lee petty

Jimmie Johnson Five-Peat Championship

This article is an opinion on the performance of NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson and how consistently he has performed since his rookie year, no matter what points system or car type he’s been in.  After I’m done, you just might understand why I’ve started see Johnson’s performance  for what it is .

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I’ve always been a bit confused about a vocal part of the NASCAR fan base who have such a rage-on for Jimmie Johnson.

It’s amazing how people can dig up the hate on the guy.  An acquaintance of mine had spouted his distaste for Jimmie after he won his fifth straight championship.  According to his opinion, my peer declared that NASCAR made sure their golden boy won his fifth title and went on to declare that it was a crock of refuse.  (But with the grittier word in place of refuse.)

NASCAR’s Golden Boy

Dale Earnhardt Jr and Taylor Swift at 2008 Nashville Sound and Speed

But if you really have to know, NASCAR’s golden boy is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who accounts for over 50% of all merchandise sales of diecast, clothing & accessories of the sport.  And as his performance has been declining, so too have been the sales, and NASCAR feels that pinch, whether you realize it or not.

If NASCAR were to actually back their “golden boy,” they’d do everything they could to get Dale Eanrhardt Jr. in the winner’s circle and out of his business suit where Dale Jr owns a lot of companies like television production companies, race tracks, race teams, real estate offices, bars and what not.  They wouldn’t be applying so much parity to the sport to spread the wealth of winning if they had a “golden boy.”

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the favorite son.  He’s the favorite son of the fans who seem to keep Dale Sr.’s spirit alive by rooting for Dale Jr.  I get that.  I’m there too.  Despite a rough and tough season, the fans stick behind Dale Jr..  So much so that he’s won the Most Popular Driver award, again.

Richard Petty won it 9 times starting in 1962.  Then in 64, 68, 74-78.

Bobby Allison won it 8 times starting in 1970 to 73, then 1980 to 83.

Bill Elliott though is the man to beat in the category of the Most Popular driver.  Elliott’s won the award 16 times starting from 1984, spanning ’84 to 88, interrupted by Darrel Waltrip in ’89 & 90, then Bill Elliott ran with it from 1991 to 2000.

In 2001 Dale Earnhardt (Sr.) took the award in his afterlife, and Bill Elliott won it once again, for the last time, in 2002.

Since 2003, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been the recipient of the award ever since.

I feel bad for the rest of the competition.  We should make a runner-up kind of, we haven’t forgotten you award for those coming in 2nd!

NBaP Tidbit:  Rumor (?) has it that the award will be renamed to The Bill Elliott Award once Bill retires from the sport.

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