Jimmie Johnson followed up a disappointing Daytona 500 with a win today at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Johnson dominated the 500 mile race and was only challenged once with several laps to go by Kevin Harvick, who faded after slapping the wall. One thing is for sure at this point is that Johnson, Chad Knaus and the rest of the Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet team are poised to make a run at a fifth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.
Now, I know it has only been two weeks and Jimmie has a 35th place finish to go along with his Auto Club 500 win; however, the best way to follow up a bad finish is to go out lead the most laps and win the race. And that is just what that race team did. Eventually someone will dethrone the 48 team, but it is going to take one massive effort.
Jamie McMurray roared to the front of the pack to win the Daytona 500. He garnered a lot of attention and toured the talk shows all week long. What did he and his team have to do in order for people to take them seriously? Well, I think they felt they needed to secure the pole for race two, work on the car all day and back up a win with a solid finish. Unfortunately after running inside the top ten most of the latter part of the race until things got wild toward the end and McMurray was shuffled back to 17th place. Still, the team shoed the ability to run up front. They may not be a championship contender, but the Bass Pro Shops Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevy should be a serious Chase threat.
Richard Childress Racing had a dismal 2009 season. Zero wins across the 4 teams. Jack Daniels took their sponsorship and Casey Mears became the odd man out. The team, as a whole, persevered and finished the '09 season on a strong note with several top fives and top tens. What have they done in the season's first two races? Well, they placed all three drivers in the top 11 in the Daytona 500 and then came out in California and put all three in the top eight. Kevin Harvick currently holds the points lead followed by teammate Clint Bowyer in second and RCR's elder statesman, Jeff Burton, climbed to fifth in the points with his third place finish Sunday. Only one thing can be said about RCR...They're Back!
Jeff Gordon followed up a dismal Daytona 500 with a dismal Auto Club 500 finishing 21st and 20th respectively. Definitely not the way he wanted to start his drive for a fifth championship. The team, led by crew chief Steve Letarte, has shown promise by leading laps in both races. Gordon probably wasn't expecting to be 22nd in points after 2 races, so don't expect them to stay there for long.
In my mind, these are the biggest story lines of the season so far. The racing has been awesome. The new and improved tire combinations and NASCAR's "have at it boys" approach have made for some side-by-side "rubbin' is racin'" action. eWe have seen some awesome racing despite the long delays in Daytona and the threatening weather in Fontana. We still have a long way to go before the Chase for the Sprint Cup gets under way after Labor Day. So, sit back, relax and watch it unfold. Come back next Monday for my thoughts after Vegas...
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