Honestly, if it came down to Kenseth and Johnson for the championship, I think it would be a really good battle. I don’t know who would win, but I think it would be close. How a driver runs can change in a matter of races, and we still have a lot of races to go, but I do agree with Darrell on one thing…that it might very well be those two competing at Homestead.
Of what we’ve seen so far of Johnson and Kenseth, though, who would have the upper hand? Both have won a championship and are well-seasoned drivers. Kenseth was doing well in his last year with RFR (Roush-Fenway Racing), and when he moved to JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing), he never missed a beat. He actually started to do even better! Johnson just came off one of the best seasons in his career and seems to not be losing steam. They are both strong contenders right now.
So what are their weaknesses? For Kenseth, it’s TRD (Toyota Racing Development). That’s where JGR and MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) get their engines, and we all know their engines have had their issues! Just in the 2013 season so far, JGR and MWR have collectively had 6 engine failures, including 2 from Kenseth! When it comes to team #48, it’s hard to find a weakness. They have fixed their pit crew problem, which plagued them a few years back. Their cars have been reliable, and the driver and crew chief have been on top of their game. The only thing I can think of is them beating their selves by making mistakes. Mistakes, like getting speeding penalties, or jumping the restart like at Dover this past week.
Either of them could win the championship if they squared off, but when it comes to the upper hand, I would have to give it to Jimmie Johnson.
