The challenge, just for fun, was going to be to write a column without using the D-word or the Double-J words -- to find something different on which to attempt to wax poetic.

The D-word isn't that difficult to avoid this week. She finished 36th in the Nationwide race at Las Vegas over the weekend, though she ran as high as third at one point and her poor finish wasn't really her fault. But now she's going away to that other American style of racing for four solid months before her next scheduled foray into stock cars, so let's just put her name aside until she and NASCAR can mutually use each other to create a second round of media buzz.

But Double-J? Can't do it, man.

Perhaps much of America's racing fraternity is sick of hearing about Jimmie Johnson. Perhaps they are tired of watching him and crew chief Chad Knaus cavort about in Victory Lane. Heck, shortly after they did so for the second consecutive Sunday at sold-out Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a uniformed police officer and genuine race fan in far away Charlotte, N.C., actually approached me out of the blue and implored that "something had to be done" about it.

Hey, what do you want lil' ol' me to do? I already suggested last year in a video blog that NASCAR try throwing a few bricks in the No. 48 car when Johnson's head was turned, or maybe even a giant cinder block -- as if Knaus wouldn't find all of the above anyway and magically reposition the extra weight to create some kind of advantage over the rest of the field.

Yes, these guys are so good that it's frustrating for anyone who craves something different. But savor the fact that you might just be watching something very special indeed. Johnson just won his 49th Sprint Cup race in his 294th career start; this Friday will mark the anniversary of when Richard Petty won his 50th career victory -- in his 338th start. (Continued)