Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson may be hitting their stride

— -- In the middle of the summer at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, I swung by the No. 48 transporter to check in with my close friend Scott Maxim, engine specialist for Hendrick Motorsports, around the same time practice was ending.

Suddenly crew chief Chad Knaus whistled in followed by a few crew members, driver Jimmie Johnson trailing the group. They huddled at the front of their transporter. The atmosphere was tense and edgy, evident through the body language of the team's leader, Knaus.

A few months later I made the same visit. It was Dover, Chase race No. 3, and this time the mood was relaxed, composed. While urgency was still present, there was no sense of panic in the camp.

The contrast between the two Fridays was extreme, and it left an impression on me, enough that I mentioned to Knaus how impressive it was that he had kept this group from tearing itself apart in the midst of his and Johnson's longest winless streak together.

It's obvious now that the six-time champs had rediscovered their magic, but I can honestly say, it wasn't obvious to me then.

I've always been quick to Identify Jimmie Johnson as the key to the No. 48 team's success. That comes from a basis of studying, evaluating and understanding drivers and their responsibilities. It's who I am. It's what I've spent the majority of my life doing.

Less obvious to me is the impact crew chiefs have, and that's not because I didn't experience their value as much, but rather I may not have appreciated it as much as I should have early in my career.

That comes from having built, and maintained, my own race cars early in my career. It was an asset early because it put me ahead of my competitors, but became a liability late because I became less willing to experiment.

The same effects may have hindered two of the best I ever competed against, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin. Wallace was more talented than the one title he has; he was worthy of three in my mind. And Martin was every bit his equal, but ended his career with none.

These two drivers understood race cars as well as any in NASCAR ... at least for a while.

But as the sport evolves, becomes more technical, drivers with deep race car knowledge become less open-minded than those who simply want to drive.

It's why Jimmie Johnson is so unique, so disciplined. Johnson -- perhaps more than any driver I know -- understands his role, is consumed by it, and doesn't allow any outside noise to interfere with his responsibilities.

A common practice for struggling drivers, particularly late in their career, is to reinvent themselves through a crew chief swap. The hope is that a new leader fosters new ideas, recreates an energy that had disappeared -- a spark if you will. Johnson and Knaus have resisted that practice, and I admire the hell out of what they have done because of their loyalty to one another.

Chad brings the best out of Jimmie, he holds the passwords to the 48 team's files, and more than ever before, I believe Chad Knaus has demonstrated his value to the Hendrick organization.

I've observed and pondered the 48 team all year. I've witnessed tension strong enough to cause an implosion. But it doesn't happen with this group. Its bond appears impenetrable.

The Bottom Line

Jimmie Johnson's win last week is a game-changer for most Chase brackets. Few had the 48 in their Miami final four; it just didn't seem logical in early September.

Johnson, as we sit today, is the only driver not having to worry about the consequences of playing Russian roulette next Sunday in Talladega. That's an enormous mental advantage.

The team has a clear advantage in prepping three cars for three races in the third round that represent Jimmie Johnson's second-, third- and fourth-best averages of all NASCAR tracks, and if that's not enough to convince you team 48 is destined for Homestead, this should be:

No driver is immune from waning confidence; it causes an athlete to try harder, perhaps too hard, at the wrong time. Its effects lead to mistakes (like speeding on pit road on the final stop of the day) when you may have had the car to beat.

Even with his confidence diminished some, Johnson is more dangerous than most. With his confidence peaking, the 48 team's only kryptonite comes in the form of mechanical issues.

Johnson more than likely wins one of the three races in the third round, which positions him for that coveted seventh Sprint Cup title.

I reached out to congratulate Johnson following his win, and in his response was something I found very profound.

Keep in mind, I consider Johnson among the most humble human beings on the planet. He is proof you can be confident, be great, but not need to remind anyone of it.

So I found it compelling at the end of our exchange when he declared this: "More to come!"

Dare any of us doubt him?