Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
This Saturday, in Charlotte, NASCAR will hold the fifth of ten “Chase” races. The Chase is to NASCAR what the playoffs are to many other sports. During the regular season, twelve drivers qualify for the Chase. Although other drivers still compete in the final ten Chase races, only the Chase qualifiers are eligible to be the overall Chase winner.
Currently, Carl Edwards leads the Chase. Kevin Harvick is second and trails by one point. Jimmy Johnson is third and trails by four points. A driver earns an additional point basically if he finishes one spot better in a particular race. Thus, for instance, if Johnson wins this Saturday’s race, while Edwards and Harvick finish no better than sixth, then Johnson will become the Chase leader.
If Johnson wins the Chase this year, it will be the sixth year in a row for him to do that. If he does, it will be a major feat, not just within NASCAR, but within all sports. For instance, when Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls, the Bulls won the championship only three seasons in a row—although they did that twice. In the NFL, no team has ever won more than two Super Bowls in a row. As far as I am aware, the only superior championship streaks are: (i) the John Wooden “dynasty” teams at UCLA, which won seven championships in a row, and (ii) the 1959-1966 Boston Celtics, which won eight championships in a row.
One reason why Johnson has been so successful is that he is very thoughtful and careful. For instance, if he is in second or third near the end of the race, he often won’t even try to win. He realizes, I believe, that a win in such a race will gain him at best a few points; whereas if he crashes, that will cost him as much as forty points.
In contrast, the current points leader, Carl Edwards, is not so risk-averse. In 2008, on the last lap of a race he was in second place behind Johnson. Around the final curve he passed Johnson on the inside. However, his speed was so fast that once he passed Johnson, the centrifugal force flung him into the outside wall. The car, only slightly damaged, still managed to finish second. After the race, a reporter asked Edwards about the move. "I planned on hitting the wall. But I didn't plan on the wall slowing me down that much. I play a lot of video games where you can just run it into the wall and hold it wide open. And that's what I did, but it didn't work out quite the same as the video game."
Meanwhile, in the political world, Mitt Romney, I believe, is the Jimmy Johnson of Republican presidential candidates. In debates, campaign speeches, and interviews with reporters, he never seems to deviate from talking points. Everything he says seems to be scripted. Often I suspect that it has been tested in a focus group.
He allows the other candidates to do the spontaneous, Carl-Edwards-like moves, such as: (i) shoot a coyote while jogging (Perry), (ii) call social security a Ponzi scheme (Perry), (iii) claim that the Wall Street protestors are “jealous” and “play[ing] the victim card” (Cain), (iv) tell a belly-aching teacher that maybe she should find another job (Christie), or (v) shout “I am paying for this microphone” (Reagan).
Although Johnson is not my favorite NASCAR driver, nor is Romney my favorite Republican candidate, I admire them both. I expect both, steadily and methodically, to rack up Chase-Cup points and political points over the next several weeks. I suspect that both will win their respective competitions.
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Dec '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
Another parallel between Johnson and Romney would be that they are where they are because of their excellent support teams.
Johnson is a hell of a race car driver, but he wouldn't be anywhere without his crew chief Chad Knaus (who seems to be the single man in all of cup racing that truly understands the new coil bound front suspension that everyone is using now), and the engine and chassis shops at Hendrick Motorsports (who are second to none).
Romney seems at this point to have the best support crew currently on offer. They are all battle hardened by Romney's seemingly never ending presidential campaign, and his advisers seem very apt at avoiding crap-ups.
It's unfortunate, but championships are won by the guy who beats himself the least.
That necessarily lends an advantage to the boring and predictable.
Edited on Oct 13, 2011 at 7:03pmMay '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
I can't praise Jimmy Johnson- or any other Obama supporter. No matter how well they drive.
Jun '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
Is he an Obama supporter? Geeze, another reason to wreck him.
Hey another parallel, even though Johnson sucks and is a doofus, none of the inferior drivers will wreck him, which is pretty easy to do....
Dec '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
Where did you see Johnson praise Obama?
Most all NASCAR drivers are far too diplomatic to actually say anything one way or the other vis a vis politics.
This is doubly true for Johnson (who simply never does anything off the wall). I'd be absolutely astounded to see that he'd said something overtly political.
Got a link/proof/etc? I'd like to see it.
May '11
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
Just a point on consecutive wining streaks, maybe not quite the same, but Lance Armstrong won seven Tour de France races in a row. FYI
Edited on Oct 14, 2011 at 12:44amJul '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
The difference between Johnson and Romney is that Johnson is a winner and Romney...not so much.
If anyone thinks he'll win against Obama, he won't. Look where he is in the standings now, he can't break 30% and the electorate is looking for Anyone But Romney.
I'll play your editor and fix a couple of things:
Perry shot a coyote before the debates, back in February.
Social Security is worse than a Ponzi scheme, as Thomas Sowell has pointed out. Haven't heard of Mr. Sowell? You can find his biography here.
Oh and that unscripted Reagan soundbite? That helped him win.
ETA: Mitt Romney is more like a Formula 1 driver who is there only because he has the sponsorship but no real chance of winning a race.
Edited on Oct 14, 2011 at 6:21amSep '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
Mitt is more like an inert gas. He never does anything, he just sits there taking up space that could be put to a better purpose. How long before Chris Christie realizes he was scared out of the race by a guy who will never break 30%?
Dec '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
HA!
Best comment of the thread, bar none.
Also, I didn't mean to imply that Romney's nomination is a fait accompli, just to point out that he has (at the moment) the best support structure out there.
I look at Romney like I looked at McCain the last time, with disgust that I'd have to vote for him if it came down to it. But I WOULD vote for him if given no other option.
Any third party or no-vote nonsense will just get us another four years of JugEars™ The Incompetent and Destructive.
I would much rather have someone like Perry or Cain as our man, but we (I) cannot survive another four years of this crap. Hell, it's going to be touch and go to survive until Nov 2012, much less inauguration day.
Dec '10
Re: Jimmy Johnson, the Mitt Romney of NASCAR (and vice versa)
So Romney is the Pastor Maldanado of US Politics?
HA! Love it.
Let's just hope Romney's not backed by the same money man as Pastor (Hugo Chavez).