Seeing20twenty

‘The Jimmie Factor’

The pressure didn’t lift at homestead. Well it may have momentarily, but the real pressure starts now. The ‘repeat factor’ is a constant pressure point for a champion. Fans tend to grade drivers on a, “What have you done for me lately?”, scale. This scale puts pressure on drivers every race, but, when you’re the champ, this pressure becomes more intense. Sometimes the biggest pressure is from within. With so much to do, so many opinions flying, so little time, how does a Cup Champion stay focused? A few will tell you they couldn’t, some will even admit to questioning themselves. It is a mental game that all drivers deal with, but for a Cup Champion the ‘repeat factor’ is a pressure that rarely ends in victory.
In the history of Cup Series racing, there have been only 9 drivers who have managed to beat the ‘repeat factor’. Buck Baker became the first driver to beat the odds when he won back to back championships in 1956 and 1957. Lee petty, not to be outdone, took the 1958 and 1959 championships to even the score. Joe Weatherly (1962/1963 Cup Champion) and David Pearson (1968/1969 Cup Champion) were also able to accomplish this feat. Then came, ‘The King’. Of course he hadn’t been enthroned yet, but he made his mark with back to back Cup Championships in 1971 and 1972. In 1975, Richard Petty became the first driver to capture a second back to back title. Richard had managed to win 4 titles in 5 years. Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally matched this feat in 1994, taking the Cup Championship for the fourth time in five years, but he topped ‘The King’ by grabbing his third back to back in only 9 years. (1986/1987, 1990/1991, 1993/1994) In between ‘The King’ and ‘The Intimidator’, one man was able to totally defy odds and accomplish what no other driver has been able to- a ‘three-peat’. Cal Yarborough is the only driver to successfully defend his title 2 years in a row. His back to backs in 1976 and 1977 became history with the third championship in 1978. Two other drivers delivered single back to backs, Darrell Waltrip in 1981/1982 and Jeff Gordon in 1997/1998.
So, where does this leave Jimmie? I believe this team has a chance, if changes by the sanctioning body don’t totally turn them upside down. I am not a Jimmie Johnson fan, but I can’t think of one reason to dislike him, at least not without being a hypocrite. He’s the perfect ‘poster boy’ for our sport. Most who say they don’t like him wind up saying it’s because he’s, “Gordon’s pet”. People, do you watch the races? Jimmie Johnson has proven over and over that he is his own driver. He is on fire and so is his crew. If this team can keep it together, I truly believe they will win multiple Cup Championships.
To Jimmie I can only say- never question yourself. I know this is easier said than done, but you can’t expect others to have confidence in you if you don’t have it yourself. Keep in mind that other factors that are not in your control can ruin the outcome too. You are your own worst enemy or your own best friend and it all depends on one thing- how you handle the pressure.