A dynasty takes a normal man, say the driver of the number 48 Lowe’s machine, and at first turns him into a Champion. Then the next year, the pressure is really on. Can this guy do it all over again? Is there anything left in the tank, or will the pinnacle of his chosen sport be enough of a reward to make him rethink doing it all over again? Yet, the #48 with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel did in fact have enough left. In 2007, he won the Cup just like he did the year before.

And now, for the third year in a row, Jimmie Johnson stands on the verge of cementing his greatness at the top of his sport. Cale Yarborough won the Cup in 1976, 77, and 78. To date, Cale is the only driver to ever have three consecutive Cup championships. That small part of NASCAR history may get a bit more crowded this year.

It’s been exactly 30 years since NASCAR fans have had this rare opportunity to watch a dynasty happen right before their eyes. Arguably, Petty (7), Earnhardt (7), and Gordon (4) have their place in history for the grasp they held on the sport. Yet this year, the 33 year old from California is set to permanently mark his spot in history.

In Martinsville on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson was given the pole by rain, the first pit stall by points, and the win by the same disciplined driving that has gotten him on the brink of back-to-back-to-back NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. He led over 339 of the 500 laps, and not even the green-white-checkered finish was enough to make it close. Jimmie Johnson simply had too much power.

And this is precisely why I have sort of, kind of, maybe, perhaps changed my mind about dynasty drivers. Let’s just say that Jimmie Johnson, golden boy of NASCAR, wins three Cups in a row. With each victory he racks up, there are legions of NASCAR fans getting bored with the #48 car winning every damn race. And sooner or later, the same people who jeered Jeff Gordon, those same fans who hated #3, the same fans that wished Petty would just shave that ’stache and retire, will be turning on you too Jimmie. Ride the golden boy parachute as long as you can…they’re coming for you.

As with all sports dynastys…at first they are nice and shiny..but soon they rust and the world wants something new. As with politics, the incumbent will get beat eventually.

As Dwight Schrute said in an episode of The Office, “One day, we all will fall.”

Stay tuned later in the week for my preview of the next stop on the NASCAR calendar in Atlanta! Exclusively on www.midwestsportsfans.com

[tags]jimmie johnson, nascar, auto racing[/tags]

Certainly, the bottom of those guys in the Chase standings need some help from the drivers who are ahead of them. If 12th placed Denny Hamlin wins at Lowe’s and 1st placed Jimmie Johnson comes in 2nd, the difference would be too big to be made up in six races. So, the Chase is wide open, but from 6th placed on down, they would need some help from the top 5 to get it done.

Here is the TOP 5 in the chase heading into Saturday nights race at Lowe’s.

1) Jimmie Johnson

2) Carl Edwards (-72)

3) Greg Biffle (-77)

4) Jeff Burton (-99)

5) Clint Bowyer (-152)

As a writer and a sports fan, my heart lies with the open wheel guys (and girls), but I realize the need for NASCAR information for our readers. So at least once a week I will provide you with an update on the Chase, as well as any perspective I may have. Also, I would like to hear from you in regards to other sorts of Auto Racing content you would find interesting. Please email me using the link below to let me know your needs. Thanks for reading MidwestSportsFans.com.