Jimmie Johnson is NEXTEL Cup Champion. So why all the haters?

The So-Cal born and bumped has 23 NEXTEL Cup wins and was the first driver to win the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Championship in the same year.  He submarined all the other Cup chasers with 7 races to go at 160 points behind. Que pasa pinche?

Do you remember who JJ dedicated his Daytona 500 victory to this year? Yep, all the haters of the No. 48 team. Sad a cat has to even think about it let alone drop it on national TV. Please.

I understand loads of NASCAR groupies continue to rant on about their pissed-off-ness with his first Cup championship. I bet NASCAR Scene and the little 10 watt racing radio shows can’t get through a day without a Johnson hater call.

Look, if I were to hang a good ol’ Cup banner in my home beer bar, the first, second or even third would not be Johnson. He wouldn’t make it into the top 25. But it’s not because of the hate.

For the haters, could it be the Jeff Gordon syndrome? Maybe. Johnson’s a good looking, smart and clean cut driving son of "take your millions to bank" dude who was not dropped from the mom hole east of the Mississippi.

Could it be he got some of the cart blanche bake sale from Gordon and Hendrick to pilot the 48? Oh, just bite me if you believe that one.

JJ was racing well before his 16th birthday and his folks worked their collective blue collar butts off to pay for his jones. His dad drove a truck for a living and his mom fended off punks during her tenure as a school bus driver. All this so little Johnson could ride and race in the desert and bust a move as an amateur motocrosser.

These sand box barn tours helped Johnson win his way up the stock car ladder to nab that 48 ride. Nothing else.

Johnson even touched on it a day after the big get saying, "The first thing that comes to mind is looking at the road that I went down to get to this point in my career. I think it speaks volumes for NASCAR, how we're evolving as a sport that drivers from all walks of life, all forms of motorsport, can succeed in our sport."

Look, I could wax poetic and make all the references to how he is not the controversial champion that is Tony Stewart or the bipolar champion hopeful Kevin Harvick. And it would be even easier to say he is not from a "Carolina" or his last name does no begin with E.  Ain't happenin'.

I will say this, if you are hater, you best bag up for the next 11 months cuz Jimmie Johnson is your Nextel Cup champ.  He now will love the haters.

Don’t it taste good going down?

That's what I Freakin' think.

You?

Email @ kennys@speedfreaks.tv or call me in the Freaks' office at 86-69FREAKS.