by FOXSports.com

Updated: November 19, 2008, 11:11 AM EST 206 comments

add this RSS blog email Print

Jimmie Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus is adamant that his driver is the best in NASCAR history, following his third consecutive Sprint Cup title this year. Knaus, who has been working with Johnson since the Californian's debut season in 2002, believes the series is more competitive and tougher now that it used to be back in time of seven-time champions Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt, making Johnson's three titles a comparable feat and even a more remarkable one. "I've been fortunate to work with really great race car drivers," said Knaus. "I worked with Jeff Gordon in the No.24 car. I've seen what Jeff can do with a racecar and I've got a lot of respect for what Jeff can do. "To be able to work with Jimmie, he's definitely brought it to a new level. But I'm also a lot more entwined than I was back then, with what's going on. "In my eyes, he's the best that there's been. That may be a little... whatever you want to say, people are going to say Richard Petty is, Dale Earnhardt and all those guys. But with the competition level the way it is today with what you've got to do working, racing day in and day out, no time to take time off, in my mind, he is the best." -- Autosport.com

Jimmie Johnson thinks gap between elite teams and also-rans could become larger

Because Nascar last week banned testing at its tracks in the 2009 season to limit costs, Jimmie Johnson said he believed the gap between the sport's elite teams and also-rans could become larger. But he also said that Edwards had found an advantage. "I still feel like we're chasing the 99 on some of the tracks," Johnson said Tuesday, referring to Edwards by his car number, "so it's going to be preventing us from getting better on the banked mile-and-a-half tracks." -- NY Times

Will '09 be the year for Juan Pablo Montoya?

Juan Pablo Montoya, 33, never reached Victory Lane and had a mere three top-10 finishes in 36 races. He also failed to complete nine races and finished 25th in the point standings, worse than the 20th position he earned in his rookie year in 2007. Will 2009 be his year? Montoya embodies the age-old question of whether a driver is only as good as his equipment, and Ganassi's cars struggled before Montoya arrived. But now the question is even harder to answer in his case because Ganassi recently announced plans to merge with another struggling team, Dale Earnhardt Inc., starting next year. -- LA Times

Johnson: I haven't spoken to Cale Yarborough

Jimmie Johnson asked if he's had a chance to talk to Cale Yarborough: "I've not spoken to him. I'd love to. I guess I haven't had time to stop and think about any of it to come across that thought. But I would love to talk to him. I talked to him earlier in the year a couple of times and he couldn't have been more gracious and excited for me. When I have a chance to speak to him, I'll be real happy about that." -- Motorsport.com

Smith's future still in limbo as rookies feted for success

Regan Smith overtook Sam Hornish Jr. on the final weekend of the season to earn the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but the battle for the newest RoY is just beginning. Smith, as of today, does not have a ride for 2009 despite the fact that he won the Rookie Award and his No. 01 Principal Financial Chevrolet is locked into the top 35 in points for next season. On a day of celebration for him and his entire team -- most of whom made the trip to the Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway with him -- Smith was still upbeat about next season. "Right from the start of the season, there was a lot of uncertainty, questions about the 01 car," Smith said. "But right from the beginning, everyone at DEI --Teresa [Earnhardt], Max [Siegel], John [Story], all of them -- told me not to worry about what was in the media, the car is going to be there every week, just keep doing what you're doing, keep it in the top 35 and we'll be fine." -- NASCAR

Earnhardt Jr. and Danica continue to be most popular drivers

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick - They're arguably the two most popular drivers in American auto racing and each scored a win that was meaningful for themselves, their legions of fans and their series. But the drivers also gave fodder to those questioning whether Earnhardt and Patrick would ever lift their performances closer to the level of their enormous popularity. Patrick, for instance, used a fuel-mileage gamble in Motegi, Japan, early in the season to finally notch her initial victory and become the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race. But the exuberance surrounding the historic win later faded as Patrick and her Andretti Green Racing team struggled. In the last nine races of the season, Patrick, 26, finished in the top 10 only three times, leaving her a distant sixth in points behind series champ Scott Dixon. As for Earnhardt, it appeared early in the season that his dramatic switch from his family team to Hendrick Motorsports would pay off in spades. He, too, used a fuel gamble to score his first win with Hendrick, at Michigan, in June. Then he gradually lost steam. Although Earnhardt, 34, qualified as one of the dozen drivers for NASCAR's Chase for the Cup title playoff, he finished last in the Chase, 557 points behind his teammate Johnson. -- LA Times

Tony Stewart supports Kid Rocket

When you look at the makeup of NASCAR today, it seems every owner is looking for the next great young driver. One person who is in the mix resides from Shinnston. At 20 years old, Josh Richards, or Kid Rocket as he is known won 11 races this year, and finished a career best 2nd in points in the coveted World Of Outlaws Late Model Series. "You know to finish second this year In points is just crazy. The mean, the guys I race with have been racing for 25 years and to just go in there in my 4th year and finish second is really cool." Josh entered the final race of the season in 4th place, and needed a great showing two Saturdays ago in Charlotte. He got it on National Television! "Josh Richards out of Shinnston, West Virginia takes him up into turn one - a little nudge from the 44 Pearson that allows the 1 of Richards to get away. 20 year old Richards looking for his 6th win of the year. He will do it and win the Vault World Finals." Josh is sitting in a pretty good situation. He has the backing and help from Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart. Stewart feels that the sky is the limit for Kid Rocket. -- WBOY

Mike Ditka fan of NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson

After an early-morning party in Miami and an hour and a half of sleep, Jimmie Johnson was whisked Monday morning to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn. Not long after he walked in the door, Johnson said, he ran into Mike Ditka. Johnson had just become only the second driver in Nascar history, and the first in 30 years, to win three straight Cup championships. Still, he introduced himself. Ditka, an N.F.L. commentator for ESPN, stopped him cold. "He said, 'I know who you are, Champ, and, by the way, you are a dynasty,' " Johnson said Tuesday in a conference call. -- NY Times

IndyCar Series Partners with APEX-Brasil as Official Ethanol Supplier

The IndyCar Series -- which has been at the forefront of the greening of racing and embraced renewable fuels since 2006 -- has announced a partnership with APEX-Brasil making the trade promotion agency the official ethanol supplier to the IndyCar Series beginning with the 2009 season. The multi-year deal names APEX-Brasil an official partner of the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis 500, which includes cooperation from UNICA (the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association) to identify those interested in supplying ethanol to the series. Initially, UNICA will look to partner with a U.S.-based ethanol company to supply the IndyCar Series with corn-based ethanol. One of the primary messages of the new partnership is that regardless of the sources used in the production of ethanol - corn, sugarcane, or various cellulosic materials in the future - the end product is identical, a clean, renewable bio-fuel that reduces dependence on fossil fuels and combats one of the major causes of climate change. -- Business Wire

Ben Maller can be heard weeknights on "The Third Shift on Fox" via the vast Fox Sports Radio Network. The show is broadcast live Monday-Friday from 2am till 6am (est). Check your local radio listenings for the FSR affiliate in your town, listen to XM Satellite Radio Channel No. 142 or via live streaming audio online at FoxSports.com/Radio. Say hi to Ben at myspace.com/benmaller. Interact with Ben's fans and talk sports on Ben Maller's forum Questions, comments and news tips can be sent to Ben via e mail at BigBen@Foxsports.com or Ben@BenMaller.com.