Jimmie Johnson has displayed the ability to be in the right place at the right time. By pacing himself throughout the race, and giving his crew chief appropriate feedbac
An indication of a great racecar driver is winning races without having the dominant car. That is exactly what NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson has accomplished in his two wins this year. As Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, and Ryan Newman took turns controlling the Daytona 500, Johnson patiently awaited the right time to strike. And with seventeen laps remaining, he found himself leading the Great American Race, which was the position he occupied until after the checkered flag waved. Even though he arrogantly dedicated his win to all of the 'haters' of the #48 team, his ability to position himself out front at the right time was impressive.
A week later in California, Johnson spent the majority of the afternoon hanging around the latter half of the top ten. But when it came down to crunch time, Johnson found himself just car lengths behind eventual race winner Matt Kenseth when the checkered flag waved. And in Las Vegas last week, Johnson was barely a top five contender up until late in the race. In due course, Johnson would be in position to take advantage of Matt Kenseth's deflating engine and bring home his second win in three races. It almost seems unjust considering that Johnson led only one lap compared to Kenseth's 146 laps led.
Even if you were to rewind back to last year, the majority of Johnson's wins were a result of late race rallies. Johnson swept the two races at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but was never considered the car to beat until the closing laps. His ability to be in the right place at the right time is almost reminiscent of Jeff Gordon back in the 1990's.
Even though Johnson has been accused of rough driving in the past, which he has been known to rough up his competitors at times, he has obtained the ability to take care of his equipment. If his car isn't handling favorably, he doesn't try to make things happen by overdriving the car. Instead, he gives proper feedback to his crew, which is obviously a key factor in improving the handling of his racecar. A lot of young drivers such as his Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers, who are prone to overdriving their racecars, are beginning to see the benefits of patience and team communication.
Even without his long-standing crew chief Chad Knaus, who has been serving a four-race suspension due to a rules infringement at Daytona, Johnson and the #48 team have remained on top of their game. This is fundamentally a result of Knaus keeping his team members well informed over the years.
By pacing himself, Johnson has become a fixture in the winner's circle and has won more races than any other driver since his 2002 rookie campaign. With his two wins in 2006, Johnson has emerged as the early championship favorite.
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