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Posted on Sat, Apr. 05, 2008

Always-confident Johnson dares you to root against him

By Ray Buck

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Just prior to the AFC Championship Game in January, Jimmie Johnson let his PR person in on a little secret.

"Kristine, I hope the Chargers do well because I'm from San Diego," he told Kristine Curley, "but I hope New England can win and keep this [unbeaten streak] going."

This said more about Johnson's racing mind than about his Southern California roots.

As the two-time defending Cup champ stood 10 feet away just outside the No. 48 hauler at TMS on Friday, Curley said, "That's Jimmie's mind-set -- perfection."

You know what they say about successful people.

Most of us want to see them be successful, but not too successful.

It's just human nature... and over the last two racing seasons, Johnson, his crew chief, Chad Knaus, and the whole No. 48 Lowe's Chevy garage, have appeared, at times, to be too unbeatable.

Just as perfection didn't come to the Patriots -- thanks to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII -- Johnson has been humbled a bit by his start in 2008.

He sits 10th in the Sprint Cup points standings -- running third on his own Hendrick Motorsports team (Dale Earnhardt Jr. is fourth; Jeff Gordon, ninth).

Johnson has had two Top 5 finishes -- and no wins.

"I watched the Patriots and all the negativity surrounding them last year," Johnson said. "Everybody wanted to see the underdog [Giants] win. I really haven't experienced much of that."

He could've added the word "yet."

"It's still early," Johnson admitted.

Johnson won here last November in the Dickies 500 en route to his second consecutive Cup title. But that doesn't necessarily make him the favorite -- not Texas, not this fickle track.

There have been 14 Cup races at TMS... 13 different winners.

Only current points leader Jeff Burton has been able to repeat here, winning the first and 13th Cup races at TMS.

"The harsh winters and summers affect this track," Johnson tried to explain. "The same setup won't work every time you come back. The track changes a lot.

"But I think that's a good thing... it's challenging for the drivers."

If there is any rooting against Johnson, as well-liked as anyone in the sport's history, it's strictly because 1) drivers can be jealous 2) reporters can be jaded and 3) fans can be bored by the same old team -- or individual -- winning all the time.

It's true in all sports. Just ask the French.

"You see Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de Frances in a row," Johnson said. "You see what the Patriots have done. You look at Jeff Gordon's four championships in our sport.

"I look around at other organizations and their successes... and we're just trying to do our part to make the No. 48 car have some solid footing in the record books."

Solid footing? I think that's a bit modest.

At 32, Johnson is one of only 10 drivers to win consecutive Cup titles. He's a four-time Chase qualifier (Matt Kenseth is the only other) who rallied from 68 points down with five weeks to go in '07 -- taking each of the next four races -- to beat out teammate Gordon by 77 points.

The consummate Good Guy of auto racing has a "double-dog dare" side to him, which probably explains his enormous success in six full years of Cup racing.

On Friday, Johnson hid his eyes behind dark sunglasses as he spoke to reporters. But he showed a fire that burns inside with one particular comment he made.

"If people don't want to see the No. 48 car succeed... I'll make 'em mad. That's my job," Johnson said. "I need to go out there and win races, and win championships.

"Maybe we need to get back to our ways of making people mad at us."

Another reason to root against Johnson is purely because he races for Hendrick Motorsports.

Rumors that the sky is falling over at Rick Hendrick's garage have been circulating lately. The beautiful people of NASCAR have been struggling to find Victory Lane.

Kyle Busch, who left Hendrick for Joe Gibbs Racing this year, had a theory Friday: "I feel like [Hendrick] fell a bit behind with their mile-and-a-half programs. They decided they didn't want to test at Atlanta last year... and I feel that kind of bit them in the butt."

Kyle Busch added that he's quite sure Hendrick Motorsports "will pick it up." But hopes Joe Gibbs Racing stays ahead.

And that's the point. It's almost our inalienable right in this country to root against the team -- or individual -- that wins too much.

"We're realistic," Johnson said. "We know that, as whole, Hendrick isn't as strong as it was last year... but it's a long season.

On Sunday, a lot of eyes will be on Johnson and the No. 48 car -- and that should surprise no one.

Certainly not Jimmie Johnson.

"I do recognize," he said, "how tough it is to stay on top."