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Sprint Cup
CUP: Johnson Or Pearson?
It’s not surprising to hear all the well-deserved accolades for Jimmie Johnson after his unprecedented fourth straight Sprint Cup championship....
Jimmie Johnson made history by winning his fourth consecutive title Sunday night. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
It’s not surprising to hear all the well-deserved accolades for Jimmie Johnson after his unprecedented fourth straight Sprint Cup championship. Johnson is one of the all-time greats. But is he a better driver than David Pearson?
In October’s vote for the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it was Pearson who was often cited as the best ever behind the wheel of a stock car. But Pearson was not among the drivers in the Hall’s inaugural class because of the bias toward those who had won more championships.
That’s what makes the question of Jimmie versus David an intriguing comparison. One’s better known for championships, the other for his winning percentage over a long career.
It’s always a slippery slope when one begins to compare competitors from different eras. The value of championships versus individual race wins is just a starting point in that debate. Since Pearson and Johnson never competed against each other under the same expectations for what made a driver the best, much less the same conditions, how can you compare statistics?
It’s not quite like comparing the home run records of Babe Ruth and Roger Maris. Pearson and Johnson competed just three decades apart. Many of the journalists who covered Pearson are still active – and covered Cale Yarborough’s three straight titles for that matter, or Richard Petty’s 200th victory. Fans have had the privilege of following all these drivers over the years as well.
For the record, Pearson won 105 of the 574 races he entered for a winning percentage of 18. More impressive were his 113 poles, which meant he was the fastest qualifier in practically one of every five races he entered. These stats came before the restrictor plate era on all manner of tracks, including dirt ovals, and for an array of team owners. As for championships, Pearson won three over the course of four seasons from 1966-1969. He might have won four straight had he not been fired by Cotton Owens early in the 1967 season. After his third title in 1969, Pearson never ran a full season again but won 48 more races.
Johnson, who was highly successful on dirt in the Mickey Thompson Stadium Truck Series, has won 47 Sprint Cup races in 291 starts for a winning percentage of 16. Johnson’s pole at Homestead gave him 23 for his career, for a winning percentage of eight, which is a far cry from Pearson’s qualifying mark. On the other hand, Johnson has won the championship four times in his eight seasons, which borders on incredible.
From the perspective here, I’d agree with the perspective that Pearson had more talent behind the wheel than Petty, Yarborough or other peers, all statistics aside. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was likely the most charismatic driver ever in NASCAR and possibly had the greatest car control. But coaxing speed was more a matter of determination than skill compared to Pearson, it seems to me.
You can go back to Lloyd Seay or Tim Flock, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner or Fireball Roberts to find other tremendous talents when it came to skills. But longevity is part of it when it comes to proving greatness behind the wheel.
When it comes to Johnson versus Pearson, it’s a tough call. Both drivers came equipped with an extraordinary smoothness behind the wheel and a rare ability to squeeze speed from a race car. To turn the question around, what about weaknesses?
In October’s vote for the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it was Pearson who was often cited as the best ever behind the wheel of a stock car. But Pearson was not among the drivers in the Hall’s inaugural class because of the bias toward those who had won more championships.
That’s what makes the question of Jimmie versus David an intriguing comparison. One’s better known for championships, the other for his winning percentage over a long career.
It’s always a slippery slope when one begins to compare competitors from different eras. The value of championships versus individual race wins is just a starting point in that debate. Since Pearson and Johnson never competed against each other under the same expectations for what made a driver the best, much less the same conditions, how can you compare statistics?
It’s not quite like comparing the home run records of Babe Ruth and Roger Maris. Pearson and Johnson competed just three decades apart. Many of the journalists who covered Pearson are still active – and covered Cale Yarborough’s three straight titles for that matter, or Richard Petty’s 200th victory. Fans have had the privilege of following all these drivers over the years as well.
For the record, Pearson won 105 of the 574 races he entered for a winning percentage of 18. More impressive were his 113 poles, which meant he was the fastest qualifier in practically one of every five races he entered. These stats came before the restrictor plate era on all manner of tracks, including dirt ovals, and for an array of team owners. As for championships, Pearson won three over the course of four seasons from 1966-1969. He might have won four straight had he not been fired by Cotton Owens early in the 1967 season. After his third title in 1969, Pearson never ran a full season again but won 48 more races.
Johnson, who was highly successful on dirt in the Mickey Thompson Stadium Truck Series, has won 47 Sprint Cup races in 291 starts for a winning percentage of 16. Johnson’s pole at Homestead gave him 23 for his career, for a winning percentage of eight, which is a far cry from Pearson’s qualifying mark. On the other hand, Johnson has won the championship four times in his eight seasons, which borders on incredible.
From the perspective here, I’d agree with the perspective that Pearson had more talent behind the wheel than Petty, Yarborough or other peers, all statistics aside. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was likely the most charismatic driver ever in NASCAR and possibly had the greatest car control. But coaxing speed was more a matter of determination than skill compared to Pearson, it seems to me.
You can go back to Lloyd Seay or Tim Flock, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner or Fireball Roberts to find other tremendous talents when it came to skills. But longevity is part of it when it comes to proving greatness behind the wheel.
When it comes to Johnson versus Pearson, it’s a tough call. Both drivers came equipped with an extraordinary smoothness behind the wheel and a rare ability to squeeze speed from a race car. To turn the question around, what about weaknesses?
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