck. I've never even been in a trailer and I have a college degree (BS psychology.)

And yeah, Jimmie Johnson winning 4 Sprint Cups (yeah I know it wasn't Sprint Cup then, you know what I mean) in a row is as much an accopmlishment as an NBA team winning 4 championships in a row, or a baseball team winning the WS 4 years in a row, an NFL team winning 4 superbowls in a row or an NHL team winning 4 Stanley Cups in a row.

[Kryptowhite 9]

Yea, racing must be fun to do, but i don't find watching it particularly fun. I think it would be better if it was more like F1 [as in, not an oval] or need for speed haha.

of course i would be freaking out to much to enjoy the racing. Plus apparently its hellishly hot inside those cars?

[Z77 3]

Oh yes and like i tell people, you dont have to like it..its your choice. but in defense, would you rather watch basketball, or play it? how about soccer? or american football? It may be boring watching it, but that doesnt mean its not a great sport. in my opinion, i love racing fans. Because not only do they live and breathe their own sport, but they give others a chance. Many drivers play football with their freinds on off-season. You rarely hear a NASCAR fan saying "Baseball stinks!" Carl Edwards even broke his ankle playing frisbee! (Still dont know how anyone could do that....but its carl )

P.S. i dont go condemning sports, but...golf..? i really dont see a point in it....on tv or actually playing it. As a leisure activity to unwind...yes. as a sport..?

On another note, i found some statistics recently (dont really remember...but i can look them up) saying what the most watched sports in the US were. They definately tend to be biased, because NASCAR has the greatest hate followers who dont think that it is a sport... Heres an article i found on it.. (suprisingly doesn't seem too biased..)

NASCAR's rise

as our new pastime

The fifth major sport but second to the NFL on TV

By

 Aaron J. Moore

   For years, Americans had just four major sports: baseball, football, basketball and hockey.

   Now they have a fifth: auto racing--NASCAR.

   In just a very few years, NASCAR has grown up, shaken off much of  its regional country ways, if not its roots, to become truly a national spectator sport.

   "Absolutely, hands-down, NASCAR is one of the major sports," says Rick Burton, director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon.

   "In terms of attendance and sponsorship, it's right up there with the other big ones." 

   But where NASCAR's rising presence is most evident is in the size of the TV audiences it draws. Based on those numbers,

NASCAR ranks not as the fifth major sport but the second after pro football

  Its TV audiences are or ought to be the envy of its more established siblings.

More people watch NASCAR than MLB, NBA and NHL games. 

   And if the baseball strike does take place, as it appears it most likely will, with no speedy resolution, NASCAR may well be poised to become--heresy of heresies--America's new favorite pastime. At the least it is poised to make greater inroads as American's become even more disillusioned about the salaries paid to professional ball players and the rising prices fans must pay to attend a game.

   Among its other qualities, NASCAR enjoys in growing numbers what the other pro sports are losing along with TV viewers. That's fan loyalty.

   And those fans watch the races.

   Fox, which just finished up with its first half coverage of the NASCAR season averaged a respectable 5.8 rating.

   Major League Baseball, which also has its national games on Fox, is coming in considerably less at 2.6. 

   We see the same pattern comparing NASCAR racing to regular-season NBA and NHL games, along with the PGA Tour.

     The Memorial Day Coca-Cola 600 was an especially strong NASCAR showing, drawing more viewers than the NBA playoffs and the Indianapolis 500.

   Still, even with its great numbers, NASCAR faces some resistance when it comes to its acceptance as the fifth major league sport. 

   Much of it has to do with image, but it's also a matter of history and the ingrained loyalties that come with it.

  "NASCAR is still a primarily regional attraction, mainly in the South," says Don Hinchey, director of communications at the Bonham Group. "Also, it has not been around for a 100 years like baseball or 70 some years like the NFL."

    But Hinchey does admit that NASCAR is nonetheless on the cusp of acceptance, as he puts it, despite the two shortcomings he cites.

     To its advantage, NASCAR's lingering regionality makes it a better ad buy in some parts of the country, according to Jim Pounds, media director at Minneapolis based Periscope Marketing.

  But Pounds points out another shortcoming of NASCAR is its lack of home teams that are enjoyed by traditional sports like MLB.

    "A big difference between the two sports is that there is no home team for NASCAR," Pounds says. "The home town following has helped sustain baseball's popularity for advertisers."

     Nonetheless, NASCAR's recent successes have attracted new advertisers like Burger King, Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart to go along with its previous core group of GM, Dodge, Anheuser-Busch and Visa.

   And, regional or not, NASCAR inventory is moving fast. Fox sold out at record levels, with NBC and TNT picking up the second half of the season and doing likewise.

     An average 30-second spot for a NASCAR race goes for between $100,000 to $125,000. Advertisers have plenty of packages to choose from including spots for individual or multiple events.

    Buyers say the figures are considerably less than what it costs for an equivalent spot on Major League Baseball.   The recent Major League All-Star game earned a 9.5 on Fox, a 14 percent decline from last year, making it the lowest-rated game in history. 

   Just the same, a 30-second spot for the mid-summer classic went for more than $300,000.

     Baseball's problems, moreover, are making some buyers consider whether the sport is a good value.

   Tom DeCabia, executive vice president of PHD USA, says that baseball still remains a good way to reach male viewers,  but he says that could change in a flash if the players go ahead with a work stoppage.

   "With all of baseball's problems, it might make it a tough buy," DeCabia says. "It's not Fox's fault. They're doing a great job. All the strike talk is not going over well with advertisers."

     If the indifference toward baseball escalates or a protracted work stoppage takes place, could NASCAR be the next destination for some advertisers searching for a national sports audience?

      Burton does not believe all of Major League Baseball's problems will necessarily lead to greater support for NASCAR. But he says, "sponsors want to be associated with a great level of avidity amongst the fans of a sport. NASCAR has a strong group of avid fans while other sports like baseball might be losing some of that avidity."

 

 

Now if you go and find the article, yes its from 2002. BUT..since 2002 ratings have risen dramatically thanks to Nextel/sprint and their advertising (even if they are a HORRIBLE carrier...) along with the new chase format, foreign involvement, etc. Nascar also owns the Grand-am series, CASCAR, and the Mexican racing series, the Corona series. They are currently also trying to go greener, by replacing all carburetor engines with fuel-injection engines by 2011, and there are currently talks with Volkswagen to include them as another brand in NASCAR by 2012 (so there will be Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Toyota...*sighs*, and Volkswagen.) 

Hopefully the old slogan "win on sunday, sell on monday" is coming back

EDIT: Small details 

[MattShizzle 11]

The only thing that makes me want to smack someone is when they call poker a "sport" and have in covered by ESPN, etc. NASCAR is certainly a sport but playing cards is definitely not.

[Jezus53 18]

As much as I am not a fan of Jimmie Johnson, I respect him. For him to win 4 times in a row is amazing. But I'm waiting for the day we find out NASCAR manipulated the whole thing to try and make history to bring in more fans. You'll see, when Jimmie doesn't even make it into the Chase (which was a horrible idea) people will catch on. They'll ask, "How did a four time champ not make it in the top 12?" Soon investigations will start up and the whole story comes to light. Then Congress gets involved like in the steroid scandle and we waste thousands of dollars to pay congressmen to decide this instead of having them work on more important matters. YOU WILL ALL SEE!!!! Till then, congrats to Johnson! lol, oh how I love my conspiracies.

[Easy Bakes 253]

I hope this dont count as a i hate nascar post.

personaly im not a fan  and i dont watch it. i would watch if they would make  each car reverse direction after 100 laps.

but  is it realy  more popular becase thiers more fans or that its been promoted more and there are more races then thier used to be on national TV? + many more races then they used to be.

All at the expence of NHL

[Z77 3]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

I hope this dont count as a i hate nascar post.

personaly im not a fan  and i dont watch it. i would watch if they would make  each car reverse direction after 100 laps.

quote>

No it doesnt. Your opinion

But...in defense...there are road courses... take Watkens Glen and Infineon for Sprint Cup and add the Road course in Mexico for the Nationwide and ...... yup 

[ky72x 13]

I'm a Johnson fan, and it was great to see him get the fourth consecutive title... although part of me did want Mark Martin to win. All in all, congrats to Jimmie, and I can't wait for the Daytona 500 next February.

[Z77 3]

A little article i found on the topic...   (now this is a columnist's review so....ya...)

Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:17 pm EST

 

Forget   Kobe,  Tiger,  Brady;   Jimmie  Johnson  is  today's  top  athlete

By 

erson vcard:VCard" style="line-height: 1.22em; ">

Jay Busbee

On Sunday night, 

Jimmie Johnson

 clinched his fourth straight Sprint Cup championship, and in so doing cemented his place among the greats of the sport. But he's done more than that; he's now propelled himself above and beyond NASCAR. He's the most successful athlete currently competing right now, and it's not even close. 

Were this Tiger Woods snagging his fourth straight Masters, or Kobe Bryant clinching his fourth straight ring, or Tom Brady capturing his fourth straight Super Bowl, you'd be getting their greatness rammed down your throat 24/7. But this is NASCAR; the sports fan public knows they can't throw a pass 50 yards or hit a golf ball 300, but they figure they know how to drive fast and turn left. How hard could it be for Johnson to win some of those little races, huh?

Answer: plenty. Put aside the physical demands -- the intense heat of the car's interior, the physical strength needed to wheel a car for 500 miles. Even running a race -- to say nothing of winning one, or winning an entire season -- requires the mental discipline, ultrafast-twitch reflexes and utter, stone-cold fearlessness that only the best athletes possess. (And don't even start the whole "the car's the star, not the driver" nonsense. Equipment is a key element of every sport. When's the last time you saw a baseball player succeed without a

bat

, or a football player succeed without pads?) 

So, with the playing field leveled, let's break down why Johnson is the top athlete at work today. For starters, you could argue that the level of competition in every single sport right now is the highest it's ever been. Kids train practically from birth to play one sport; sophisticated training techniques make today's marginal athletes the equivalent of yesterday's All-Stars.

Even so, Johnson has established a four-year gap between himself and his nearest competitors that's greater than any other athlete in any other sport. Nobody in any league is a prohibitive favorite; even Tiger is vulnerable these days.

Plenty of people both inside and outside NASCAR are dismissing Johnson's accomplishments, and that's too bad. They're missing out on history here. Nobody else is riding as high these days, in any sport, anywhere. And anybody who thinks it's certain to end in 2010 ... well, didn't we think that coming into 2007, 2008 and 2009?

Bandwagoners, here's a heads-up: push aside your Yankees caps, Patriots jerseys and Cowboys jackets and make room for some of Jimmie Johnson's gear. (He's the 48.) If you're the type of person who wants to jump on board a proven winning train, you've got one right here waiting for you, ready to roll.

For everyone else, take a moment -- just a moment, that's all -- to applaud what Johnson's doing here. You're not going to see anything like this again anytime soon. 

 

 

[WillR116 60]

While I agree that Johnson is a great athlete, I am a motorsports fan but I have for the most part stopped watching NASCAR since they chase started, litterally New Hampshire 2004 was the first NASCAR race I've ever just flipped off. I run sim racing infact some guys I race with/against have competed against drivers like AJ Allmindinger and Parker Kligermann. I still avidly watch racing, mostly open wheel now however. I do not mean that the difficulty level is pointless just that when you win 3 in a row it starts to get old, at 4 in a row, its kinda pointless. Sure he isn't the greatest all time, he doesn't have those 201 wins to beat King Richard, he doesn't have the 128 poles to beat him either, nor 17 Most Popular Driver award to beat elliot or 8 championships to be Earnhardt and Petty. But at 4 championships there isn't too much left to prove really.

[Z77 3]

True true..My only finishing statement is look at those drivers that came from F1. Juan Pablo, Sam Hornish Jr., etc. Some have one championships in F1, some just want to be starting afresh. Not one has won a nascar race yet. (correct me if im wrong.. )Like i said earlier, i too, admit to it being boring at times. But i do see excitement when you have those 2-3 or more drivers racing side by side to the finish. Also, like i said, i come from a racing background so thats why i love the sport. i have stock car raced before. so im not one of those people saying that racing isnt a sport just because i dont think so. I see why NASCAR is a great sport, and for JJ to win 4 in a row is certainly amazing. Plus hes only 34. which means he has many more years to become even better. Or it could mean that after this year he is done. who knows.

Oh..and btw. Petty and Earnhardt won 7 championships....Just saying

Oh and on another side note, i read that Danika Patrick was thinking of joining Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide team. Don't know if it's true, but it is quite interesting.

And one more thing...I personally dont think anyone will ever beat Richard Petty in everything. maybe # of championships, or # of wins. But not beating everything he did

[Meg 368]

Okay, let's look at the definition of the word athlete:

a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.quote>

What is the physical skill involved in racing?   Does it involve physical agility, stamina, or strength?

I don't get it.

[fukuda 351]

It does. Most drivers suffer big physical and mental stresses when racing, it's normal for some to lose kilograms of body weight, and they wouldn't be able to concentrate for so long on driving without an impressive stamina either.

[Jezus53 18]

Originally posted by: Z77

Oh..and btw. Petty and Earnhardt won 7 championships....Just saying

quote>

By saying 8, simsamerica means he beat both of them. getting 7 just means he tied.

I do not mean that the difficulty level is pointless just that when you win 3 in a row it starts to get old, at 4 in a row, its kinda pointless.quote>

That's how I fell too. The Chase was also a bad idea that turned me away. I mean, if you're going to make it between twelve people then why have the other 31 drivers out there? Anyways, I kinda hope he doesn't win next year, and if he does that it's his last. That's not because I don't like him, but it's to save the sport. Look at the whole Bonds scenario with the Giants. They had large attendance numbers when he was breaking records, ratings were going up and merchandise sales were up. But once he broke the record, no one cared and everyone stop buying tickets and products. Even the Giants got rid of him! The same will happen in NASCAR. If he wins 1,2,3 more then people will go away, there's no point if he's always gonna win.

[ky72x 13]

My beef with the Chase is the fact that a driver can dominate and lead the points for the whole season and have their huge lead evaporate when it begins. Jeff Gordon really deserved the title in 2007, but Johnson simply outperformed him in those last ten races.

I also hope Jimmie doesn't win it again next year. He is my favorite driver, but I would really like to see someone else take the title.

[Z77 3]

True. i would love it if someone else one next year. But in my opinion, it will be a Hendrick guy again. Not counting JJ and not counting Dale Earnhardt Jr. (because, lets face it...he's done. he's part of the best team in NASCAR and he cant win a race.) So i believe Jeff Gordon or Mark Martin will win it. Then there's Tony Stewart. Only reason i say he might win is simply, he's gotten good, and he's using Hendrick chassis' and motors.

And with the chase..the only thing i think of it is that they either need to get rid of it or they need to stop changing it. I like it because it does bring competition closer together, but yes, they need to include all 43 drivers. All-in-all its a good system, they just need to stop changing it...

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: Meg

Okay, let's look at the definition of the word athlete:

a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.quote>

What is the physical skill involved in racing?   Does it involve physical agility, stamina, or strength?

I don't get it.quote>

race car driveing involves a lot of stamina, driveing very fast takes a lot of concentration on  all the things going on around you ( 20 other cars) at 200 MPH for 300-500 miles. It very hot in those cars,and they are very powerfull machines and difficult to control,  i may be wrong but i dont think they have power steering.

[Jezus53 18]

Easy bakes, I believe they do have power steering (I said they don't on a forum somewhere and a bunch of people corrected me). What they don't have is automatic transmission, which is kinda hard to think about when you are going so fast with other people inches from you. Also, it is physically exhausting to have those forces on your body for so long. Think about it. Most of the time they aren't going the same speed. They have to slow down for the turns and speed back up, sometimes that varies by more than 50 mph. Imagine going from 120 to 160 in less than 4 seconds for 3 hours. Plus having to stop in the pits, going from 45-60 mph to a sudden stop in between two cars with out hitting the other persons crew, then getting out of that spot as fast as you can with out hitting someone else. And back to the power steering, even with it, it is extremely hard to keep that steering wheel turned for so long at those kinds of speeds. Have you ever taken a tight turn at 60+ mph? You have to have a good grip on that thing. Well imagine doing that at 130+ mph every 10 seconds for 2-3 hours. That gets tiring. And if you just look at these guys after the race. They look like they've been running miles. Mark Martin looked like he lost all pigmentation after this Sundays race! I guess what we're getting at is, you can't be out of shape to drive these things. Sure none of these guys are in perfect shape, but look at linemen and Sumo wrestlers.

[Msprintz 25]

Originally posted by: ky72x

My beef with the Chase is the fact that a driver can dominate and lead the points for the whole season and have their huge lead evaporate when it begins. Jeff Gordon really deserved the title in 2007, but Johnson simply outperformed him in those last ten races.

I also hope Jimmie doesn't win it again next year. He is my favorite driver, but I would really like to see someone else take the title.quote>

In all respect Jeff was the legitimate champion in both 04' and 07', having accumulated the most points over those 36 races.

Which is why my dislike of the chase is similar, it puts more emphasis on mediocrity.  It's okay to run sub par at the beginning or middle of a season, because those last 10 races are all that matter. 

Either way Johnson is an impressive driver, and it's still an impressive feat.  I'd just be more impressed if it was under the pre-chase system.