NASCAR Preview: Jimmie Johnson can Lock up His 4th Straight Sprint Cup at the Ford 400

Jimmie Johnson is on the cusp of doing something no other driver has ever done in the history of NASCAR, win a 4th straight Sprint Cup Championship. If Johnson finished 25th or better in this week’s final NASCAR race of 2009, the Ford 400, he takes home the Sprint Cup Championship.

• Race-day: 11/22/2009
• Race-time: 2:30 pm EST

No other driver has ever done as much in so short a time as JJ and although there have been some critics who have lambasted Johnson’s 3 Cup victories, and potential 4th, because of the 10 race Chase playoff system that NASCAR now incorporates, there have been just as many sports fans who understand the significance of Jimmie Johnson winning so many NASCAR Championships.

One sport’s fan who does understand the significance of Johnson’s victories is President Barrack Obama who invited JJ to the White House in August. Should the Obama Administration get the invite ready again for Jimmie and his crew to take a trip to D.C.?

The answer is an emphatic, “Yes!” Unless JJ crashes like he did in Texas a couple of weeks back, the Sprint Cup is his. He only needs to finish in the Top 25 which is almost a certainty as JJ has a 13.6 average finish at Homestead-Miami, the site of this Sunday’s Ford 400.

One thing Jimmie doesn’t have is a victory at Homestead-Miami. Although he won’t get crazy, expect #48 to put in a great effort and to possibly win the race. Johnson is going off at +500 to win the Ford 400 this Sunday. At those odds, he’s actually not a bad wager. JJ and his crew would like nothing better than to put an exclamation point at the end of this Sprint Cup Championship by winning the year’s final race.

Martin Wants to Win, but Second Place is a Big Step Up From 2008

Mark Martin, Johnson’s fellow Hendrick Motor Sports driver, definitely wants to win at Homestead-Miami and, with a lot of luck, take home the Sprint Cup Championship.

#5 is a co-favorite with JJ at +500 in the NASCAR sportsbook. He’s also the only driver with a shot at catching Jimmie Johnson and taking home the Sprint Cup. No matter what happens, however, Martin’s 2009 has been much better than his 2008.

The move to Hendrick and taking over the #5 car which Casey Mears drove in 2008 has been the best move of Martin’s long and illustrious career. Behind a machine with some power and given the same Hendrick resources that go to Dale Earnhardt Jr., Johnson and Jeff Gordon, Martin has excelled.

Martin has won 5 races in 2009 and could take home a 6th on Sunday. With Martin, Johnson and Gordon, Hendrick dominated the 2009 NASCAR Season and look extra formidable in 2010. If Hendrick can get Jr. to produce, they’d be virtually impossible to beat. Even with Jr. having his issues, Hendrick has won 13 out of the 36 races with a terrific chance at a 14th victory on Sunday. That’s a 36% winning percentage. If Hendrick trained horses, they’d be the most successful thoroughbred racing operation in the world.

Instead, they’re the most successful stock car operation in the world.