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CUP: Little Help Over Here, Please
Written by: Jim Pedley
RacinToday.com   http://www.RacinToday.com
11/24/2009
Charlotte, NC
 
Crew chief Chad Knaus (Left) and Jimmie Johnson (Right) have made NASCAR Sprint Cup history by winning four championships in a row. (Photo: Getty Images) ยป More Photos

Five things I don’t understand about what happened over the past 10 months in NASCAR:

First. How in the world can Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus continue run bare foot through thousands of miles of mine fields and come out the other side with every hair still in place?

The fast cars, the great decisions, the flawless driving – I can understand all of that. That all comes from talent and preparation and natural abilities. Fine. What I cannot understand is the ability to continually dodge misfortune in a sport in which misfortune is just inches away and traveling at 200 mph.

And do not give me that old cliche that luck is the product of preparation. You can not prepare for David Stremme unexplainably turning left – in the middle of a straightaway.

Second. How on earth can Jack Roush-owned race cars win the first two events in 2009 and then not again until Jamie McMurray grabs an odd victory during the Chase?

The team has five cars, for gosh sakes. In three of those cars sit three of the best drivers to ever slide though a Cup-car window. This team was so good a couple years ago that NASCAR decided it had to enact a rule that said, sorry,
four cars per operation and four cars only.

Jack Roush has not suddenly gotten dumb. He has not, to my knowledge, posted any memos on his Corcord campus telling all Roush Fenway workers to to not work as hard and to do lousy jobs.

Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle a combined 0 for 72? How? Why? I’m asking.

Third. Why are very smart people chasing Danica Patrick’s driving services around the country as though she possessed something which would turn their teams into super powers.

OK, I get the money and sponsorship thing. These tough times are forcing a lot of right-thinking people to make goofy decisions. And Danica is likely to bring attention and, hence, dough.

But wouldn’t you think established team owners in NASCAR would also insist that somebody they hire have a resume of some kind. One which says champion on it somewhere or at least multi-time race winner?

I mean, why not just go out and hire Angelina Jolie to drive for you and worry about teaching her what a clutch is later?


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