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HOMESTEAD, Fla. — For much of Sunday’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale, crew chief Chad Knaus sat calmly and fixated on his Hendrick Motorsports pit box, offering monotone encouragement and asking for simple feedback from his driver Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson had to start the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet last in the 40-car field after making a last minute adjustment that hadn’t been approved by officials. And although he passed half the field within the opening eight laps of the race, the season title came down to a restart in overtime with three laps remaining.
After running in the top-10 behind the other three championship contenders all race long, Johnson at long last took the lead on the restart and made his run at the record books.
And Knaus, 45, the steely, steady leader of this team, morphed into a stand-up, fist-pump cheerleader each time Johnson drove those by on the front straight in front of the crew. As Johnson motored toward a record-tying seventh Sprint Cup title, his devoted friend and team leader put aside the normally calm-cool-and-collected facade and showed all the emotion you would expect of someone who was watching history. Someone who helped achieve that history.
And even given the “let’s see what you can do now” circumstances of unexpectedly having to race from last on the starting grid, Knaus led this team to a historical night that will be celebrated in perpetuity. Perhaps the obstacles made the victory more triumphant.
“Honestly, we probably are better at it now than what we once were,” Knaus conceded of the No. 48 team’s ability to rally to a title after starting last in the field. “I think a lot of it comes from security and comfort. I know that Jimmie believes in me, he knows that I believe in him. We know that we’re not in fear of our jobs. We know that we’ve been able to win championships and win races. We’ve made a mark. We’ve made our mark.
MORE: Photos from historic day
“What happens from this point is ‑‑ you know, is the toppings on the ice cream, right. So there’s a lot of comfort in that, and there’s a lot of guys out there right now, they don’t have that comfort.
“I think that’s the one thing that helps us the most is the fact that we know that we’re committed to one another, we’re committed to this team, we’re committed to this organization, and we’re going to trudge through no matter what the situation is.”
So much attention is given to statistical achievement in sports. Johnson won his 80th race Sunday and hoisted his seventh Sprint Cup trophy.
But it was evident in Knaus’ body language and conversations, that all the accomplishments on track were really a result of relationships built off track.
There is something unique about a pairing that reaches this kind of elite accomplishment together. The realization of what fuels the relationship and produces its success may have taken some time.
It comes down to trust, confidence and fondness. And while that may sound simple, the intensity and duration of belief is what separates a pairing such as Johnson and Knaus from all the others that have also valiantly tried to succeed in this way.
The end result is not only a celebration of a fantastic accomplishment on track, but also a relationship formed, tested and relied on away from the track.
“I love him like a brother, he’s a fantastic individual,” Knaus said of Johnson.
“Jimmie has taught me more about life than life itself has taught me. He’s taught me about family. He’s taught me about relationships. He’s taught me about being a champion.
“You know, when we started this thing, all I was, was just a racer guy, and he was a cool California kid, and we kind of grew up together. To be in this situation to where we know he’s got a handful of years left, whatever they may be, and for Jimmie and Mr. Hendrick to want me to stick with the 48 car and be at the helm of this ship, man, it’s flattering. It really is flattering, because let’s be honest, I’m getting older just like everybody else is. None of us is as young as we once were, and I look forward to the future with these guys.”
As Johnson took the white flag, leading the field on the last lap Sunday night, Knaus banged on the side of his seat like a jockey working his horse to the finish line, then he stood up and cheered the car on.
As his good friend Johnson drove under the checkered flag and formalized their historic effort on the next lap, Knaus could only sit, stare and smile. He raised both hands and sat farther back in his seat to take it all in in the split seconds before the rowdy celebration began all around him.
They did it. Two great friends making great history.
“So this one is pretty sweet, to be able to put Jimmie’s name in that same header as Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty, it’s an honor to be a part of it,” Knaus said. “I swear to you, it is. I’m just glad to be his buddy and be by his side.”
And the feeling is … unsurprisingly mutual.
“It’s something I take a lot of pride in,” ” Johnson said of Knaus. “Loyalty is a huge thing with me. We’ve had our bumps in the road, but he’s a brother, and I’m so proud of him and so thankful that whatever drew us to one another and created this opportunity for us to start the 48 team and work together happened.
“I would not be here today as a seven‑time champion without Chad Knaus. He deserves so much praise and so much credit for my success, for this team’s success, for the success of Hendrick Motorsports and where it is and what’s going on with it right now.
“He’s something special.”