King Jimmie

OK, I’ll say it.

Jimmie Johnson is the champion. I even have a photo to make all the JJ fans happy. Me with a JJ car flag.

It’s kind of like politics. You may not like the President of the United States, but you should respect the office.

Same thing with Jimmie. He may not be my cup of Coca-Cola, but he has the hardware and you have to respect that. Remember the commercial with Elliott Sadler? “Just a minute,” Jimmie says. The trophy shows up and he asks, “You were saying?”

Hendrick was the class of the field all season long. The teams combined for 10 wins, and pulled off the driver coup of the century. Hendrick drivers account for more than one-third of the season’s wins. Jimmie won with Chad Knaus, he won without Chad Knaus. Jeff Gordon fared well with and without Steve Letarte.

Now comes the really interesting part of the year. Drivers are looking for rides. Teams are being added and teams are being eliminated. Series sponsorships are changing to Nationwide and a name switch to Sprint. Junior will no longer drive for Budweiser (that’s going to Kasey Kahne). Dale Jarrett will quit driving after a handful of races. And Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch will drive Toyotas.

But, Jimmie Johnson is the champion. Long live the champ.