Third consecutive Indy win would immortalize JJ

1. It's Track Smack, Indy edition. Last year, Jimmie Johnson became the first driver to win back-to-back races at the Brickyard 400. How big an accomplishment would three in a row be?

Mark Aumann: Pretty damn impressive. It's never been done in the history of the place, in any discipline, dating back to 1909. Helio Castroneves had the last chance to do it in the Indianapolis 500, and before that, Al Unser won back-to-back races in 1970 and 1971.

David Caraviello: It would probably be the biggest thing he's done outside of four straight championships, if it comes to fruition. Heck, if he wins Sunday, that would be four out of five, too. Given how ridiculously difficult that race track is, given the level of team and driver that typically contend and win there, three in a row makes a pretty big statement.

Raygan Swan: I think three in a row would put him in a class all by himself, but more important it would put him in the prestigious group of racers who have won four times at Indianapolis: Mears, Foyt, Unser, Gordon, etc. Either way, it's an amazing accomplishment.

Mark Aumann: You think about the names synonymous with the place -- Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser, Rick Mears. None of them ever had that kind of success in that span. Although Vukovich had won two in a row and was leading in the third when he was killed there.

David Caraviello: Wow, Mark. I meant to check the IndyCar side of it and never got around to it -- wasn't aware that it hadn't been done there, either. Schumacher didn't win three straight when Formula One was competing at the place, did he? Can't imagine, given the circuit's brief run there.

Raygan Swan: David, you're right about the difficulty level of the track. The list of winners of the Brickyard 400 isn't that long and we haven't seen many repeat winners, so that tells me once a driver figures it out like JJ they can continue to find success.

David Caraviello: I will say this, Jimmie probably needs an asterisk next to his 2008 victory. That was when the tires failed and NASCAR had to issue competition cautions every 10 laps or so, so the race essentially became a big game of pit stop bingo. Not quite a fair test of racing ability. But everyone competed under the same conditions, arduous as they were.

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Mark Aumann: To answer your F1 question, Schumacher won there in 2000 and 2001, but Rubens Barrichello won in 2002. Schumacher then won again in 2003, followed by Barrichello in 2004. Gotta love Wikipedia!

David Caraviello: There you go. Knew Aumann would be all over that. But Mark, don't spoil the myth. I had a vision of you pulling the official race reports straight from a file cabinet in the cabin.

Mark Aumann: Ha! No, the Indy 500 history is all locked up between the ears, for the most part. Donald Davidson, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian, is one of my heroes.

David Caraviello: Oh man, I'm a big fan of that guy too. One of the perks of being in Indy during race week is being able to listen to Donald on the radio. Guy can answer the most arcane questions about the speedway. He also narrates the movie in the museum, which is worth your time.

Raygan Swan: Ah, to have the age and wisdom of a relic like Mark Aumann.

Mark Aumann: Oh, to have the impetuousness of youth that is Raygan Swan. I went to see a closed-circuit broadcast of the 1970 Indy 500, which would be well before you were born, Raygs. And perhaps even David.

David Caraviello: But anyway, back to Jimmie. I know a lot of NASCAR fans get tired of hearing about the Indy mystique, but let's face it, it's a very real thing. To win there means a great deal beyond just that day and time. It's flat out the most difficult race track on the Sprint Cup tour, and for Johnson to have dominated it over the last few years -- because really, that's what he's done in winning three of four -- speaks volumes about his ability. I mean, people like to drone on about how he's a product of the Chase or whatever, but nobody lucks into winning at Indy. Johnson's run at that place only cements how good he is, whether people want to admit it or not.

Raygan Swan: I was wondering if Rick Mears gave him any pointers a while back when the two took a ride around the track. Mears seems to be one of Johnson's idols, and they talked about how it took the No. 48 a couple of years to learn the track. Before that he either won or crashed, seemingly.

David Caraviello: You're right, Raygan. Before this run, Jimmie's most memorable Indy moment was sitting dazed on the pit wall after a fiery crash there. But he certainly has the place figured out. Three in a row at the Brickyard would be a bigger feat than most people would give it credit for.

Mark Aumann: You know, we made a big deal last year about how the Brickyard seems to forecast champions, since eight of the past 12 race winners have gone on to take the title. But if it always seems to come down to Jimmie and Tony Stewart every year, that's pretty easy. But Indy is an incredibly hard place, it's no surprise that the trophy has gone to the sport's top drivers. It's just so hard to pass there. It's narrow and the corners require a preciseness. It's the guy who can get track position near the end of the race, and has the best handling car, who usually pulls off the win.

Raygan Swan: And while Jimmie has it figured out and I give him credit for all three wins, tires and all, I really think Montoya had the race won last year had he not gotten caught speeding. Then again, it may have come down to those two, Johnson and JPM. But at the Brickyard you have to drive a perfect race to win.

David Caraviello: That you do. And yes, Mark, I was born in 1970. But what is this closed-circuit TV thing you speak of? (Continued)