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When Jimmie Johnson made history at Homestead-Miami Speedway with his record-tying seventh championship, it gave the sport of stock-car racing a moment to reflect on the accomplishment and to debate Johnson’s place in its history.
With just more than a week’s worth of a cool-down lap of their own to let the moment sink in, our Holly Cain and Kenny Bruce offer their perspectives on the newly crowned “Seven-Time” in this week’s head-to-head:
1. With a seventh championship tying Jimmie Johnson with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, how do you rank the three considering the eras in which they competed?
Cain: Accessing seven-time champions is ironically a no-win situation. Each driver earned the big trophy in markedly different eras under far different circumstances. Petty’s team had to be as tough as it was good. Earnhardt’s team was tested against future Hall of Famers under a new and increasingly bright spotlight. And Johnson had to earn his titles under multiple championship scenarios against a field of competition representing the deepest talent level in the sport’s history.
Bruce: I agree with Holly to a point. You can’t fairly compare the three drivers because their success came in such different times. The sport was so different when Petty won his seven titles, with teams racing as many as 62 times a season. It was a test of endurance as much as anything. Earnhardt won his titles when attrition was still a concern, but the cars were better and depth of talent within the teams greater. Johnson’s success has come under various points formats, various rules packages and against some of the best talent the sport has ever seen. But … if you’re ranking the three purely on a “most talented” level, then it’s a no-brainer. The answer is …
2. Would an eighth championship in Johnson’s column change your view?
Cain: Should Johnson win an eighth — and I believe he will — there should be no lingering doubts about his toughness, tenacity and talent — the latter something this seven-time champ is never given enough credit for.
Bruce: It depends on the circumstances. I already believe he’s one of the best to ever compete in the sport, so one more title won’t really change how I view him there. But if he continues to compete at such a high level and can still be successful, I’ll be even more impressed with any future accomplishments.
3. How do you assess the chances of Johnson and the No. 48 team achieving title No. 8?
Cain: For Johnson to have earned seven trophies under a revolving door of championship competition and format changes is a triumph in and of itself. At only 41 years old — two years younger than Earnhardt when he won his seventh and the same age as Petty when he hoisted his seventh — there is reason to believe Johnson has an incredibly favorable shot to make more NASCAR history. The pressure is off. Petty ranked in the championship top five only three more times after winning his seventh title. Earnhardt was runner-up two more times (in 1995 and 2000). Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Chad Knaus really only have more history to aspire to, and lots of time to attain it. It’s “all good” was never more apropos.
Bruce: The current championship-determining format doesn’t lend itself to repeat champions — witness three different winners in the three years of the elimination format. No driver has made the final four all three times either. And there’s a very good chance that once you make it to the final, you have to win the race to win the title. It took the No. 48 team three years to make it to the final round and I don’t think it’s a given that they’ll be back next year. Under other formats, I’d rate their chances as great. Now, though, I’m less willing to be so positive. They’ve got time, but that’s what we said about Jeff Gordon, too, when he began pursuing title No. 5 — in 2002.