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LIVEMAGS.NET FEBRUARY>>10 37 Writer>>tyler andrews In the wake of his fourth straight Sprint Cup Championship, Jimmie Johnson has risen to Tiger Woods' levels of achievement (without the bitter aftertaste of personal scandal), and NASCAR drivers have adopted the same mantra that the PGA has been using since Woods began his reign. Man, that guy is sure something, isn't he? Yes, he's great; yes, he's a pretty decent guy (imagine golf before Thanksgiving 2009); yes, he does a lot for the sport; but, NO, I don't particularly enjoy him beating me week after week. Johnson's success comes in the most competitive era in NASCAR history. Two years ago Jeff Gordon averaged a top 5 finish in the last 10 races of the Sprint Cup season, the races at the heart of The Chase--a feat that in the pre-Johnson reign almost guaranteed a Cup Championship, and he still couldn't edge out JJ— and has come to symbolize the dominance that a team-driver-crew chief combination can create. Hendrick Motorsports and crew chief Chad Knauss have built on Johnson's stranglehold predominantly by staying consistent, making small tweaks to the car from race to race and not tearing it down and rebuilding. As a result of this success, Johnson's peers, top- notch racers like Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, find themselves in interviews that have more to do with their opinions of Johnson than their thoughts on the race they've just run. Like golfers questioned about Tiger, pro surfers interviewed about Kelly Slater, and basketball players quizzed on Lebron James, the NASCAR field, boiling in its competitive juices, stares up at Johnson in the same way, yearning to knock the king off the mountain. On February 14th, the NASCAR field will get their chance at the 52nd running when the Daytona 500 ignites the 2010 Sprint Cup season. In its unique format, where the "Superbowl" of the racing season begins the year instead of ends it, the world's top Sprint drivers won't have long to wait to prove that JJ's pedestal isn't unassailable. Hendrick Motorsports, on the other hand, may find that, in the realm of racing teams, theirs is. The 2009 Sprint Cup season ended with Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, also Hendrick drivers, finishing second and third respectively in the standings. In other words, Hendrick Motorsports swept the top three spots in the Sprint Cup Series. And, with Jeff Gordon's turnaround season last year, the team looks like the class of the Series in 2010. Outside of the Camelot Hendrick Motorsports has built around its drivers, major offseason changes and a couple of surging drivers give fans of parity among racing teams a glimmer of hope. Those changes include Martin Truex, 2009 Daytona Pole Position winner, getting behind the wheel of the No. 56 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, and Jamie McMurray, last year's Coke 400 winner, reuniting with team owner Chip Ganassi in the No. 1 Dodge. Truex may be the bigger free agent acquisition this offseason, and his value may rise above McMurray's, but the two drivers who could give Johnson, Martin and Gordon a run for their money are Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. First, Kyle Busch, the 2009 Nationwide Series winner, looks to put more focus on the Sprint Series this year and continue on a 2009 season that ended with four wins, including a sweep at Bristol. "Rowdy" Busch in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 M&M's Toyota stands poised for a Chase berth and a contention for a Sprint Cup championship. Tony Stewart is also hot on the trails of the Hendricks team. Now into his second season as both a team owner and driver, Stewart, along with teammate Ryan Newman, answered a lot of questions in 2009 by both making the chase and Stewart winning the All Star Race. Let's not forget that Stewart was the last Sprint Series Champion before JJ went on his four-year tear. He's got the experience and he drives the same car as JJ. A fierce battle at Daytona between those two should be on everyone's radar. The last three Daytona 500's have been thrilling finishes, with 2007 marking the closest ever in photo finish history, and this year may be no different. Racers like Johnson, Gordon, Busch, Stewart and Martin have a lot on the line, and Daytona, as it does every year, is the first and perhaps best opportunity to shine. 500 52nd Annual