Jimmie Johnson: Running Out of Luck or Psyching Out His Competition?

The last four years, Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus, and the entire No. 48 team have been the team to beat.

In that span, Johnson has won 29 races and captured four consecutive championships.

He started off the 2010 season winning three of the first five races, looking to once again perch himself atop the NASCAR world. However, one simple change seems to have put a little kink in his arsenal.

At Martinsville, NASCAR decided to do away with the wing on the current Sprint Cup car and go back to the spoiler. At that point, Johnson seemed to be behind the curve as his average finish dropped from 10th through the first five races to 15th in the last six.

The new spoiler has created havoc for the No. 48.

Or has it?

This seems to be a recurring theme with this team. During the first 26 races of the season, they would win races but not be competitive on a consistent basis. Then, once the Chase began, it's as though someone lit a match and set Johnson on fire.

Johnson didn't win his four championships in 36 races; he did so in just 10. Johnson has shown he is the guy to beat when it comes to the Chase, but that just means he was unbeatable at 40 races.

He is beatable when it comes to the other 108 events.

This could just be another ploy by Knaus and his team to get the field exciting into thinking they have a chance. It's yet to be seen, but it's a common theme from this team.

This could easily be seen in 2007 when he and teammate Jeff Gordon were in a duel for the title. Gordon had the lead midway through the Chase, winning at Talladega and Charlotte.

Immediately after, Johnson's magic seemed to appear. He won the next four events, and had a big enough lead where he could cruise to his second of four titles.

Last year it was the same thing. Even after Johnson crashed at Texas, the following week he came back and dominated Phoenix.

This is how the No. 48 works. Johnson is ho-hum during the first 26 races, winning here and there. When the Chase begins at New Hampshire, Johnson and Knaus wave their magic wand and strut their way to the title.

The spoiler has plagued Johnson so far and Knaus seems to be struggling with getting the car set just right.

Could Knaus be having trouble, or is this just another part of his master plan?

The first three races with the spoiler, Johnson finished ninth, third and second. Since then, he has only one top-10 and two DNF's.

The issues with Gordon this year have possibly taken a tole on Johnson as well. It has been a big story to this point in the season, and Johnson has brushed it off as nothing. But, it could have been more of an issue than he was leading on.

Whether that is the case is yet to be seen, but it is a strong possibility.

If Johnson wants to prove he can win a fifth consecutive title, he can't wait to show his championship form. He needs to show it earlier than the beginning of the Chase.

Guys like Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are showing they can win races, stay consistent, and put themselves in good position. Johnson had that kind of momentum through the first five races, but he doesn't have it now.

He could just be psyching out the competition, or he could really have run out of luck. How will we know which it will be?

That answer won't be determined until the 2010 Chase for the Cup begins.