NASCAR

Sprint Cup

CUP: Is Knaus Indispensable?

Chad Knaus is a good crew chief, but is he vital to Jimmie Johnson's success?

Larry Woody | http://www.RacinToday.com | Posted December 02, 2009 Charlotte, NC

Chad Knaus has been the crew chief for the No. 48 team and Jimmie Johnson for all four NASCAR Sprint Cup titles. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Is Chad Knaus a good crew chief?

Yes he is.

Has he contributed to Jimmie Johnson’s many triumphs?

Yes he has.

Is he vital to Johnson’s continued success?

No he’s not.

Knaus was unquestionably a strong asset during Johnson’s drive to a record four-straight NASCAR championships. He’s cool under fire, knows how to set up and adjust a racecar, and generally makes good calls on pit strategy.

But I suspect that Jimmie would have won this year’s championship – along with the previous three – with a lot of other capable crew chiefs hunkered on top of the box on pit road.

This is not intended as a slap at Knaus, but I’m amused at some of the things I’ve been reading since Johnson’s record-smashing performance this season. Some make it sound as though Jimmie was just another part installed in the car by his genius crew chief.

It’s similar to the over-blown hype we heard about Ray Evernham steering Jeff Gordon’s success. When Ray bailed, what happened? Jeff marched on to another championship.

It’s the same with Johnson. In a juggernaut like Hendrick Motorsports Knaus is an asset, not a necessity.

Given the powerful Hendrick program, coupled with Johnson’s incredible driving talent, a change in crew chiefs would barely cause a hiccup.

Chad is merely the caddy that hands Tiger his club.

Knaus is signed through next season and boss Rick Hendick said he expects to secure him to a longer-term contract. There’s no question that Knaus deserves the job security.

But if I were him I’d be careful about playing too much hardball in these shaky economic times when teams. There are lots of capable crewmen standing in the unemployment line.

Knaus has been a part of a record-breaking four-year run. But put him atop the pit box of, say, Robby Gordon, and see how much mechanical magic he’s able to muster.

A crew chief is only as good as his car and driver, and Knaus has been fortunate to work with one of the best combos in NASCAR history.

Knaus is smart – smart enough to realize how good he’s got it. As his old mentor Evernham discovered, a great driver with a great team can keep rolling along if his crew chief decides to change scenery.

For Knaus, the grass doesn’t get any greener on the other side of any other fence.

Larry Woody is a veteran, award-winning sports journalist. Woody began working at the Nashville Tennessean in the 1960s and took over the auto racing beat full time in the early 1970s. Larry can be reached at lwoody@racintoday.com

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Woody

RacinToday.com

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