Johnson takes Chase class to school, earns the grade

Ok, now it's really over. The chances that Jimmie Johnson does not finish 25th this week at Homestead-Miami are so very slim that on Sunday it's all but a stone cold lock that we will be celebrating the four-time champion Jimmie Johnson. So this week instead of sorting the championship contenders into tiers, we are handing out Chase grades for the 12 participants as we wrap up the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Jimmie Johnson A+

Johnson

How can you give Jimmie Johnson any other grade? Year after year he and Chad Knaus have proven they know how to work it in these final 10 races. No matter what their situation coming into the Chase is, they deliver when the money is on the line. I agree with Mark Martin, not enough credit is given to not only Johnson's talent but also how hard he works at his craft. Unlike a lot of other drivers in this sport, Johnson is often present at the shop and involved with his team almost on a daily basis. Chad Knaus publicly gets a lot of credit for the 48 team's success, as well and he should. Knaus doesn't necessarily out-work other crew chiefs, he often just works smarter and with such a different approach. Almost to a habitual fault, Knaus studies races and analyzes them unlike anyone I have ever worked around. Clearly that effort put in by both guys has resulted in developing one of the best tandems to ever participate in this sport.

Now the question that will be asked from now until next year's Chase...how long can they keep it going? Honestly the only team that can stop them at this point is themselves. I've seen it happen over the years to the best...from Kirk Shelmerdine and Dale Earnhardt, Sr, to Ray Evernham and Jeff Gordon. They only thing that stopped those dynasty's was themselves. Kirk Shelmerdine decided he wanted to be a driver and Ray Evernham was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to own his own team. To this point in their careers, Johnson and Knaus' attention has been fully on their job. Some day that will inevitably change. It may be that Johnson will have children, Knaus might decide to get married or someone might make either one of them (or both of them) an offer to leave Hendrick they cannot refuse. Who knows what the reason might be, but this dynasty too shall pass. And no matter what you think of Johnson's dominance now, I promise, as a NASCAR fan, one day you will look back and think with a smile, "man I remember when those guys were unbeatable." We should appreciate the history we are witnessing while it's here.

Mark Martin A

Martin

Speaking of history, Mark Martin's Chase run of 2009 deserves a little credit in the history books. Had Talladega been one lap shorter the story coming into the final race of the season might have a much different tone, with Martin likely being the champion instead of Johnson. As it is though it looks likely that for the 5th time in his career Mark Martin will finish 2nd in the final championship standings.

Much like his teammate Jimmie Johnson , behind wheel, Martin has been spectacular in the Chase. But unlink the 48 team, I feel like the crew chief on this team doesn't get enough credit for the team's success. Alan Gustafson is one of the true young talented crew chiefs in this business, quietly ranking among the best. Not only did Gustafson turn out cars equal to Knaus throughout the Chase, in a few cases you could make the argument he was a step better. Martin didn't have nearly the racing fortune that Johnson did in the Chase as evidenced by his Charlotte and Talladega wrecks, neither of which were Martin's fault. So when you talk of Martin's 2009 success make sure you include Alan Gustafson in that conversation.

For Martin, as much as anything, his positive attitude each week during the Chase proved that at age 50, he's still a force to be dealt with in this sport and the things that used to bring his mood down (poor finishes, the media, and the grueling schedule) don't seem to bother him as much as they used to. Look out in 2010 for 51-year-old Mark Martin and his hotshot crew chief Alan Gustafson, they might be even better than this year's version.

Juan Montoya A

Montoya

I realize that some people will look at this grade and question why it is so high and once again accuse me of giving Juan Pablo Montoya too much credit but you have to keep in mind and fully understand what Montoya accomplished in the 2009 Chase. Out of the nine Chase races so far, JPM has achieved a career best finish in six of those nine races. I don't care what you thought about Montoya heading into the Chase, you have to admit, that's impressive. Throw into that mix that his team brought brand new cars to the track four times in the Chase and he had career best finishes in all four of those races and that makes it even more impressive in my opinion. With the Earnhardt-Ganassi guys building better cars each week and the now solidified relationship between Montoya and veteran crew chief Brian Pattie getting better each week too, this combo could prove to be one of the toughest to beat in 2010. (Continued)