#48-Jimmie Johnson, thanks to the fifth-worst finish of his Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup career (34th), now sits eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, 35 points behind leader #99-Carl Edwards. There are three reasons to believe Johnson will climb out of this hole.
1) Johnson’s current 35-point deficit roughly equates to 145 points in the “old” points system. With five races to go in 2006, Johnson overcame a deficit of 146 points to win his first championship.
2) He can win races in bunches, especially in pressure packed situations like this one. In 2007, Johnson won four consecutive races â at this exact juncture.
3) Talladega and Phoenix await. Talladega is the ultimate wild-card track (more on this in the note below). Phoenix, with its repave, is an unknown. Some called it a brand-new track after the test two weeks ago.(NASCAR)(10-21-2011)
