Published: September 30, 2009 10:23 pm      

DE LA BASTIDE: Johnson again rising to the task

Plenty of Indiana racing action on tap.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going — that seems to describe Jimmie Johnson’s Sprint Cup team.

Since NASCAR changed the method by which a champion is crowned, the California-born driver and the Lowe’s Chevrolet racing team out of the Hendrick Motorsports stable has excelled in the 10-race Chase.

Johnson almost captured the titles in 2004 and ’05, then tied Cale Yarborough’s record by winning the next three championships in a row.

The Lowe’s team and Johnson have plenty of incentives this year, looking to become the first team to win four consecutive championships.

Johnson is coming off a dominant win at Dover as the Chase heads to the 1.5 mile Kansas Speedway. True, he trails teammate Mark Martin in the standings after two races, but everyone knows that Johnson is the driver to beat.

How dominant has Johnson been in the Chase? Of the 52 races that have been contested since the new format was unveiled, Johnson has been to victory lane 15 times. That’s a .288 winning percentage.

I’m sure NASCAR and the national motorsports media are bemoaning the fact that Johnson is poised to turn the Chase into a runaway.

But how can they overlook the talent of Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus when the title is on the line? Somewhere down the road NASCAR fans and the media will look back on Johnson’s run and recognize the team for what it is — one of the greatest in the history of the sport.

Both Johnson and Knaus are mild mannered. They don’t jump up and down when the breaks don’t fall their way.

If Johnson wins at Kansas it could be game over for the competition.

Two races into the Chase and I believe the field of contenders has been narrowed to Johnson, Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kurt Busch. The remaining eight drivers in the Chase have to get on a hot streak that none has shown the ability to string together all season.

The first-year Stewart/Haas team of drivers Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman had a great season, but has been struggling of late. The Fords of Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle needed a good start to the Chase but have failed to deliver.

In other racing news

There is plenty of racing action this weekend at Anderson and Winchester speedways. Anderson is hosting the WMDH Stock Car festival with feature events in nine divisions on Saturday including midgets, street stocks, thunder cars, front wheel drive and figure-8 competition. Racing starts at 7 p.m.

Winchester Speedway has winged springs, late models and street stocks on Saturday and the last opportunity for fans on Sunday to watch the USAC Sprint Car Series in the Midwest with Champion Racing Association Sportsman and Front Wheel Drive divisions in action.

Levi Jones leads the Sprint Car points by 60 markers over Lincoln’s Dave Darland with Cole Whit another 98 points back.

• Ken de la Bastide may be reached at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com or (765) 454-8580.