Is it over?
With two races left, there are four, maybe five, drivers with a shot at winning this Cup championship thing:
* Jimmie Johnson, who climbed back into the points lead Sunday for the first time since Bristol
* Matt Kenseth, the former points leader, now 17 points back
* The people's choice (OK, maybe just mine), Dale Junior, 78 points back
* Rookie Denny Hamlin, 80 points back
* Crafty Kevin Harvick, 105 back
(Gordon is 157 back - he's done. Sorry, Gordon fans.)
If I'm Junior or Hamlin or Harvick, I'm feeling pretty good about things. Sure, Johnson's driving the wheels off his car. But this Chase has shown pretty clearly that the fickle hand of fate will give anyone a wedgie at just about any time. (Duct-tape your underwear to your body. And watch out for stuff flying out of Robby Gordon's car.)
If I'm Matt Kenseth, I'm feeling really good. A 17-point difference is nothing. Johnson has lost a championship by just more than half of that. So when Kenseth said this to reporters on Tuesday -- "I don't really feel like we're going to find the magic and ... (run) like Jimmie is," -- I'm not sure my pea brain can process that.
Dude, you're down just 17 points. That's four positions. You've got two weeks.
What's up with that? Is Kenseth sandbagging? Or should we start getting used to the idea that Jimmie Johnson will be the 2006 Cup champ?
Comments (1)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
I don't think Johnson is gonna do it! Sorry J.J. fans, but he has been running real good lately and is due for a melt down. Kenseth who has had really nothing but bad luck, bad cars, bad karma, bad hair...? is due for a good race, and if he comes out of Pheonix with a top 3 then who knows. Sandbaggin? Nah!! I think Matt is trying to get into J.J's head and take him out of his game by being so calm about everything. But is he trying to convince us or himself that he is feeling no pressure? Come on, he has got to be going nuts!
But wait, we can not forget about Young Mr. Hamlin and Jr. (who has been running real good lately). Sorry, but I don't think Harvick can do it. I know he is close but I don't think he has got the stuff right now, and because of last week and the love tap to Riggs, he may hold back a bit. It could be a four way, couple of points, beatin and bangin, rubbin and bumping run to the end in Homestead next week, which would be a great end to the season.
Posted on November 10, 2006 1:10 AM