Jimmie Johnson may not have clinched the first place in the Homestead, Fl chase but his performance in today�s race is proof positive of his caliber as a race car driver. Johnson shows that he has the smarts by seamlessly strategizing his drive for the race. Johnson found himself behind Martin Truex�s Chevrolet and knew that if he could overtake Truex, he would be able to make an easy pass. But, instead of taking the easy pass, Johnson decided to not take it. Carefully calculating the risks versus the rewards, Johnson is quoted saying, "We came in prepared, we came in ready to race for this thing. I don't think I could have won the race tonight, but I feel like we could be in the top three if we needed to. So the racer in me, I was trying to pass the one car (Truex) on the last lap. Then, I'm like, �What are you trying to do? Just stop.�� Doing so, Johnson has managed to avoid a making a meaningless pass that would have jeopardized his chances at the Championship Cup.
In this race, Johnson finished seventh and Gordon (who also happens to be Johnson�s closest rival, friend and teammate) finished fourth. Despite not winning this race, Johnson knew that the smart move was worth it. He is quoted saying, �We would have loved to have won our fifth race in a row, but the big prize was the championship.�
Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knauss, are definitely a power team. With these two working together, that Nascar Championship title is almost in the bag for Johnson and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team.
Source: Johnson takes sensible approach to Nextel Cup title
No comments:
Post a Comment