(WOMR file photo)
Even though Jimmie Johnson won the pole yesterday for the Advocare 500 at PIR, and his lead over Matt Kenseth has grown to 7 points, he is hoping that history does not, in this particular case, repeat itself in 2013.
With his win in Sunday’s AAA Texas 500, Jimmie Johnson moved ahead of Matt Kenseth by seven points heading into the final two races of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The position of being seven points up with two races to go is all too familiar for Johnson. Just last year, Johnson also won the AAA Texas 500 to move seven points ahead of Brad Keselowski only to lose the lead the following week at Phoenix International Raceway after a blown tire resulted in a 32nd-place finish.
Ultimately, it cost Johnson his sixth Sprint Cup Series crown. “I hope history doesn’t repeat itself,” Johnson said after his record-tying, third Sprint Cup Series victory at Texas Motor Speedway. “That is the perfect example of this thing isn’t over until it’s over. Last year, we had eight races and two bad ones and didn’t get the championship. Very important to finish strong. There are two very important races left.”
For Johnson, this year’s momentum he carries into the final two races has a different feel than last year. A dominating performance in the AAA Texas 500 where he led a race-high 255 laps, coupled with a recent test session at Homestead-Miami Speedway, has him confident about the stretch run.
“I feel better about Phoenix, honestly, than I did last year leaving here,” Johnson said. “Then last year we did not test Homestead and we just came back from Homestead, and that test went really well. So I’m optimistic. I feel good. But man, it’s so weird because I’ve been in position before where I’ve had these amazing sensations and feelings that a championship was going to happen, and we were able to do it for those five years in a row.”
So race fans, strap into your favorite easy chair, pull your gloves up, flip your visor down, and let’s go racin’!
‘Cause, as Yogi Berra would say, “it ain’t over till it is over”!
Two drivers, two races, one championship, who will be the last man standing?
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
