Why do you never hear about...

[Dlyne8r]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Jimmie Johnson? In his 6 years (this year included before the chase started) he has never come in worse than 5th in season.
#1 - 2006
#2 - 2003 and 2004
#4 - 2007 (and still going)
#5 - 2002 and 2005

He has 29 wins in 6 years, and 127 top ten finishes in 211 career starts. He wins a race 13.7% of the time, and winds up in the top 10, 60.2% of the time.
He's really an amazing driver that doesn't seem to get the recognition.

The only person that beats Johnson is Gordon who wins 15.8% of the time, and 61.7% of the time he winds up in the top 10.

To put that in perspective for the other 2 NASCAR fans on this board, Stewart wins 10.3% of the time, and top ten 60.3% of the time. (although 4 of his 9 seasons were worse than 5th in the rankings)
Denny Hamlin only wins 4.2% of the time, and top ten 53.5% of the time.

I'm not saying that Johnson is the best out there, but he's a one shade below Gordon and one shade above Stewart, that's some great company, yet no one is ever talking about him. Why is that?

I am, and have been, a "NASCAR Fan" forever much to the chagrine of my lovely wife. Growing up in Nashville, TN, it was simply the law. If you didn't get into "racin," well, you were just a yankee or something and they'd come and haul your ass off somewhere! Seriously, I believe you don't hear much about JJ because he is very similar to the old school Redskins. He's quiet, he goes about his business, and when he's on the track, he is one of the best out there. However, Johnson lacks what most other drivers these days lack: PERSONALITY. Due to huge corporate sponsorship and the NASCAR PC Police, drivers are no longer permitted to display their emotions. Love him, or hate him, Dale Earnhardt Sr. was always entertaining to watch and listen to. Being a native southerner, even I grimaced when Sr. gave an interview, but boy was he something to watch. Thus, you always heard about him. Kind of like Tony Stewart. I'm not a fan of his, but at least he's got the kahunas to speak out even if it isn't PC and he is almost always in the news. I think NASCAR in general has lost much of it's heritage and personality. I absolutely love watching the races in HD every weekend, but I usually fast forward through most of the boring round-n-round stuff until something, or someone, gets into it. Foe me, it's just not as exciting as it once used to be, and maybe that's part of Jimmy Johnson's problem.