NASCAR: Five Reasons Johnson Will Not Win Eight Titles

Brian France

This man sure knows how to get people in the sport talking. Since he became the CEO of NASCAR in 2003, the sport has changed immensely. SAFER Barrier and improved catch-fence technology has made the sport much safer. Adding to the safety initiatives by the tracks have been the vastly improved cockpit safety, with one of France’s most infamous changes in the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow in 2007. Another generation of car model was introduced in 2013 to improve safety. performance, and making the car closer to a stock body.

There are even more changes we could talk about but France’s most notable and perhaps most controversial impact on the sport was the institution of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. This NASCAR-style playoff was introduced prior to the 2004 season, and its structure, in and of itself, as I have already mentioned, has changed numerous times in the years since.

Brian France’s constant changes to the sport have certainly affected its continuity, and this has a direct impact on the performance of the No. 48 team. France changed the Chase structure so many times over its 12 year life that it could be seen as a way to curb Jimmie Johnson’s dominance. To refresh your brain, the number of drivers allowed in the Chase has changed, the points system has changed, and in 2014, the elimination-style Chase was introduced.

Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team has have done a fantastic job over time adjusting to Brian France’s myriad of changes, but the introduction of the 2014 Chase has stymied the team over the past two seasons, with Johnson finishing in the two worst positions of his career, an 11th in 2014 and 10th in 2015.

Brian France announced some highly controversial changes last week during the NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte. Those changes included the introduction of a “caution clock” in the Camping World Truck Series and the Chase in the Xfinity Series and the CWTS. These changes do not have a direct impact on Johnson, but with Brian France’s constant changes to the sport, who know’s what will be next?

Brian France seems to be working against Jimmie Johnson and his domination of the sport over the last ten years. The No. 48 team had been doing well at adjusting to the changes to the car and the Chase, but it seems to have caught up to them since 2014. Will Brian France inhibit the team’s success even more? It’s highly possible.

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