Jimmie Johnson 2010 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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Jimmie Johnson 2009 Stats

Jimmie Johnson 2009 Recap & Review

Been there, done that. Now, let’s do it again.”That seems to be the perpetual attitude of Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 team, making their closest playoff competition look like little leaguers in the World Series. Last year was no exception, as Johnson romped through the Chase: Four of his seven wins, seven of his 16 top 5-finishes, and nine of his 24 top las came in that final stretch.

As usual, the regular season started off slowly, with the first top 5 in the season’s fifth race (Bristol), where Johnson charged to third at his worst track. A win at Martinsville followed, but a nagging inconsistency dogged the reigning champ through early spring. Johnson earned only five top 5s and had three finishes of 30th or worse in his first dozen starts before a second win at Dover righted the ship. Right on cue, a “postseason tune-up” of seven top l0s in the final 13 races of the regular season followed, including another historical footnote as Johnson became the first back-to-back stock car winner at Indianapolis. However, a series of tough-luck performances leading up to the Chase (zero top 5s in a six-week stretch despite 283 laps led) had critics calling the No. 48 vulnerable.

But it didn’t take long for the second-seeded champs to start throwing their usual barrage of playoff punches. Johnson won at Dover, Fontana (where he took the championship lead), Charlotte and Phoenix to coast to the title by 141 points over Mark Martin. That means Johnson’s four titles are now backed up by 18 Chase wins in 60 starts, eclipsing the next three drivers on the win list combined. And if not for an ill-timed crash at Texas (38th), he’d have clinched with a race to spare.

Jimmie Johnson 2010 Preview & Prediction

Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line at Homestead, clinching his fourth straight Sprint Cup title, something no driver has done at the Cup level. He did it using a tried and true formula that’s served him well in recent years: Lurk under the radar through midsummer, then collect a few key wins to freshen up before charging to the forefront once the playoffs begin. That’s where Johnson and Co. were at their best once again, winning nearly half of the Chase races while stumbling in only one to win the title going away.

But that was 2009. Four straight championships was uncharted territory. Five in a row? That’s nearly unthinkable. But Johnson and his team started thinking about it the moment they rolled back into the Hendrick Motor sports complex the day after the season ended, and that level of preparation is one reason why anyone who wants the title in 2010 will have to go through the No. 48. This is a team that analyzes everything and has a plan for every conceivable situation that might arise on the racetrack — many of them dealt with before they ever arrive at the venue. There are no moments wasted by panicking, which combines with a perfectionist work ethic to leave this team nearly unbeatable.

It’s also clear the No. 48 team has employed the Chase system to its advantage, turning its regular season into a test session once comfortably within the top 12 in points. Johnson and Co. utilize as many races as possible to find things that they can use in the Chase, and the answers gleaned during the first 26 races are turned into fuel for the fire once the title is on the line. It’s not simply that Johnson is outstanding at most of the Chase tracks (although he is); it’s that the team does more analysis on those 10 than anyone else.

The third key to this team’s sustained success is the relationship between Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus. The driver is an excellent communicator, always able to accurately relay any problem with the car, and Knaus is always able to fix what ails him. The sheer ability to overcome adversity and solve problems small and large has turned a top-10 car into a winner more times this century than any other (Johnson’s 47 wins were tops for the decade). Johnson and Knaus still argue — in one race last year, Johnson offered to drive down pit road and strangle his crew chief — but they never let bad blood carry over from race to race. No other driver and crew chief have found this level of communication or rapport, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Johnson is signed through 2015, and Knaus is in negotiations to remain on the pit box for the duration. Sponsor Lowe’s is signed through 2013.

If there was a chink in the No. 48’s armor during the 2009 season, it was the team’s performance on pit road. Injuries caused last-minute replacements, leading to a handful of uncharacteristic mistakes. All are now healthy, but the pieces need to fit back together correctly in 2010 for the pit crew to be on its A-game.

So can Johnson make history again? Consider that only two drivers have won five Cup championship titles in their careers. But Jimmie Johnson believes he can do it, and, given his Chase success, he’s not going down quietly. Five in a row? It may be doable after all.

Jimmie Johnson 2010 Predictions

We predict that Jimmie Johnson will finish 1st in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Jimmie Johnson Betting & Odds

Jimmie Johnson NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Odds: +300

Jimmie Johnson Betting Trends & Situations

• after finishing first, average finish is 6.5
• when racing in February, average finish is 15.0

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