On a tv show more and more people have started saying that Jimmie Johnson will beat richard and dales championships and be tha first to get 8. They stated that he was the greatest driver in NASCAR today.
2007-08-14 14:46:32 · 38 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Auto Racing ➔ NASCAR
First of all NO, but he has only been racing in NASCAR since 1998 and didn't get his first cup start until 2001. Here's my take on Jimmie's career so far and in an historical perspective. I would say he is the best NASCAR driver today. This will guarentee that I get many thumbs down because he is a grossly underated driver. The people that say Smoke and Gordon (or whoever else) are better have valid arguments but not the stats to back them up. Since 2002, Jimmie's first full season in the Nextel Cup Series, he leads everyone in wins, top 5s, top 10s and average rank. He has never missed the chase and never finished worse than 5th in the standings. People that say it's just the crew chief or equipment don't always realize that the same thing could be said for both Stewart and Gordon. Jimmie is a well rounded driver and excels on everything from the short track at Martinsville to the superspeedways. He is getting better all the time at the road courses and I suspect he'll win one of those races in the next year or 2. I don't know how long you have to sustain these types of numbers to be considered one of the greatest of all time but he has way better stats and more wins than Ricky Rudd, Benny Parsons and BOTH the Labontes and that's with just 5 full seasons so far. If he can keep up the pace he's at he will get to 80+ wins and undoubtedly win a few more championships if he races another 10-15 years. He is also 12th on the all time winning percentage list of drivers with more than 100 races, well ahead of drivers like Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace. The only active driver ahead of him in percentage is Jeff Gordon and Jimmie has done better than him head to head. I think that Johnson should end up an easy top 10 all time driver and could easily crack the top 5 before he's done.
IMHO the greatest driver to have EVER lived was David Pearson, the Silver Fox. I doubt that I will ever consider somebody better than him but I hope so because then I get to watch their career.
2007-08-15 04:56:06 · answer #1 · answered by Tregosteevo 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Steve, Who did you pay to ask this question?!?! lol Only Kiddin'...
Jimmie is definitely one of the most talented drivers to ever step into a NASCAR Nextel Cup car. I see a few more championships in his future, and that Knaus/Johnson duo is like none-other on pit road. As far as beating Richard, and Dales records.. That's a tall task! If anyone had a chance @ it though, I'd say Jimmie would be high up on that list.
2007-08-15 06:32:18 · answer #2 · answered by Will-I-Am Hendrick Supporter 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
i think of in time he would be one in each and every of the main suitable, if he keeps to win. there are a number of good drivers that have been racing for years. the previous college drivers had much less convenience effective factors yet their automobiles weren't equivalent. There could have purely been 3 automobiles on the lead lap on the top of a race. Todays drivers have extra perfect kit and the automobiles are less demanding topersistent. Does that make those drivers extra perfect, i'm unsure. the contest is extra perfect and extra consistent.
2016-10-10 06:08:40 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
WOW,pretty bold statements by whomever said it,you didn't cite the shows.Johnson is good and at times great and with a little luck in the past he would have at least 2 championships and possibly 3.But,thats just it,in Nascar so many things have to come togther to win championships,that even if I was to agree he's the best now (which I don't),theres no qurantee of winning championships.But is it possible? Well Jimmy will turn 32 next month so he does have the time to get it done,just I don't believe in todays Nascar with the chase format he will.
2007-08-14 15:02:05 · answer #4 · answered by charlie p 4 · 4⤊ 3⤋
no not yet, dale sr. king richard, just to name afew. jj still has a way to go. jg, maybe next, but who knows. there are alot of great drivers out there. it will depend on how well he does down the road to warrant such praise. by the way i am a jimmie fan, but i always hope every race is safe for all involved.
2007-08-15 09:50:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jimmie has lots of talent and all but i dont think he has the most talent ever of any nascar driver
2007-08-14 19:26:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
He's great and all, but I can't put him in the "Greatest Ever" category. He's got talent, but a lot of great resources behind him. And Chad Knaus is a genius, with or without the rule bending. I don't even like Johnson, but I have to give him his dues.
2007-08-14 16:59:06 · answer #7 · answered by Tre 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Wow- I'm almost tempted to say that somebody's been smoking crack! But seriously, Jimmie is a VERY talented guy working with a great team.
Beyond #24, I'd say the racers with the most potential to set records are Shrub, Denny Hamlin, or maybe even Kasey Kahne- if he can mentally put this train wreck of a year behind him.
The thing that sets Gordon, Stewart and possibly Harvick apart from the pack is their ability to win on any kind of track with just about any kind of car.
I'm not 100% sure Jimmie's there yet.
2007-08-14 16:24:53 · answer #8 · answered by Jim M 4 · 2⤊ 5⤋
Not no but heyyell no.He ain't even in the top 20 for greatest ever and has a looooooooong way to go.Infact he is not in the class with NASCARS 50 greatest drivers.
2007-08-14 16:03:11 · answer #9 · answered by blakree 7 · 5⤊ 3⤋
He's only won 1 championship...He'd better get busy if he wants to beat Jeff...I doubt he'll ever win 8 championships..He is a good driver, just not great yet.....
2007-08-14 15:35:08 · answer #10 · answered by Go Team Penske 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋