Comparing Jimmie to Cale…Why?
by: Jeff Gilder
RacersReunion.com
Having only two drivers in the history of the sport win three consecutive championships, one might expect an attempt to compare the two or to look for similarities between them. It’s our nature to compare then-to-now when great drivers make a mark in history.
Actually, Richard Petty missed five in a row when Benny Parsons snagged the 1973 top spot, and Dale Earnhardt missed five in a row when Alan Kulwicki won the championship in 1992. Jeff Gordon would have had four in a row if he could have managed the most points in 1996, but instead Terry Labonte took home his second championship trophy that year. David Pearson also had a shot at four, but Richard Petty was best in 1967.
Of the 28 drivers who can call themselves champions of NASCAR’s top series, 15 have won two or more, eight have won three or more, and three have one four or more. And now Jimmy Johnson has joined Cale Yarborough as the only two drivers in the history of the sport to win three consecutive titles.
So can we really make a comparison between Jimmie and Cale? Certainly not in physical similarity. Cale is stocky with the build of a football player, and Jimmie’s build is more like that of a jockey. Jimmie’s cars, technologically, are light years ahead of the beasts Cale drove. What about their schedules? Cale won 28 races in his three-year reign, running 30 races per year. Jimmie won 22 from a 36-race schedule each year. And the competition? Cale was battling guys like Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, and David Pearson who are all multiple championship winners. Jimmie was up against the likes of Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon who were multiple winners. But one must remember, history is still being made by these guys. The futures of Carle Edwards and Kyle Busch could also impact this comparison of stats.
Another area to consider is their career average finish in total points. After 27 years in the sport, Cale’s career average was 20.85. In just eight years, Jimmie’s average is 8.625. Jimmie will most likely be in the sport for several more years. One would have to wait 19 years to compare this stat…if he continues to race that long.
It’s really hard to make comparisons when there are so many different circumstances involved and many of those circumstances are relative. The biggest similarity is probably the tenacity of the two. After all, they both had the best equipment and support available at the time of their successes. The bottom line is this: They both made history. And we don’t know what the future holds. Jimmie Johnson seems to be just hitting his stride. He could be making history for several years to come.
So why bother trying to compare the two? They are both great competitors in a great sport that has evolved over its 60-year history, and it will most likely continue this evolutionary path. Twenty years from now is the time to compare their accomplishments.
