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ALL TITLE STORIES: Logano | Edwards | Busch
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of four stories examining why each driver could win the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
Coming Tuesday: Why Joey Logano will win the 2016 championship
Jimmie Johnson will win the title because …
It’s time. The greatest driver of his generation, and perhaps of all time — he certainly belongs in the conversation — sits on the doorstep of history. A title Sunday at Miami would give him seven, tying the all-time mark with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
RELATED: How Johnson won his six titles
Most didn’t think Jimmie would be here. He won twice early in the season, but his seemingly annual summer slump turned into a full-blown regular-season slump. His speed was off. Something was missing.
Months of work in the wind tunnel paid off in time for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The No. 48 has resumed its pace as a car at the front of the field. Winning at Charlotte Motor Speedway to open the Round of 12 ensured, for the first time in three years, that Johnson would be in the Round of 8.
Winning at Martinsville in the Round of 8 opener then ensured the team an extra two full weeks to think through its Homestead car, setup and strategy. Think about that. Crew chief Chad Knaus, one of the most shrewd men in the garage, has had more time than any of the other championship drivers to strategize.
Can you really bet against them?