Going into this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup action, I’m wondering if this is the start of Jimmie Johnson’s “comeback.”
He really didn’t have to “come back,” per se, but he was well overdue to win a race, and win a race he did. This past weekend at the longest race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Season, the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, Johnson finally got the win so many fans (whether you like him or not) thought would have already come in the 2014 season.
So, will Mr. Six Pack get number seven? It’s possible, especially with the upcoming weeks.
Johnson is one of the (if not the most) dominant driver at the “Monster Mile,” better known as Dover. His crew chief, Chad Knaus, is a huge fan of racing at Pocono, then there’s Michigan, Sonoma, and Kentucky for the next few races after that. The 48′s stats at those tracks aren’t shabby, either.
So, WHO can possibly stop his fresh streak? A couple drivers, in my opinion, will give Johnson a run for his money.
First, let’s look at Jeff Gordon at Dover. He may only have half the wins that Jimmie has there (8 opposed to 4), but he is some stiff competition. Gordon is hungry not only for another win, but for another Championship, since his last one was in 2001. Yes, it was more than a few years ago, but don’t count him out.
Second, you can’t count Greg Biffle out. He may not be having the season he wants, but he has a couple wins at the Monster Mile, and may just break free on Sunday.
Finally, don’t ever count out Kyle Busch – especially on a weekend where he runs every major NASCAR Series race – Camping World Truck, Nationwide, and the Sprint Cup Series. He’s won all three before, and he can certainly do it again.
When Busch was growing up, he would sometimes run two races in ONE night. He would definitely rather be out on the track racing than anything else, and he proves it.
Something else that makes Busch a smart pick for this weekend is the fact that Dover is concrete. He runs more than well on that surface, as he has proved at other concrete tracks like Bristol.
The No. 18 is third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Standings going in to Dover (24 points behind the leader), and only Matt Kenseth and points leader Jeff Gordon are ahead of him. I must also mention that the paint scheme on the M&M’s Toyota is sweet, no pun intended.
Look for other special paint schemes at the Monster Mile (aptly named that because of the track’s mascot, Miles the Monster, seen in the picture under the title of this article), and for a lot of racing, as all three major NASCAR Series will tackle that track this weekend.