AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > March > 18 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWinner Johnson plays rough
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
In a flash, it was over. Not at the finish line on Sunday inside the Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Jimmie Johnson officially sprinted to his second victory in Henry County. Try against the unforgiving wall on turn 2 with three laps remaining in the Kobalt Tools 500.
It was over when Johnson outgunned, outsmarted and outmaneuvered Tony Stewart during a NASCAR version of the game “chicken” at 180-something mph down the thrilling stretch.
Oh, and you’ll find this surprising: Stewart wasn’t pleased in the aftermath. “Nobody likes to hit the wall. That’s pretty much a no-brainer, I think,” he said, sounding like his hero, A.J Foyt, when it comes to grumbling over tough losses. “I wish [Johnson] had of given me a little more room,” he said. And he went on to say that Johnson had the faster car and that he never kept his opponent from having room to race on the track.
Yeah, right. And neither Stewart nor Foyt would have done as much with the checkered flag nearly in sight.
To paraphrase Herman Edwards, YOU TRY TO WIN THE RACE.
That’s why Johnson is the only driver ever to finish in the top five in the standings during his opening five seasons. That’s why he won the title last season. That’s also why Johnson just won his second consecutive race this season despite all that tension flying around the garages, the pits, the grandstands and the race cars after the re-start with 11 laps to go.
“It was pretty intense,” said Johnson, chuckling, recalling how Stewart roared ahead on the subsequent green flag. Not only was Johnson in hot pursuit, but so were the accomplished Matt Kenseth and Juan Pablo Montoya, the master of open-wheel and Formula One racing who is resembling a veteran during his rookie season with the NASCAR folks. Jeff Burton joined the fun, too. Even so, during the final six laps, the Big Five became the Final Two.
There was Stewart weaving at full speed in an attempt to keep the charging Johnson from doing what Johnson eventually had to do, and that was he had TO TRY TO WIN THE RACE. Since Stewart mostly tried to stay high, Johnson kept drifting low in search of that moment.
When that moment finally came, with Johnson’s spotter yelling over the headphones for the driver to go for it. Well, you know the rest.
“I didn’t want to be on the inside of [Stewart], because I just felt it was a harder row to hoe, but I didn’t have any options, and we were running out of laps,” Johnson said. “Tony had a good run coming off the outside, and when I heard [from the spotter] that he was there, coming, it was too late for me to adjust.”
Seconds later, Johnson “apologized” to Stewart for his actions.
That was nice. It’s just that no apology was necessary. From the smooth beginning to the hectic end, this was a race with so few mishaps (six caution flags for 27 laps, mostly due to debris on the track) that Montoya continued to marvel at “how much room” drivers give each other on the Nextel Cup circuit.
Stewart gets it, by the way. He added upon reflection, “We’re both racing hard with three laps to go, and you don’t know if his spotter told him he was clear, so he just kept coming.” There also was this from Johnson, still hyped about 45 minutes after the race: “I can’t say that I’ve driven a race car that hard before.”
He hadn’t a choice.
Permalink | Comments (23) | Post your comment | Categories: Terence Moore
Comments
By Matthew at the SLC
March 18, 2007 9:38 PM | Link to this
I think it was a good article. You must be a stupid hick with a 4th grade education if you cannot spell “people”. How do you leave out two letters if you intended to write the correct word?
What an Jack@$$!
By scott b
March 18, 2007 10:29 PM | Link to this
Nice comments. Maybe attitudes like this are why it is so hard to like Nascar. Oops, sounds like I am stereotyping a whole group of people. D, you mean ignorant rednecks can actually read? Keep trying, you may learn how to write eventually.
By Ripme
March 18, 2007 10:47 PM | Link to this
Sounds like Mr. Moore don’t like Tony Stewart? Johnson’s day will come, pay-back. Johnson’s team has been caught once this year Cheating. MONTOYA is the man to watch!
By Jamie
March 19, 2007 8:39 AM | Link to this
That first comment is offensive and needs to be removed.
Tony knows he can’t complain - he’d of done the same thing (or worse) had he been in Johnson’s position - and he knew Jimmie had the stronger car.
I agree that no apology was necessary. It was polite of Jimmie to do so - but this is racing in the closing laps. If it had been JPM in Johnson’s position he would have quickly acknowledged that you do what you need to do to win the race, and what Jimmie did wasn’t anything to be sorry for, in fact, it wasn’t even a blip on the screen - the same thing happens throughout a race many times. Some people hate recognizing that Johnson took on one of the best in NASCAR and beat him fair and square.
I’d say when you are consistently beating the best we may need to redefine who is “best.”
By Reginald
March 19, 2007 10:25 AM | Link to this
Terence, nice article. On point and very descriptive.
Keep up the good work!
By jay
March 19, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this
Stewart is such a whinner…….what would HE have done if Johnson was coming fast high? The same thing!
This is NASCAR, not checkers. Dale senior would have put Steward into the wall, infield and he would have finished 21st, not second.
Grow up Tony!
By Terence Moore
March 19, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this
WHITE POWER!!!
By Jules
March 19, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this
“By Terence Moore March 19, 2007 1:23 PM WHITE POWER!!!”
LOL! ;-)
By NASCAR Canada
March 19, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this
Good article Terrence.Too bad Mathew at the SLC and Scott b were drinking ‘shine and playing on Uncle Daddy’s (you know they must be in-bred) PC and actually strung together some sentences..probably by accident.
By ljones
March 19, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this
NASCAR needs to either have rules and enforce them - or not. Johnson apologized; he obviously felt he did something wrong.
How can there be controversy almost every week, with plenty of apologies, and nothing ever happens?
And for the brilliant post about Dale Sr. would have put Stewart into the infield, in today’s NASCAR, that definitely would have drawn a penalty.
By ljones
March 19, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this
And when did Terence Moore become such an “expert” on NASCAR?
By Smoke
March 19, 2007 2:32 PM | Link to this
Terence Moore, you have no business discussing NASCAR. You are an idiot - go cover basketball game or something you “thug” - yeah, I said it….THUG
By smokin2
March 19, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this
This article was very interesting. It seems as though you’re fairly new to watching NASCAR. Stewart is a class act when it comes to racing. Yes, it was run into the wall by Johnson. But, what do you expect from a guy whose team CHEATS!!! Tony is a class act and always will be.
By Rick
March 19, 2007 4:55 PM | Link to this
I aggree with that the first (2) comment was offensive and should be removed. And second yes Dale Sr. would have put Tony in wall. (you lead or you follow or you get out of the way or I will knock you out of way) Tony is a greay driver and Jimmy is lucky he did not wreck them both. Good race
By scooter11
March 19, 2007 5:07 PM | Link to this
TM did find a way to paraphrase and credit a black pro football coach in a NASCAR article, even using the word “race”. Clever.
By Jimi Stockdale
March 19, 2007 7:09 PM | Link to this
I agree with the article. Tony Stewart is such a hypocrite! He whines like a little girl if things do not go his way. I was actually hoping that Johnson and Stewart would take each other out so Matt Kenseth could take the win. GO 17 !
By Dell
March 19, 2007 7:27 PM | Link to this
Let me get this straight. It’s OK for one car to be four cars wide, blocking for all that’s in him for lap after lap, but it’s illegal to slam the door shut after a pass???
Oooooooo K!
By Terence Moore
March 19, 2007 7:46 PM | Link to this
If I wasn’t an affirmative action hire, I would make better sense on my blogs.
By Me
March 19, 2007 8:03 PM | Link to this
Did anybody notice how Johnson got a debris caution when he needed it to catch Stewart in the first place? For those of us who were in racing in the 60’s and 70’s its amazing that they have more debris cautions in a month now than they used to have in a decade. And Dale Sr. always cried like a stuck hog if somebody ran into him. He could dish it out but he couldn’t take it. (See incident with Ricky Rudd at North Wilkesboro in the mid 90’s)
By Ben
March 19, 2007 10:26 PM | Link to this
He didn’t “get” a debris caution. I was sitting in turn 3 and I watched the truck go to the top of the track and a member of the safety crew pick up something off the racetrack. Now, there was one earlier where I never saw anyone pick anything up, but that last one, yes, there was debris on the track.
By Pam
March 19, 2007 11:47 PM | Link to this
Great article! Tell like it was! Thanks!
And have to laugh at Smokin2’s comment! I think he/she must have not watched last year when Tony punted the 17 during the Daytona 500 when he was in a snit. Tony has done way worse than pinch someone a bit. Jimmie didn’t touch Tony yesterday, he just didn’t give in and let Tony take the lead back and Tony wasn’t going to give either and ended up in the wall. Tony said himself Jimmie had the faster car. He’s over it, his fans should be too.
GO JIMMIE, CHAD, AND TEAM 48!
By jakesdad
March 19, 2007 11:53 PM | Link to this
I was also there and just finished watching it off the dvr minutes ago. folks, Jimmie dominated that race - period. the coverage didn’t reflect what I saw from my seat. Tony had a great car too and might could have held the 48 off but the bottom line is the best car won - period. don’t believe me? fine - ask Tony: “they were faster than us…”. deal with it, get over it and move on to complaining about COT. I have plenty of respect for Tony as a driver but I just can’t understand this irrational hatred some people seem to have for the 48 bunch. their only crime (as best I can tell) is consistenly finishing ahead of the 8…
By Julie
March 19, 2007 11:57 PM | Link to this
I have read all of the previous comments and as an avid NASCAR and yes, a Jimmie Johnson,fan I have to point out some things. Let’s face the facts, Jimmie clearly had the better car all day having led more laps than anyone else, and the best car won the race. Also, the car passed inspection from certified NASCAR officials pre-qualifying, pre-race, and post-race, therefore, calling him a cheater is clearly a stretch of the imagination. Also, if all had paid attention to the entire race as I did, they would have recognized that when the “imaginary” debris caution was called Jimmie was actually in the lead and Stewart second, benefiting only Stewart and the other 41 cars on track BEHIND Jimmie. Finally, I find it offensive that anyone would bring up the issue of “race” or color of a man who obviously saw the same RACE that I did. A man’s color, size, religion or anything else having to do with physical appearance has nothing to do with the facts! I am ashamed to associate myself with these so called NASCAR fans! I applaud Mr. Moore for his wonderful article and would applaud him just as much if Stewart had won the race in the same manner that Jimmie did! However, I doubt there would have been a controversy over it if it was the other way around because Jimmie wouldn’t have complained as Stewart does so often when things don’t go his way. Great article and as always GO TEAM 48….the best team in NASCAR!!!!