As Jimmie Johnson slices upward in the annals of NASCAR Greats at track-record speed with his third consecutive title, his level of likeability among fans remains very low...

The winningest driver always gets boos, from Dale Sr. to Gordon to Busch to JJ, it happens at the local tracks too.

JJ is arrogant, self-serving, acts superior and is an all-in-all-jerk. He deserves about 20% of all the praise he gets...Chad the other 80%. Please stop trying to shove him down our throats. It only makes us dislike him more.

I can't say I hate JJ, but his fans can be annoying with all their bragging. I think you're right, he does need more exposure off the track. This is my 1st time hearing he raced Baja and was stuck in a canyon for 2 days. When you're good, you're good!

Opinions are generally worth what you pay for them.

As far as JJ not getting the respect he deserves, there are probably a lot of reasons for this. CRASHCAR fans are very polarized. They either worship a driver/team or hate them. There is no middle ground for most CRASHCAR fans.

I'm not a fan of any particular CRASHCAR driver or team so I might see things differently than those who are. I've never observed JJ to be arrogant in any TV interviews. I find him to be honest, confident and appreciative of his situation. If you want to see arrogant, see Kyle Busch. Despite his talent he acts like a disrespectful, immature teenager - on and off the track.

Chad Knauss is very talented but he hasn't done himself or JJ any favors with the fans by cheating and being caught numerous times. Most team members in CRASHCAR feel it's their obligation to cheat to gain an advantage. Not only is this contrary to the competition rules, it's contrary to the spirit of racing. You can bet that many people have wondered if JJ is so successful because Chad has figured out how to circumvent the rules. Personally I believe the combination of JJ's and Chad's skills, combined with undying support from the entire Hendrick organization, results in a championship winning team year after year.

If you have watched any of the last few races in the Chase the other drivers made it very clear that they respected JJ and Chad. No one in the garage doubted their ability to win a third championship. The fans aren't going to be any where near as objective as the drivers who race against JJ week in and week out. Even Jeff Gordon who many fans love to hate, admits that JJ is able to get more out of the same hardware than Gordon and other drivers. You can love or hate Gordon but the man can drive any race car well, including an F1 car. So when he tells ya JJ is amazing, he means it.

The bottom line for me is that CRASHCAR fans are very loyal but not necessarily very objective. I doubt JJ or Chad is losing one bit of sleep over it. Instead they are planning to win their fourth championship in a row in '09.

Those fans are just jealous. I think Jimmies' great, a pleasure to watch every week. Maybe if he was to sucker punch one of his teamates or grab another driver by the throat he'd be more likable? WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!

In all honesty, I think most fans find Jimmy Johnson about as exciting as cold oatmeal. He always seems like his is reading from a script and with the exception of the Watkins Glen Busch crash, I can't remember ever seeing even a flash of emotion from him. And if it takes a 100+ mile an hour head on crash to elicit signs of life that's kind of sad. You have to admire the fact that he has a lot of wins on his resume. But he drives for a team with the biggest budget in the sport and his crew chief is one of the biggest cheaters around. Granted he is doing a lot more with Hendrick resources than Dale Jr, but its not like he is getting up on the wheel of second tier equipment and manhandling it to the front. Add to that the fact that he is dominating the Chase Era. Most longtime fans see the whole Chase as a joke manufactured by Brian France. Give Jimmy credit for mastering the format, but his championships are as lacking in excitement as the Chase itself. I think Jimmy Johnson is a good driver and a nice guy. But he comes across to the average fan as watered down water. No real reaction one way or the other.

This is why we don't like Jimmie. He is, like many said, very boring and unemotional. The good 'ole boys like Benson and Burton really worked to get to where they are, and unfortunately not as talked about. All you hear is Jimmie Jimmie etc.

And...he's a carbon copy of Jeff who is the polar opposite of old school. Rick picked him up from nowhere and gave him good equip. and he started to win. Some drivers work there ass off and go nowhere, while he, well, is now a "great one".

I say give Jimmie his due. Bottom line is he is an excellent race car driver. Let others make jokes and pokes.

Jimmie worked his butt off to get to Cup and he worked his butt off after he got there to get to where he is today - a 3 time Cup Champion. He wasn't born to a family with a lot of money who could just buy him trucks and cars to race like a lot of today's drivers (and even some of yesterdays). Jimmie had to find sponsors even as a kid so he could do what he loved to do. And he was successful at it. Jimmie learned the business side of racing at a young age and learned to impress sponsors with not only his talent but what he could do off track for them also. That's not boring, it's smart business.

Jimmie can be just as fun loving and probably just as unruly as any driver out there if the situation warrents it but he also knows how to act like a grown man and a businessman instead of a spoiled, whiney child who needs to have a tantrum or hit someone to feel like a man. He doesn't need gimmicks like stupid backflips, fence climbing or bows; he proves he's the best and garners attention by being the best driver on the circuit the last 3 years and being one of the best since he came to Cup in 2002.
Some say that well it's because of the Chase but Jimmie has been in the top 5 in points every year and that includes years with the old format when the 48 team was still a very young team. And Jeff Gordon who is one of the best of all time has tried and been unable to unseat Jimmie from the top spot. If the Chase format makes it SO easy then why are these other drivers non Jimmie fans claim are SO much better than Jimmie unable to beat him? It's not just the equipment people; if it were then Casey Mears would be a Champion already, Dale Jr would have been a Champion this year, Kyle B would be a Champion. But they are not even though they drove that wonderful HMS equipment. Face it folks Jimmie Johnson is the real deal and he's kicking butt!
Go Jimmie, Chad and Team 48!