Gordon and Johnson: A Tale of Two Teammates

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," wrote Charles Dickens in his classic A Tale of Two Cities.  The same sentiment describes the two teammates, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who share a garage in the Hendrick stables. 

Their seasons seem very different, with Johnson's star rising and Gordon's seeming to slip further out of favor.    

While both are in the chase race, Johnson catapulting to third with his recent success at Watkins Glen, and Gordon, hanging on to the sixth spot after his failure at the Glen, Johnson is definitely having the better of times over teammate and car owner Jeff Gordon.

While Johnson and Gordon seem to be moving in different directions, they do have much in common.  Gordon was the one who originally spotted the talent of Jimmie Johnson and brought him to Hendrick Motorsports. 

Gordon had so much faith in Johnson that he agreed to co-own his car with Rick Hendrick.  Both Johnson and Gordon are cut from the same cloth, handsome, and articulate. 

They have married models, who were introduced as mutual friends when both were living as eligible bachelors in New York City.  They are fast friends and past champions.

This season, however, is where the similarity ends.  Johnson is definitely on his way up in the chase and Gordon is holding on for dear life just to be in the chase.   This feels like déjà vu all over again as in past chase years, Johnson has come on strong at the end of the season, while Gordon has faded into oblivion.

What is the difference in the tale of these two teammates?  Is it purely momentum?  Gordon seems to be stuck in an absolute rut, while Johnson has been riding the wave since kissing the Bricks at Indy.

Or is it a crisis in confidence for the 24 team?  They seem to be struggling so much that the team just does not even trust one another anymore.  On the flip side, the 48 crew can do no wrong, even coming back from a flat tire on a road course to finish well.

Perhaps it is the simple difference in crew chiefs.  Chad Knaus is acknowledged as one of the smartest crew chiefs in the Cup garage.  Steve Letarte has worked his way up through the ranks at Hendrick Motorsports, some arguing that he does not have the background or skills to make it work for four-time champ Gordon.

Whatever the differences, there seems to be a crossing over of these two teammates and teams, one on the upswing and one on the downswing.  With the race at Michigan International Speedway looming, time will tell if these will be the best or worst of times for these Hendrick teammates.