Is jimmie johnson best driver of all time?

[racer8g]

There will always be the argument, just like in every other sport that every generation is different so they can't be compared equally.

[raceannouncer]

Here is how it would have played out with the old system.

2004 Old system: J. Gordon   Chase: K. Busch
2005 Old System: T. Stewart  Chase: T. Stewart
2006 Old System: J. Johnson  Chase: J. Johnson
2007 Old System: J. Gordon   Chase: J. Johnson
2008 Old System: C. Edwards  Chase: J. Johnson

Not sure about this year.

wHO CARES? THAT was then, this now!

[no74falcon]

Jimmie is a very good driver. It is he and his team that make them good. If you put Jimmie in kasey kahnes car he probably wouldn't win. If they did the old points system Jimmie would only have 3 championships. Number 1 ever far from it. But in the top 3 for best team.

Here is how it would have played out with the old system.

2004 Old system: J. Gordon   Chase: K. Busch
2005 Old System: T. Stewart  Chase: T. Stewart
2006 Old System: J. Johnson  Chase: J. Johnson
2007 Old System: J. Gordon   Chase: J. Johnson
2008 Old System: C. Edwards  Chase: J. Johnson

Not sure about this year.

wHO CARES? THAT was then, this now!

Sorry Raceannouncer. I didn't make the post to ruffle feathers. I was just comparing the information that I found to the information NSracing found.

[luvsracin]

 
Sorry but I think Johnson drives different in the first 26 races than he does in the last 10. If the chase was counting all 36 races total for the points I think the results would be the same. I was around for Petty's Championships and he won the most races, championships at that time but he had fewer racers running all the races as they do today. Some years if my memory serves me right, I think only 4 or 5 teams ran all the races. He did however win in the new era, I think he won the first year that it was changed and in 1979. Bernhardt won his all in the modern era but I don't think as many teams had the great sponsors of today. I think great drivers of any era would be great drivers in any time period. Is Johnson the greatest of all time, not yet but he is on his way. Look at JR, he drives for the same owner, has great sponsors and he just can't get a hold of these new race cars. I think he has won 1 race for Mr. Hendrick and 2 overall since the switch. Same era as Johnson, just not the same capabilities.  HMO

[dirtracefan]

well said

[uticamike]

I think the title of this thread should have been>> Is Chad Knaus the best crew cheif of all time?<<. Yeah, JJ can drive but Chad is the man who makes this whole show go. Anybody think otherwise?

[NSracing]

I agree with you no doubt 1 attaboy for you.

[uticamike]

If I knew how to  actually  spell  c h i e f  I might have earned 2 of them. Tanks!!

[ace3]

good driver yes best ever NO WAY 

[kinserfan11]

 

[moselli]

There's an old saying that politicians, buildings and prostitutes gain respect with age and time.  You could probably add racecar drivers to this list.  Anyone remember a young Daryl Waltrip vs. an older mature Daryl Waltrip?

I think it's much too early to make a call on Jimmie Johnson.  Let me offer that the  "greatest driver" is not a singular person and will be different in each fan's eyes.  To me, personally, Dutch Hoag is the greatest driver that ever stepped into a racecar, period.  Others may agree or have their own "greatest driver.  I have learned to always respect other peoples opinion and that's why racing is popular with so many people.

There was a great article about Jimmie in Sports Illustrated recently that made me take a different view of him.  It told about him growing up in a trailer park in California and his path from there to NASCAR Champion.  Say what you want about him, but I think the man earned his way, fair and square.  Anyone else out there that can relate to this? 

I don't think it's fair to call the man down because of his success. Nice guy?  Yes.  Good driver?  Yes.  Only driver in Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup to win four-in-a-row?  Yes.  The greatest driver of all time?  Stay tuned...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

My humble opinion,

Moselli

[blubyu]

we will never see another driver win 4 titles in row ....

[Claychamp123]

The Jimmie Johnson - Chad Knaus combination has to be considered one of the best ever in the modern era. Not to take anything away from Richard Petty as I am one of his biggest fans but the depth of competition was no where near what it is today when he won so many of his races. Just from observing driver skill and car control I'd say Earnhardt Sr was the best and Tony Stewart is the most versatile of the modern drivers. In all of racing you have to give a slight edge to Mario Andretti over A.J. Foyt only due to Mario being F1 World Champion ......A.J. should have taken a couple years and gave it a shot. Both those guys could race the good old boys and hold their own plus back-er in on the dirt and spank the sporty car guys at their own game! I think we'll have to see wait and see what Jimmie does post Chad and how Chad's next driver fares before we can definatively say where Jimmie stands in the overall view of racing talent.

[12xdirtguy]

You make the argument that the chase works to the 48 teams benifit.  if the chase didnt exist the 48 team would have a different strategy to win points titles.  you cannot deny that the guy can drive.  and yes it helps the chad knaus is probably the smartest individual to ever wear the "chief" patch on his uniform, but it is a team sport not an individual endeavor.  chad was sam horneshes crew chief i dont think we would see the 77 in victory lane.  the 48 team just has it figured out better than anyone else at this point.  and barring catastrophic failure in 2010, i wouldnt be suprised to see 5 in a row.  and without doubt he will be the first to 8 title wins to his name.

[jeffo61j]

Jimmy's pretty awesome.  The thing that makes him stand out to me is his amazing discipline.  The Juan Pablo/Tony Stewart incident is a glaring example of this.  Jimmy Johnson would never put himself in the position that either Juan or Tony put themselves in.  These are the little things that add up in the point standings.  On the flip side, we as fans love to see the emotion that driver's like Tony and Juan carry out.  Racing would not be very exciting if everybody drove like Jimmy Johnson.  This is not a knock on him, as he and Chad have figured out exactly how to work within the system that Nascar has set up.  The thing about Dale Sr., and Richard Petty was that their championships were always exciting, and not without controversy.  I still get goosebumps watching Petty and Pearson wrecking at Daytona in 1976.     

For my money, I still think that the best ever is an argument between Mario Andretti and Super Tex, AJ Foyt, just because of the versatility that both driver's displayed.  I'd have to see Jimmy go win an F1 race or an Indy 500, before I would rank him up there with either of those two.  To go along with AJ Foyt, he also get style points for pounding Arie Luyendyk, and smashing the laptop!  LOL
   

[faracing]

you know its sad when everyone including those in the garage that know his crew chief as cheating chad. i cant stand the guy, its funny he is doing exactly what gordon was doing when he was young, be terrible most of a race then all of a sudden be contending for a win, nascar is a joke now,
i loved it when nascrap suspended both the crew chiefs for gordon and johnson for 6 races and the two of them won 4 of the 6 races, now what does that tell ya.