Johnson Now a Serious Threat to Petty’s And Earnhardt’s Championship Record
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By winning his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship Sunday at Homestead Miami Speedway, Jimmie Johnson turned a huge corner.
He is now tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon for third place on NASCAR’s all-time championships list, putting him directly behind leaders Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt, who have seven titles each between them.
Sunday, Johnson entered NASCAR’s most elite class – a class that he now is the star pupil in – and becomes a most significant and legitimate threat to break a record that many people thought might never be broken.
While it’s unlikely he’ll ever top Petty’s 200 career Cup wins, Johnson is now within striking distance of Petty’s and Earnhardt’s shared championships mark.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility now. Given how relatively easy he’s made winning his first four Cup titles look, Johnson appears headed to do something Gordon has pretty much given up on: winning a fifth Cup title.
And even though it’s coincidental that it would be a fifth-straight championship for Johnson next season, the fact remains that the torch Gordon has carried as the most successful active driver in NASCAR has now officially been passed to Johnson.
Sure, Gordon has 35 more career Cup wins than Johnson, but as each year has passed since Gordon’s last title in 2001, it has become more and more apparent that Gordon will not come much closer to the joint Petty/Earnhardt mark, a record that many longtime Gordon fans thought he would have at least tied, if not broken, by now.
Johnson, on the other hand, is essentially just getting started. At the age of 34, he has a good six to eight more years ahead of him. And, given how he led the series with seven wins this season – and continues to appear to be in the prime of his racing career – one thing is pretty apparent.
The quest for a fifth straight is a given. The quest for winning a record eight championships overall – or more – is now a distinct possibility and ultimately a potential reality.
If you would have told me last year, after Johnson won his third straight, that he would be a serious challenger to Petty’s and Earnhardt’s mark, I would have said no way. He’d have had to win four more titles to win and five to break the record.
It’s funny how one more championship now, though, can change my thought process – and I’m sure the thought process of many others. Now that he’s tied with Gordon with four championships each, Johnson needs to win only three more to tie and four to break Petty’s and Earnhardt’s record.
Somehow, it’s like he’s climbed over the top of a mountain and now that goal is much more in sight and potentially attainable.
That’s bad news to the rest of his NASCAR challengers, for if Johnson continues his stranglehold on remaining champion, a lot of potential championship opportunities for other drivers will continue to fall by the wayside, year after year after year.
Carl Edwards? May never see his first Cup title.
Ageless Mark Martin, who finished second for a fifth consecutive time in his career this season? The only way he’ll get a chance at the title is if/when Johnson retires. Then again, knowing how strong Martin’s competitiveness and ability still are at the age of 50, he may just try and wait Johnson out to finally get that elusive first Cup title.
Tony Stewart? Somehow, as long as Johnson’s still around, it’s likely Smoke won’t be adding to the two Cup crowns he’s already earned.
And what about Dale Earnhardt Jr.? As much as I hate to say it, particularly since Johnson is his teammate, I think Junior fans better get used to the fact that their heartthrob also will never win a Cup championship while Johnson is still around. And given that Earnhardt is the same age as Johnson, again, as much as I hate to say it, we may have already seen the best seasons of Junior’s Cup career.
Can Johnson win a fifth next year? Most definitely. I’d say he’s already the big favorite to do so, given how he won No. 4.
Can he win more than five? Without a doubt. In fact, as I reflect back on what are now four consecutive championships, I was struck by a thought: a relatively dangerous thought at that to Johnson’s fellow competitors.
What if, even with the incredible achievement of four consecutive championships now, Johnson is ultimately just warming up?
Check back with me in about six years from now. I wouldn’t exactly be surprised if we’re talking about – and celebrating – Johnson’s record 10th consecutive championship.
