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Sprint Cup
CUP: Race Day - Is Five Too Many For Jimmie?
With three races to go, Jimmie Johnson is in position to claim an unprecedented fifth straight title...
Jimmie Johnson admits it's natural to get tired of the same driver always winning. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Last week, Kevin Harvick said that it would be better for NASCAR if Jimmie Johnson did not win a fifth straight championship this year.
Harvick – who will be third in points behind Johnson when today’s Texas AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway starts – repeated that contention again on Friday.
“I think people get tired of seeing the same guy winning; and I think in the end, it would just bring new attention to the sport because it wouldn’t be the same old thing as Johnson won again,” Harvick said. “So, I wasn’t joking.”
A couple of other drivers weighed in on the subject at Texas this weekend. Here is what a select group had to say about Johnson winning five straight being good/bad for the sport:
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet: “I just laugh at everybody about it. The whole idea here is to go out and win races and win championships and the guy has been good at it for four years. So, I don’t know how you can say they guy doing what he’s supposed to do, and doing what all of us want to do, how you can say it’s bad. That’s where I stand on that.”
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford: Other drivers said that, “Probably because everybody would like to beat him. If I don’t win it, then yeah you have friends and stuff you would like to see win it, but I just hope the best car each year wins it. If the best team wins it then I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I think the fastest car is supposed to win the race and the best team and car is supposed to win the championship.”
Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford: “I don’t necessarily feel that way. Everybody looks at it as Jimmie has won four in a row and they maybe are ready for something new. In my eyes, the best team should win. Right now, there are three of them that are neck-in-neck in how they are performing and it is going to be close when it comes down to it. We will just have to wait and see.”
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet: “If the roles were reversed, I would be saying the same thing. As a competitor, you’re tired of the same guy winning. I guess I understand where they’re coming from and what they’re saying – I don’t necessarily agree with it. I think it would be great for someone to win five straight. It’s just a little humor on each side there. He (Harvick) and his fan base and the 11 (Denny Hamlin, second in points) and their fan base – they want to see their guys win and they want to see a change at the top. I know myself and my fan base, we like how things have been and hope to keep it up.”
Fast facts
What: AAA Texas 500
When: Sunday, 3:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128
Track layout: 1.5-mile oval
Race distance: 334 laps/501 miles
Estimated pit window: 50-55 laps
Frontstretch: 2,250 feet
Backstretch: 1,330 feet
Banking in straightaways: 5 degrees
Banking in turns: 24 degrees
2009 winner: Kurt Busch
2009 polesitter: Jeff Gordon
Today’s polesitter: Elliott Sadler
Grumpy Happy
When you go into and interview with Kevin Harvick, you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes he is charming. Sometimes, not so much. Friday at Texas: Not so much.
He was asked:
Are you not in a good mood or are you just wearing your game face?
Harvick – “I guess that’s for you to figure out.”
How important is qualifying at Texas?
Harvick – “Friday’s haven’t meant squat to us.”
Thank you and good night everybody.
Harvick – who will be third in points behind Johnson when today’s Texas AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway starts – repeated that contention again on Friday.
“I think people get tired of seeing the same guy winning; and I think in the end, it would just bring new attention to the sport because it wouldn’t be the same old thing as Johnson won again,” Harvick said. “So, I wasn’t joking.”
A couple of other drivers weighed in on the subject at Texas this weekend. Here is what a select group had to say about Johnson winning five straight being good/bad for the sport:
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet: “I just laugh at everybody about it. The whole idea here is to go out and win races and win championships and the guy has been good at it for four years. So, I don’t know how you can say they guy doing what he’s supposed to do, and doing what all of us want to do, how you can say it’s bad. That’s where I stand on that.”
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford: Other drivers said that, “Probably because everybody would like to beat him. If I don’t win it, then yeah you have friends and stuff you would like to see win it, but I just hope the best car each year wins it. If the best team wins it then I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I think the fastest car is supposed to win the race and the best team and car is supposed to win the championship.”
Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford: “I don’t necessarily feel that way. Everybody looks at it as Jimmie has won four in a row and they maybe are ready for something new. In my eyes, the best team should win. Right now, there are three of them that are neck-in-neck in how they are performing and it is going to be close when it comes down to it. We will just have to wait and see.”
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet: “If the roles were reversed, I would be saying the same thing. As a competitor, you’re tired of the same guy winning. I guess I understand where they’re coming from and what they’re saying – I don’t necessarily agree with it. I think it would be great for someone to win five straight. It’s just a little humor on each side there. He (Harvick) and his fan base and the 11 (Denny Hamlin, second in points) and their fan base – they want to see their guys win and they want to see a change at the top. I know myself and my fan base, we like how things have been and hope to keep it up.”
Fast facts
What: AAA Texas 500
When: Sunday, 3:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128
Track layout: 1.5-mile oval
Race distance: 334 laps/501 miles
Estimated pit window: 50-55 laps
Frontstretch: 2,250 feet
Backstretch: 1,330 feet
Banking in straightaways: 5 degrees
Banking in turns: 24 degrees
2009 winner: Kurt Busch
2009 polesitter: Jeff Gordon
Today’s polesitter: Elliott Sadler
Grumpy Happy
When you go into and interview with Kevin Harvick, you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes he is charming. Sometimes, not so much. Friday at Texas: Not so much.
He was asked:
Are you not in a good mood or are you just wearing your game face?
Harvick – “I guess that’s for you to figure out.”
How important is qualifying at Texas?
Harvick – “Friday’s haven’t meant squat to us.”
Thank you and good night everybody.
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