Team Hendrick: Head and Shoulders Above

For the fifth consecutive points race, Rick Hendrick had one of his cars go to victory lane. This time, it was the 6-time Sprint Cup Series Champion, Jimmie Johnson.

Whoever wrote this guy off earlier this year, well, that crow tastes pretty good, I bet. When summer heats up, so does JJ. I wrote a few weeks ago that all the other drivers had to be sweating it after the #48 picked up his first victory of the season at Charlotte, then the next week at Dover.

Fans of drivers other than Jimmie Johnson, it could be another long year. He has won three of the last four races and has even more tracks that he runs well at coming up soon. Let’s just face it folks, the guy is a pretty remarkable driver. At least the best of this era.

As far as the past five weeks go, Jeff Gordon won at Kansas, Johnson at Charlotte, Dover,  and Michigan (which is a track where he had never won), and Dale Jr at Pocono. That is a powerful statement by the Hendrick garage. Currently, there is absolutely no debate on who is the strongest team in the Sprint Cup Series. If you do try to debate it, you are being foolish.

Current standings have Gordon first, Johnson second, and Dale Jr third. Like I said, you can’t argue with the results. If the Sprint Cup Chase started today, Johnson would be seeded #1 (due to his 3 wins), Dale Jr would be seeded #2 (2 wins), Joey Logano #3 (2 wins), Kevin Harvick #4 (2 wins), and Jeff Gordon #5 (1 win).

Right turns, anyone?

Here comes the first of two road courses on the schedule this Sunday in Sonoma, California. As NASCAR fans, you either hate road courses, or love them.

I love them. I think that it is a great break from the monotony of drivers going around the world to the left every weekend. I also get to see a driver on the course that had one of the greatest post-race interviews ever. If you ever get the chance, watch Boris Said’s interview from after the 2011 Watkins Glen race. It was an instant classic. Said, who is not a Sprint Cup regular, with his 80’s porn hair, called Greg Biffle a “chump” and said if someone would give him Biffle’s address, he would give him what he deserved, “a butt whoopin’”. Classic NASCAR stuff.

This happened after the cars were beatin’ and bangin’ in good old fashioned road course style. If you want a laugh, check it out. I look for the Hendrick win streak to stop at 5 this week. I’m going to go out on a limb and take the driver from Tasmania. Marcos Ambrose has the highest driver rating at Sonoma, and is an excellent road course driver. However, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon could threaten for the win.