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One Hall of Famer never let a driver overrule a crew chief, but that's what some drivers do today. Knowing their roles has Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski in a fight to the finish.

The Chad 'n' Jimmie show has dominated the NASCAR landscape since 2006. Well, our guy Ed Hinton has a message for the 48 crew: Beware! Big, bad Kesewolfeski is lurking.

Are Brad Keselowski and Paul Wolfe really the new Jimmie and Chad? What's in store at Martinsville? Does the Chase points system need an overhaul? Ed Hinton wonders ...

What you witnessed when NASCAR penalties against the 48 team were overturned was a sea change. That was frontier justice being told to ride off into the sunset.

In hindsight, the 48 team not winning a sixth straight Cup championship could have been the best thing -- at least for Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus.

The 2011 Chase field is loaded with former Cup champions, proven race winners and high-octane upstarts. Should Jimmie Johnson, the reigning king of NASCAR, be worried?

Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus have three words for all the Sprint Cup racers who have the 48 team in their crosshairs: Bring it on.

It's time to cut Jimmie Johnson some slack. JJ doesn't get paid to talk a big game. He gets paid to wheel a race car. And the last time we checked, the five-time champ was pretty good.

Five in a row! Did that get your attention, NASCAR Nation? Did Jimmie Johnson finally do enough for you to put him in the same class as ol' Dale and The King?

Jimmie Johnson won a fifth straight title, so the question now is who can stop him from getting a sixth?

Spoilers may really shake things up now, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s about to win again, and Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus are going to play possum. Here are seven things that may happen over the next seven races.

Chad Knaus produces some of the fastest race cars anywhere. NASCAR likes to make sure he does it within the rules. It's that high-stakes game that is the real wild card in this year's Chase.

What's Ed Hinton thinking about this offseason? The Sprint Cup scoring system, having Talladega in the Chase, the state of the economy, the finale at Homestead and you, the fans.

Before you think Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus, and owner Rick Hendrick are ready to rest on their three-peat laurels, realize that's not what makes this team tick, writes Ed Hinton.

Chad Knaus told his driver to put on his cape and save the day. Jimmie Johnson didn't reel in winner Carl Edwards, but his runner-up effort after being a lap down Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway was nothing short of heroic.

Chad Knaus is arguably the best crew chief in NASCAR right now. It's hard to argue with his feeling that the NASCAR rulebook is taking the fun out of his job and the sport, writes Ed Hinton.