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NASCAR Cup Series: Top 5 storylines heading into the 2019 season

By William Richard

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Chocolate Bar Toyota, leads during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Chocolate Bar Toyota, leads during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 10: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 10: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /

#3: Can Jimmie Johnson find victory lane again?

Jimmie Johnson is arguably the greatest NASCAR driver of all-time. With 83 career Cup Series wins and a record-tying seven championships, it’s rare to see the driver of the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet struggle.

At one point, Johnson was averaging at least one victory in every seven starts, but those times are behind the aging champion.

After he won at least two races in each of his first 16 full-time seasons in the sport, Johnson failed to find victory lane during the 2018 season. The question is now whether or not he can continue to get the job done at a high level.

It’s crazy to think that this question is being posed about a driver who won a championship as recently as 2016, but the fact of the matter is, Johnson is slowing down.

Just like his mentor Jeff Gordon, Johnson hasn’t been as productive behind the wheel as he has gotten older. Obviously this year’s Advance Auto Parts Clash showed that he can still find victory lane, but an exhibition race featuring only 20 cars is a lot different than ousting 39 other competitors on any given Sunday.

Johnson is easily the greatest of our generation, and seeing him struggle to find victory lane sparks a level of sadness as a king slowly slips away from his crown. I expect that he will find victory lane at some point this season, but nothing is guaranteed in this crazy world of NASCAR.

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