Time to give Johnson credit he deserves

Jimmie Johnson’s historic run in the Sprint Cup Series has been an extreme display of talent, determination and professionalism. Anyone critical of this is completely “out to lunch.”

Here is my argument why:

He’s a professional:

Johnson has had three and a half years of near perfection in the Chase, having won over 30 percent of all Chase races. What is missed, perhaps, are the details in how he has won them. Johnson has won simply on speed and ability, and his most recent win is an example of that.

He ran under Jeff Gordon in the final few laps of the Charlotte race, which doesn’t seem difficult, but it is. I understand that most of you have never experienced a side-by-side battle at 180 mph, so let me try and put it into perspective.

Anytime you run under another driver you are immediately penalized with having the track become narrower. Remember that to pass you need to be faster than the driver you are alongside, and in order to do that you either drive with more throttle deeper in the corner, return to the throttle sooner exiting the corner, or both. Either creates speed which in turn creates more lateral force through and exiting the turns. That effect, along with the fact you cannot drift to the wall because of the car to your outside, typically results in the driver on the inside surrendering. That, or both cars are wrecked.

All of this is magnified the faster the track, and Charlotte’s smooth surface, combined with nighttime temperatures, made the speeds extreme.

Also, with so many of his competitors having trouble or running poorly, it would have seemed reasonable, even logical, for Johnson to be content with second place. Without any risk, he could have secured the fabulous points night and continued his march toward a fourth straight title.

Instead, Johnson ran qualifying-type laps underneath his teammate, in conditions ripe for disaster. When Johnson lost the rear of his car through Turns 3 and 4, he showed all of his ability, which is exceptional. When he dropped back to regain his composure just long enough to make another charge and finish what he started, his refusal to settle for “a good points day” reflected how he’s operated throughout this consecutive title runs.

It’s special.

Focus on the facts:

Some suggest Jimmie Johnson has an advantage because he is a Hendrick Motorsports driver. I say Hendrick Motorsports has the advantage because Jimmie Johnson is driving their cars and Chad Knaus is tuning them.

Johnson has competed in seven full seasons beginning in 2002, never finishing outside the top five in the standings. Some of his Hendrick teammates have been the best in the business, but none at Hendrick Motorsports other than Johnson have won a title since he joined them. That’s convincing enough to quit suggesting that Hendrick Motorsports’ engines and chassis are a powerful asset toward winning a title, but certainly not a guarantee.

Don’t blame Johnson. Blame the competition:

Johnson has not inherited the Sprint Cup Series title. He took it from the competition in 2006, the same way Tony Stewart demanded it before him and Jeff Gordon before Stewart.

During my career, whenever a shift of dominance has taken place, it has been the result of someone coming along who wants it more than whomever currently retains it. Whoever that dominating driver is, I’ve seen similarities in that they have a complete disdain for losing. They recognize no barriers, seldom make excuses and eventually prevail. Jeff Gordon needed that type of attitude and approach to wrestle the title from Dale Earnhardt in 1995.

For more than two and a half years, I’ve suggested Johnson keeps his title because I have not seen (to date) any driver more determined, more focused or more committed.

Johnson is in the “sweet spot” of his career. He is married, but he has no children, which allows him to give more focus toward his career. (Anyone with children understands the mental tug of war that can exist from being away from your family.)

I contend that two young drivers with the potential of challenging Jimmie Johnson are missing this key point: You cannot be exceptional at more than one thing, period.

Both Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch have the talent to compete with Johnson. The question is, do they have the focus?

As long as they are full-timers in the Nationwide Series, I can’t foresee either driver challenging Johnson. You cannot give your crew chief, engineers and pit crew the time and information they need when you’re climbing from one type of car, delivering a few quick words to describe how it feels, and then climbing into a Nationwide car for an hour of practice.

This new car is just too unique for drivers to benefit from splitting their attention. Just look at the top six drivers in the standings. Each one’s primary focus is on the Sprint Cup Series. That speaks volumes to me.

So is it over? I say it is over as long as the final five races for Johnson are not affected mechanically or by those things he cannot control. I say Jimmie Johnson and the 48 team are just too good, too often to be beat right now.

You cannot ignore the talent of drivers like Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart or the surprising strength Juan Pablo Montoya. They all have a chance. But they’ve all also acknowledged Jimmie Johnson as being a great champion.

Nobody knows drivers better than drivers. In light of this, perhaps everyone else needs to give Jimmie Johnson the same credit.