The No. 48 team coined the motto, “One Final Time,” to represent Jimmie Johnson’s farewell tour across the NASCAR Cup Series this season. Amidst a year of great runs marred by everything from wrecking while running up front, a runner-up finish disqualification, and a missed start due to COVID-19, he now finds himself four points below the cutoff line entering the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway. The group’s tagline for 2020 now coincides with the legendary driver’s last shot at a quest for an elusive eighth championship.
To rid themselves of misfortunes, the famed No. 48 transitioned from a black-base to white in what they called the ‘rAlly’ paint scheme beginning with the Daytona road course. Both literally and metaphorically transcending from darkness to light, Johnson has since successfully netted three consecutive top-10s.
“The resiliency that you see is what I feel and know and live with day-to-day with these guys,” Johnson said after matching his season-best finish of third at Dover International Speedway. “They’re giving me everything that they have, and I’m doing the same, and the bond and connection and energy and vibe on our team is real. We’ve had some positive momentum a few times this year, and then something would derail us for a few weeks, and we’d get it back going. These guys deserve it, and we certainly hope to close out the season strong.”
While being a legitimate contender over the past three events, the question should be raised if it’s too little too late for the seven-time champion entering the ultimate wild card event. Johnson will face a multitude of obstacles in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the first being the driver lining up next to him in sixth — teammate, William Byron.
The Hendrick Motorsports pair have mirrored each other throughout the roller coaster ride that is 2020. Top-10s, stage points, and laps led have been plentiful, but it hasn’t been enough to propel the respected teams to admirable success. Now only a handful of points separate the mentor and student from a playoff berth.
However, this battle for the postseason is different from years past. Johnson isn’t battling his car owner and the man who allowed him to have a career in NASCAR, Jeff Gordon, but rather his former crew chief, Chad Knaus. Seven-titles and 16 years together, the 44-year-old knows all too well the strength that radiates from atop the No. 24’s pit box. The task at hand now comes at a bittersweet expense, should one team prevail.
On a more optimistic note, there is a way both teams can advance, and that path flows through Matt DiBenedetto. Only up by a skinny nine points on Johnson, anything is possible at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
“The thing that is very encouraging is we now have the 21 car there in the mix, so we both can get through, and we’ll just have to race smart and see how stages play out and then obviously the finish at the end of the race next weekend,” Johnson said. “That car and that number, Chad Knaus, William Byron; they’re friends, they’re teammates, and now that I know there’s a path in for both of us, maybe I’ll stop thinking so many bad thoughts about those guys and maybe we can both get in.”
The 20-year veteran admits it’s a matter of “luck and fate” to emerge victorious at the ‘World Center of Racing.’ One must have the ability to navigate through the calamity and madness that is Daytona. Not to mention, there have been three different winners in this 400-mile event over the last three years, so points racing is a dangerous game to play. You must put yourself in a position to win if you’re the No. 48 team.
With three wins and 16 top-10s in 37 starts, the two-time Daytona 500 champion has built a resume as good as anyone to conquer the game of luck. The bottom line is, you never want to find yourself in a position where you’re playing it safe and racing for points heading to Daytona, but this is the situation the Hendrick Motorsports team has. It will be an uphill fight for survival to keep his hopes of an eighth championship alive, but if anyone’s proven their ability to overcome adversity, it’s Jimmie Johnson.
