Excitement at Races: Yaay or Neigh?

In light of Jimmie Johnson's win at California, I wanted to write about a question that a friend and fellow Nascar fan, Cade, chatted with me about a few days ago: When the same drivers win week-in and week-out, do the fans still feel some excitement about the possibility of their favorite driver having a chance to win? 

Let me begin by giving you some background information on my Nascar history.  I have been a serious Nascar fan for about 10 years (I watched it a little bit before then), and was originally drawn to the sport because of a driver named Ricky Rudd.  He was my reason for being a racing fan because of his down-to-earth demeanor and by simply being a class act.  I loved his personality because he was one who would race with patience every week, but he would get fired-up when necessary...like with Rusty Wallace or Kevin Harvick.  Toward the end of his career, I knew that the probability of him winning a race with a one-car, under-funded team was much smaller than the bigger teams.  Of course, every race fan wants to see his or her driver win, but as long as I saw his name on the starting line-up, I was content.

I don't really think that affected my attitude toward watching or attending any races, but it does get frustrating when the same drivers win each week.  So many people aren't fans of certain drivers simply because of that factor.  Take the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr. for example.  You either loved him or you hated him; there was no in-between.  His passion made for many exciting races, wins, and championships, but he certainly had his fair share of nay-sayers because of the success he'd already had.  Say what you want, but some people are naturally jealous of others' successes.  It happens all the time - in the work place, in the classroom, and even on the race track.  It's almost inevitable.  What can happen, though, is that some people have the potential to start to lose interest in watching the races because it's almost as if the winners are predetermined.  I'm not saying the races are fixed; that is definitely not the issue.  What I am saying, however, is that it takes the fun out of the anticipation of who is going to win. 

So, here's my question for you: do you get bored seeing the same drivers win each week?  The Jimmie Johnsons, the Jeff Gordons, the Kyle Bushes... Does it take the fun out of watching the sport?  I'd love to hear your opinion on it, no matter if you agree with my views or not.  Feel free to postg your comments!