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Johnson the sandbagger?
Sporting News, The, Sept 30, 2005 by Matt Crossman
Entering the season, Jimmie Johnson was the popular pick to win the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. His performance for most of the season backed that up, as he spent 16 weeks atop the standings and never dropped below fifth. Yet because of strong runs by Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle--and a mini-slump by Johnson--a lot of prognosticators jumped off the Johnson bandwagon.
Those might be premature departures. Johnson ran conservatively in the regular season, saved plenty of tests, has five brand-new cars and is itching to bring the new-car smell to victory lane.
Sandbag much?
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"There've been other guys that have been stronger than us, but we haven't really been digging deep," crew chief Chad Knaus says. "I try to save all my silver bullets for the final 10."
It's crucial that Johnson not fall behind as he did last season, when he dropped 247 points behind the leader in ninth place after the fourth race of the Chase. He launched an incredible rally, winning four of the last six races, but it wasn't enough--he finished eight points behind champion Kurt Busch. The team is set up for a strong run in this season's Chase if Johnson and Knaus can stop their uncharacteristic squabbling.
Expect the No. 48 to be very aggressive throughout the Chase because Knaus thinks one win won't be enough to win the title, as it was when Busch won last year. "The races that you don't win, you're going to have to finish in the top 10," Knaus says.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
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