Catchfence

Opinions Vary on Effects of No. 48 Team’s Winning Ways

Huntersville, N.C. (November 5, 2009) – The sports world is currently not lacking any top story lines. Two major-market teams are battling for the World Series crown. The Boston Celtics are attempting to break the single-season win record in the NBA and are off to an undefeated start. The Bowl Championship Series is gridlocked with seven teams currently without a loss. Finally, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is staring down history, but is anyone appreciating the monumental achievements happening with Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorports crew?

If and when Johnson is crowned NASCAR Sprint Cup champion this month, many fans will stand up and cheer. Others will boo. But some might just sit back and yawn. The clinching of a fourth-straight championship is an historical accomplishment. How big is this feat in the landscape of today’s sports world?

Drivers Bobby Labonte, John Andretti and Alli Owens comment on the debate:

Bobby Labonte, Driver No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet and President of Breaking Limits:

“It’s huge what this team has done. If you’re a fan of the sport you are amazed by it. A casual fan, they probably go to the races or watch them on TV because they want to see an exciting race. They want to be on the edge of their seat on that last lap. They may or may not have a driver that they root for, but they love the racing. So, for those who say it’s getting boring to see Jimmie winning all the time, sure, I can see where they’re coming from. I can appreciate that they want to mix things up a bit.

“But as a driver, of course, I can definitely respect and appreciate what that 48 team has accomplished. They haven’t won three straight championships by being lucky. They’ve got a great program. It’s as close to a dynasty as you’re ever going to see in NASCAR for a long time. You have to appreciate it now and not 40 years from now reading it in a book.”

John Andretti, Driver, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet:

“There have been guys who have won seven, but there is nobody who has won four in a row. In the history of NASCAR, it’s unprecedented. Jimmie Johnson is already immortalized from his performance, but this will put him in a class all by himself. It’s like Richard Petty’s 200 wins; it’s a class that will probably always have only one person in it.

“I don’t think that any kind of domination is what the fans look back at and say, ‘That was great.’ They look back at the driver, team, and organization and see that they were doing everything better than everybody else. That is the case at this point based on the current system.

“Jimmie is still easily a championship contender under any point system, but winning under the old point system might not be the case. There is good and bad under any scenario, and Jimmie Johnson has found a way to dominate the chase, and it brings it into question.”

Alli Owens, Driver, ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota (ARCA RE/MAX Series):

“Jimmie has done something no has ever done before. No doubt it’s a huge achievement and deserves the fans’ respect. If he’s guilty of anything, it’s making it seem too routine. I think he’s been so dominant over the past few years that people expect him to win and don’t see the end in sight. Maybe a few years from now when the competition catches up to him, they’ll realize how amazing it was to see him win four in a row. I think he’ll definitely be appreciated down the road just like (Jeff) Gordon and (Richard) Petty were, but it will probably come only when the fans realize that he’s human.”

- Breaking Limits Marketing, Press Release