Texas victory proves Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus relationship remains strong

From squabbling like an old married couple to Victory Lane in the very next race is just how it goes for the most successful driver-crew chief combination in NASCAR’s modern era.

Two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway, a track that is among his most favored, Jimmie Johnson’s car was bad. Not just bad, but to the point the eight-time track winner was so slow he got lapped. What ensued was an intense radio exchange with crew chief Chad Knaus about what may be wrong, later diagnosed as a power steering issue within the 48 car.

Had the episode been an isolated incident, it would have been easy to write-off as mere frustration; a juggernaut merely underperforming at a place where it more often than not had dominated. Martinsville wasn’t a blip, however. Dating back to 2014, the dynamic between Johnson and Knaus had become filled with tension. Johnson wasn’t happy with the handling of his cars, while Knaus was at a loss on how to appease his driver. And in spite of four victories, the year was regarded as a disappointment with Johnson finishing a career-worst 11th in points and getting bounced in Round 2 of the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff.

It was no surprise when rumors began surfacing last fall that the pairing that had netted six championships and a then-70 wins might soon disband. Conventional wisdom indicated Knaus, suffering from burnout, would step down and become a full-time television analyst. The gossip proved unfounded, but it underlined where the relationship stood entering the season. So when Johnson and Knaus began snapping at one another two weeks ago, it was only natural to wonder if maybe a divorce was in the best interests of both parties.

But among the many characteristics of the Johnson-Knaus union is that it always had some sort of edge. Knaus is the epitome of a Type-A personality, and last year wasn’t the first time where cracks appeared in an otherwise solid foundation. Most notably was the infamous milk-and-cookies meeting following the 2005 season where team owner Rick Hendrick told them to stop acting like cantankerous toddlers, as they were far better off together than apart. That powwow spurred an unprecedented run of five consecutive championships.

All of that history makes it easy for Johnson and Knaus to quickly dismiss Martinsville as just business as usual. They had a bad race, became frustrated, then moved on to the next race. Add in a weekend off due to Easter, and they rolled into Texas Motor Speedway with the same mindset they’ve had in years past.

“This week was great, man. It was fantastic,” Knaus said. “Jimmie came in ready to go. He was energized. The guys came in ready to go and energized. A weekend off I think was good for everybody in the industry, and we came in here on our tiptoes and we’re ready to go.”

And just as he did in winning last month at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Johnson led the most laps Saturday night. The No. 48 car was fast throughout the evening, Knaus made all the correct strategy calls and when a late caution mixed-up the running order and put Johnson in traffic, there was no panic. He deftly drove his way to back to the front, completed a bold pass of Jamie McMurray for the lead, and then fended off a determined Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“We just kept plugging at it,” Johnson said. “I think the off-week was good for us to sit down and relax, reboot and come back to the track and they brought me a fast race car that was good all weekend.”

Despite two wins in seven races, neither Johnson nor Knaus will admit to being in peak form. They’re not, as Harvick has clearly established himself as the title favorite while the 48 team still needs to improve its week-to-week consistency. But through the early portions of the season, Johnson and Knaus have shown glimpses of their typical dominant selves, and with the Chase still a ways out, there is ample time to make gains and narrow the gap on Harvick’s team.

“Our intermediate [track] program is probably as good as it’s been in the last year,” Knaus said. “We’re making huge, huge gains, but we need to be a lot better. We’ve got to press hard to get to where we need to be, where the 48 was a few years ago.”

That’s assuming, of course, driver and crew chief can refrain from again degenerating into a squabbling old married couple.