NASCAR Sprint Cup Champ: Do You Really Want Jimmie Johnson Out?

There is a saying "watch what you wish for" that could well apply to the current NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup. Many want Jimmie Johnson dethroned, but who do we really want to replace him?

There are seemingly fewer options coming into play as front-runners to win the 2011 title when the series heads to Charlotte for the fifth of the 10 Chase races.

Jimmie Johnson has accomplished the amazing feat of winning five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles and he now sits third in the points, only four markers out of the lead.

Certainly Johnson has his detractors, who have called him vanilla, accused the team of having some secret advantage in the Chase and feel his championships are bad for NASCAR.

The one thing Johnson has done, besides win titles, is represent the sport of NASCAR with class and style as a low-key, well-spoken champion.

The drivers who threaten to steal the 2011 title from Johnson look to be Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and the wild card charger, Brad Keselowski.

Harvick and Edwards may be the most likely to challenge Johnson, but the advantage would likely go to Edwards in a betting environment.

Edwards has already become the driver who is most interviewed, a treasure for ESPN as a commentator, and, as the one behind the wheel of the No. 99 Aflac Ford, he is often focused upon during a race.

We see Edwards alongside the ESPN color analysts for NASCAR races every time he is out of either a Nationwide or Cup race for whatever reason.

His presence in the ESPN booth is apparently a precursor to a more permanent position he will likely assume if a post-race comment made by Jack Roush after the August Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway comes to be.

In a stunning finish to what had been a tough battle between teammates Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Edwards, Stenhouse Jr. blew an engine coming to the finish line, and Edwards hit him dead center to his rear and pushed him to a win.

Roush, Stenhouse Jr. and his crew chief addressed the media after the race, and questions revolved around the benefits of a Cup driver running in the NASCAR Nationwide series.

When Roush expressed his thoughts, he slipped in the following, "He's (Edwards) going to become a sportscaster for ESPN."

Roush was speaking of Nationwide race coverage, but was unclear as to whether it was all of them or just companion races.

There are those who must still wonder if the smiling, camera-ready Edwards is really the Eddie Haskell of NASCAR if they think back to the retaliatory actions he took on track with Brad Keselowski.

Edwards plays the friendly, good guy of NASCAR, but it is a given that he can take his anger to an extreme, and sometimes he doesn't play well with others on the track.

Just as Edwards does his signature back flip off the car after a win, one may wonder when he will flip his easygoing style to the dark side.

Edwards is thought to be the poster boy of fitness with clean-cut good looks, which would certainly make him a natural to represent NASCAR  if he is indeed the one who captures the 2011 Sprint Cup championship.

There is no doubt that he plays well to the media and would do well with all the public appearance demands that go with the responsibilities of capturing the title.

Is it possible we are about to be inundated with Edwards overload, should he be the one to dethrone Johnson?

He already seems to be a darling of the ESPN commentators and pit reporters, based on their interaction during races broadcast by ESPN.

We would see him on the talk show circuit as part of his championship duties, but with his affection for the camera, it is likely he will be much more visible than any NASCAR champion we have had at least since implementation of the Chase.

Those who are fans of Edwards may be thrilled at the idea of seeing him in more ways than we thought possible, as he plays the humble Missouri native who just happened to strike gold.

His rise to the elite series of NASCAR has been one of hard work and a touch of the magic provided by his long-term relationship with Roush. There is no doubt about his talent as a driver.

Many wish Johnson would miss his sixth shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup title, but be careful what you wish for, because we may be in for a champion who is in our faces all the time, should Edwards win.

Of course, the other players in the Chase could change the landscape and battle their way through the next six races with the champion who is crowned being neither Johnson or Edwards.

Only time will tell if Johnson not being the perennial Cup champion is a good thing for NASCAR and the fans of the sport.