Posted by GEORGE October 20, 2009 4:05:10 PM
Jimmie Johnson proved that he is still the man to beat at Lowe's Motor Speedway as he cruised by teammate Jeff Gordon with 13 laps left, and won the NASCAR Banking 500 in Charlotte.
Only four of the 12 Chase drivers finished in the top 10 last Saturday night, which boosted Jimmie Johnson's lead to 90 points. The Chase for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship is not over yet, but it may be soon, unless another contender comes to the front. Mark Martin still has a chance, but the race he ran at Lowe's was more like his races from seasons past. Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch are also still in the running, but the fact is, if Jimmie Johnson doesn't stub his toe somewhere in the next two races, the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship is his.
My guess is that Mark Martin will continue to fade, and Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon will catch Martin and bump him out of second-place. Whether these guys can catch Jimmie Johnson is all in Johnson's and crew chief Chad Knaus' hands. Next up is Martinsville, and if Mark Martin has anything left, he needs to win this make-or-break race.
Will Danica Patrick race in the Nationwide Series in 2010, and if so, will she make a name for herself in NASCAR Racing? I think she'll be there next year. And if she shows up, she'll make a name for herself. NASCAR is licking their chops, hoping she signs up. Danica is another Dale Earnhardt Jr in the making, as far as NASCAR is concerned.
The fact is, Danica has only won one Indy Racing League race in her career, but she's the most popular IRL driver. You don't see many other IRL drivers in commercials, endorsing products, and most all of them are better drivers than Danica Patrick. The men like her for obvious reasons, and the women like her because she carries their banner. She's good, but not great, and it's like Dale Earnhardt Jr is looking in a mirror. No doubt she'll be good for NASCAR, but she won't get to see the winner's circle.
The 2009 NASCAR season is about over. In a few short weeks, we'll be talking about what an exciting season it was, and what the changes will be for the 2010 NASCAR season. We may be talking about the chances of Jimmie Johnson winning five in a row, or celebrating Mark Martin's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. No matter what the end of this NASCAR season brings, I'm already looking forward to next year, but first I'm going to relish the rest of this season.
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