Jimmie Johnson Takes Golden Win at Bristol

Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images


The first short track event on the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule, the running of the Food City 500 at 0.533 mile Bristol Motor Speedway was an anticipated fan pleaser. The close quarter stock car battles and Saturday Night racing roots has reflected on the Bristol track grandstands morphing the once humble short track into a 160,000 spectator NASCAR stadium.

Friday pole winner Joey Logano in the #20 Home Depot Toyota led the 43-car field for the first time in his short Sprint Cup career. Along with a new pole sitter, competitors immediately enjoyed the widened racing surface which reclaimed most of the room lost when the SAFER barrier was installed. A testament to a well-planned more by Bristol Motor Speedway track organizers, the first 100 laps of the race, there were 9 lead changes with the majority coming as legitimate passes, not pit stop exchanges. While Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski would score early Sprint Cup series bonus points for leading, 5-time Bristol winner Kurt Busch stepped up as an race favourite on the first lap. Fresh off the manic race at Atlanta, the Penske Racing-sponsored #2 Miller Lite Dodge was the lead car for 55% of the event's distance.

With only one caution Two short track favourites Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann both parked their cars due to engine problems. In fact, the fluid from Bowyer's #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet drew the second caution of the Food City 500. Losing a cylinder, Reutimann's failed engine ended what was becoming a top-flight performance for the Aaron's #00 Toyota having been run in 3rd place prior to the lap 113 end. Only a few laps past David Reuitmann's retirement, the Bristol polesitter found trouble. After the first place start, Logano's poor luck at Bristol continued as his day went south early in the event. Dropping to 12th by lap 88, the orange #20 Toyota pitted 16 laps later under green for a flat tire. While Logano lost 3 laps as his Home Depot team tended to the #20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing troubles worsen as teammate Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx draw a caution on lap 115 when he slammed the wall in turn 2. Tire difficulties for the #18 car of Kyle Busch later on lap 263 completed a Joe Gibbs Racing trouble trifecta. However, Busch's #18 Toyota would overcome his tire problems to finish 9th.

The biggest wreck through the Food City 500 came on lap 342 with a turn 3 incident that damaged 13 cars. Contributed by Greg Biffle having radio issues where he could not hear his Roush-Fenway Racing spotter, the accident started on the backstretch. With the #5 Chevrolet of Mark Martin running on the outside, Biffle's #16 Ford edged up the track and drove Martin into the wall. Wounded by the wall impact, Martin's car continued slower and was unable to make the turn 3 corner. Along with Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcus Ambrose suffered the worst damage within the large scale pileup.


Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR


With a wet weather outlook late in the afternoon, the Bristol Motor Speedway started under the optimism that rain would hold off for at least the completion of 500 laps. Ultimately, the race went the full distance despite two cautions resulting due to rain sprinkles which ate 40 laps as the dampness lifted from the concrete surface.

As Kurt Busch asserted authority over the lead position for a likely second-straight victory, the Food City 500 was slowed on lap 483 when a debris flag dropped on the Bristol Motor Speedway. Playing pit strategy with two tires instead of four, Roush-Fenway Racing Fords positioned themselves in the first three positions on the restart with Greg Biffle's #16, Matt Kenseth #17 and Carl Edwards #99.

On the final lap 490 restart, 4th place Tony Stewart driving his #14 Chevrolet stormed through the three-car Ford group taking the late lead two laps later. However, as Stewart's Chevrolet carved his way through the Blue Oval contingent, the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowes Chevy of Jimmie Johnson followed. With 4 laps to go, Johnson powered past Stewart to win his 50th NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

Lighting up the rear tires through a wide variety of burnouts on track, Johnson's celebration of his milestone win also involved smoking the Goodyear rubber against the dividing wall of the track and pit lane as well as on the way to victory lane. Having beaten the driver whom's nickname was Smoke, Jimmie Johnson seemingly wanted to take that away from Tony Stewart too after the Food City 500.



Photo Credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Likely unsatisfied as a 'true racer' driver with 2nd place in the Food City 500, Tony Stewart position as a car owner sees the season-best result in a much more positive light. Having dominated the Bristol Motor Speedway event throughout the day, Kurt Busch captured a 3rd place and elevated himself 5 spots in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup points. The Roush-Fenway Racing trio finished 4th through 6th with Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards. Embattled by the NASCAR probation and the heightened media attention reflecting back to the Atlanta incident, the #99 of Edwards comfortably raced even with Brad Keselowski in the Food City 500.

Always receiving a high amount of media coverage, Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr showed well in the Bristol race. Despite a pit road speeding penalty on lap 325, the #88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet dodged the lap 342 carnage to finish 7th on the day. With the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season proving better than 2009 for Earnhardt, he now sits 8th in series points.

Kevin Harvick continues to hold the points lead in NASCAR Sprint Cup recovering from another poor qualifying effort to finish 11th in the Food City 500. But the leading margin is only a single point over Matt Kenseth.


Food City 500
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Bristol Motor Speedway

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1) 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
2) 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
3) 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
4) 16 Greg Biffle U.S. Census Ford
5) 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
6) 99 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford
7) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
8) 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet
9) 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
10) 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
11) 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
12) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
13) 12 Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge Dodge
14) 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
15) 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
16) 39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation Chevrolet
17) 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia/Best Buy Ford 
18) 98 Paul Menard Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford
19) 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 
20) 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford 
21) 71 Bobby Labonte TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
22) 7 Robby Gordon Warner Music Nashville/Blake Shelton Toyota
23) 38 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
24) 26 David Stremme Air National Guard Ford
25) 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
26) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
27) 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota 
28) 37 Kevin Conway  Extenze Ford
29) 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
30) 90 Casey Mears Keyed-Up Motorsports Chevrolet
31) 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota 
32) 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
33) 47 Marcos Ambrose Little Debbie Toyota
34) 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford
35) 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
36) 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
37) 46 Terry Cook  Whitney Motorsports Dodge 
38) 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
39) 09 Aric Almirola Phoenix Construction/Graceway Chevrolet
40) 33 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet
41) 55 Michael Waltrip PRISM Motorsports Toyota
42)     66 Dave Blaney PRISM Motorsports Toyota
43)     87 Joe Nemechek ComputerWorks Toyota

Jimmie Johnson Shows His Hand at NASCAR Sprint Cup Shelby American in Vegas

Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR

As a Canadian, I feel my need to apologize to NASCAR for turning my attention away from the 400 mile race Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as I just had to watch the Olympic Men's Hockey finals between Canada and the United States. Judging published accounts of Sunday afternoon's TV Ratings in Canada and the United States, it's fair to say I was not the only one who watched the brilliant 3-2 victory of Team Canada's male athletes in a hard-fought effort through overtime.

Through all the excitement and the sheer volume of the major hockey event, I have to candidly admit that the feeling of watching the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was comparably underwhelming on this afternoon.

Started under a bright sky in front of a reportedly sell-out audience at the 1.5 oval, the Las Vegas native Kurt Busch pole position gave him and his #2 Miller Lite Dodge lane choice for the Shelby American start. Choosing the top side, Busch's decision immediately turned out to be an unwise decision following the drop of the green flag. Holding the lower line, fellow front row starter Jeff Gordon motored his #24 Chevrolet around the #2 Dodge to take the lead. Setting the course of the day, Jeff Gordon would lead often through the 400 mile event.

Gordon led for the first 52 laps until Roush Racing's Greg Biffle was able to sneak by the Hendrick Motorsports #24 car on a restart from a caution. As Biffle claimed the top spot, the green flag period was very short-lived. In fact, according to the track alert lights, the field was still under yellow flag conditions. Wisely acting on the side of driver safety, a yellow flag was thrown by NASCAR so they could correct the signaling error. Taking only 3 laps under caution until the race could be restarted, this signaling problem would creep once more on lap 109 when the issue was fully remedied.

With 7 caution periods overall in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Las Vegas, the incidents are fairly tame for the most part. However, a caution drawn on lap 94 would reflect the only multi-car accident in the race involving three cars which have shown competitiveness through the early stage of the 2010 Sprint Cup season. Creating the 5th caution of the Shelby American race, the Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing #1 Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray slipped up into his teammate, the #42 of Juan Pablo Montoya through turn 4 on the racetrack cited earlier in the race as being slick. Spinning out Montoya, the red #42 car ran up the track striking the turn 4 wall enough to infect serious damage to the car's deck lid area. As Kurt Busch came through the turn 4 area, he became the only non EGR casualty of the situation as he made contact that damaged the right front corner of his blue Dodge. McMurray was apologetic in the aftermath of the accident taking responsibility for the costly day for Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing. All three cars suffered damage requiring extended attention of their crews but finished the event only at most 20 laps down.



Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR


The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson led all but 30 of the 267 laps of the Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Little else happened through the race as only Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, and the odd appearance of Scott Speed were some drivers who mixed up the complexion at the front of Las Vegas Motor Speedway when the Hendrick Chevrolet were pitting or were bypassed on pit strategy. The other Hendrick Motorsport cars were having mixed days in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Shelby American as Mark Martin was able to hold on to the top 10 while Dale Earnhardt Jr fell from a 4th place starting spot to the lower part of the top 15 after 200 laps.

Being a match race between Gordon and Johnson at the end, Johnson who was running 2nd place since the mid-way point of the race out-powered his teammate and part-owner on lap 251. In the final run, Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevrolet also gave way to the #29 Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick (who fought his way from a 34th place start) relinquishing the runner-up to the Pennzoil car. With considerable distance to Johnson, Harvick ran out of laps to catch Jimmie Johnson for the second straight week.

Again, Jimmie Johnson's #48 Lowes Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports successfully streaked claim to a 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup race trophy. Requiring a methodical climb from 20th place at the beginning of the event, Johnson wins his 49 career event in the major stock car racing series.

Behind Johnson, Harvick and Gordon was the #5 Hendrick car of Mark Martin followed by the Roush Racing's #17 of Matt Kenseth. Finishing 5th, Kenseth is effectively gelling with his new crew chief Todd Parrott working in their second race together in 2010.

After 3 races in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup series season, Kevin Harvick continues to hold the lead in the early going. Last week at Auto Club Speedway, Harvick chuckled in response to the significance of leading this still infant season an told about his lead. Holding a 47 markers ahead of teammate Clint Bowyer, the #29 car's 32 position improvement in the Shelby American 400 miles race and win in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide series round should at least keep a smile on the driver's face. A beneficial event to Hendrick Motorsports two lead teams, Johnson leapfrogs 7 positions to 5th but Jeff Gordon also surged by 9 spots in the overall points standing.



2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Shelby American
Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1) 48 Jimmie Johnson   Lowe's / KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
2) 29 Kevin Harvick    Pennzoil Ultra Chevrolet
3) 24 Jeff Gordon      DuPont / Pepsi Max Chevrolet
4) 5 Mark Martin      GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
5) 17 Matt Kenseth     Crown Royal Ford
6) 20 Joey Logano      Home Depot Toyota
7) 14 Tony Stewart     Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet
8) 33 Clint Bowyer     Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
9) 9 Kasey Kahne      Budweiser Ford
10) 16 Greg Biffle      3M Ford
11) 31 Jeff Burton      Caterpillar Chevrolet
12) 99 Carl Edwards     Aflac / Kelloggs Ford
13) 00 David Reutimann   TUMS Toyota
14) 47 Marcos Ambrose    Kingsford / Scott Branded Products Toyota
15) 18 Kyle Busch       M&M's Toyota
16) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
17) 98 Paul Menard      Moen / Menards Ford 
18) 39 Ryan Newman      Tornados Chevrolet
19) 11 Denny Hamlin     FedEx Ground Toyota
20) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Gold Filters Toyota
21) 78 Regan Smith      Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
22) 82 Scott Speed      Red Bull Toyota
23) 6 David Ragan      UPS Ford
24) 34 Travis Kvapil    Long John Silver's Ford
25) 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford
26) 12 Brad Keselowski         Penske Dodge
27) 19 Elliott Sadler         Stanley Ford
28) 77 Sam Hornish Jr.         Mobil 1 Dodge
29) 66 Dave Blaney         PRISM Motorsports Toyota
30) 38 David Gilliland         Taco Bell Ford 
31) 83 Brian Vickers         Red Bull Toyota
32) 7 Robby Gordon         Monster Energy Toyota
33) 13 Max Papis         GEICO Toyota
34) 1 Jamie McMurray         McDonald's Chevrolet
35) 2 Kurt Busch         Miller Lite Dodge
36) 37 Kevin Conway          Extenze Ford
37) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
38) 71 Bobby Labonte         TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
39) 36 Mike Bliss         Kim Kardashian Fragrance Chevrolet
40) 26 Boris Said        Southern Pride Trucking Ford
41) 87 Joe Nemechek     FrontRowJoe.com Toyota
42) 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota
43)     09 Aric Almirola    Phoenix Racing Chevrolet

Jimmie Johnson Turns California Dreams into Reality in Auto Club 500

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR


The second race off the year for the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2010 season, the tour was taken cross-country from Daytona Beach to the west coast state of California. Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray proceeded to the track at a more leisurely pace to the Auto Club Speedway thanks to a week-long press junket. This post-Daytona 500 media tour for Jamie McMurray made it even more impressive that McMurray skated his #1 Chevrolet to pole for Friday afternoon qualifying. With Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing teammate Juan Pablo Montoya starting on the front row, Montoya bypassed McMurray on the first lap of the race. The #42 of Montoya held the top spot through the first 29 laps.

The Auto Club Speedway has become a stomping ground for Jimmie Johnson. Not only is the 2-mile oval located in the home state of the 4-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, his Lowes sponsored #48 Chevrolet holds an average finish of 3.75 in the last 8 races held on the Penske-built speedway situated on former Fontana industrial land. Johnson's presence emerged early in the Auto Club 500 as he took 1st place away from Montoya on lap 30.

Caution-free for 58 laps, the first caution came out for debris on the racetrack. While the Sprint Cup teams were able to change tires and refuel under the lap 59 caution, a multitude of green flag pit stops contributed to many of the 26 lead changes through the event. However, regardless of caution or green flag period, too many drivers and teams at Auto Club Speedway were confronted by NASCAR's aggressive policing of pit road. With 15 penalties levied against Danny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick and others, one incident involved Kevin Harvick's car and a pit crew member of the #1 team. As Harvick's #29 car was leaving pit road on a lap 94 stop, a tight exit resulted in Harvick launching into the path of a crew member and a tire from Jamie McMurray's #1 Bass Pro Shops team. Like Nintento's Mario, the crew man leaped over the hood of the #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet avoiding injury. However, the #1 team was penalized for the loose tire and the #29 Chevrolet took a penalty for speeding out of pit road.

After many drivers posting strong finishes at the Daytona 500, the Auto Club 500 saw many of those drivers endured a much harsher followup race. While McMurray started on the pole for the event, he lost ground after a pit stop penalty for the before-mentioned incident and was unable to mount a return to the front. McMurray finished 17th on the day finishing ahead of his teammate Montoya who had his engine parish after 140 laps.

Coming off a 2nd place run, the recent string of misfortune seemed to have lifted off Dale Earnhardt Jr and the #88 Amp/National Guard Chevrolet. The Auto Club Speedway, historically one of Earnhardt Jr's worst tracks, was a bump on the road of the #88 Hendrick Motorsport team's resurgence. Caught speeding on pit road early, Earnhardt Jr began a recovery before a later pit stop resulted in a broken axle half-shaft. While the Hendrick Motorsports crew succeeded in placing Dale Earnhardt Jr back in the event, the #88 Amp Juice Chevrolet come home 12 laps back in 32nd place. While a less than stellar run overall, this is sadly Earnhardt Jr's best finish in the Sprint Cup season's 1st Auto Club Speedway race since driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

While Earnhardt, McMurray and Montoya had good finishes at Daytona, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, and Marcus Ambrose are skilled drivers starting off the year with lackluster results through the first 2 races. Ryan Newman's car lost an engine to finish 36th while Kahne fared better by at least running after a down day started by a slide through the in front grass. He placed 34th on the final race result. Ambrose's Toyota was sandwiched between the two suffering from overheating issues.

Into the final laps, racing fortune again shined on Jimmie Johnson as a caution came out almost instantly after he took the #48 Lowes Chevrolet down pit lane. By doing so, Johnson was able to leapfrog the field as they required the attention of pit road service and would start the race in the lead. Despite a heated challenge from Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson held off the fight leading the final 24 laps to win his 48th Sprint Cup career victory and his first in 2010.
By winning the Auto Club 500, Johnson wins a race at the speedway for the 4th straight year and his 5th all-time.



Photo Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images


Richard Childress Racing (RCR) cars driven by Harvick and Jeff Burton came home in strong 2nd and 3rd place finishes for the organization. After two races, premature analysis of the NASCAR Sprint Cup points has Kevin Harvick leading fellow RCR driver Clint Bowyer. Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate of Mark Martin and the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Joey Logano rounded out the top 5 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Auto Club 500.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Auto Club 500
Auto Club Speedway

Place| Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make
1) 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
2) 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
3) 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
4) 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
5) 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
6) 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
7) 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
8) 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
9) 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet
10) 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
11) 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota 
12) 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
13) 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
14) 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota
15) 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
16) 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Auto Club Dodge
17) 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
18) 98 Paul Menard Energizer/Menards Ford
19) 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
20) 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
21) 12 Brad Keselowski AAA Insurance Dodge Dodge
22) 36 Mike Bliss Wave Energy Drink Chevrolet
23) 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
24) 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
25) 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
26) 38 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
27) 71 Bobby Labonte TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
28) 13 Max Papis GEICO Toyota
29) 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
30) 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
31) 37 Kevin Conway # Extenze Ford
32) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy Juice / National Guard Chevrolet
33) 7 Robby Gordon Warner Music Nashville Toyota
34) 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford
35) 47 Marcos Ambrose Armor All Toyota
36) 39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation Chevrolet
37) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
38) 26 Boris Said Sacred Power/Southern Pride Trucking Ford
39) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
40) 87 Joe Nemechek FrontRowJoe.com Toyota
41) 66 Dave Blaney Prism Motorsports Toyota
42) 55 Michael McDowell Prism Motorsports Toyota
43) 09 Aric Almirola Phoenix Racing Chevrolet

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Denny Hamlin Wins Ford 400, Johnson Gains 4th Sprint Cup Championship

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images


Heading into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final race of 2009, there were at least 43 stories of success, despair, and change relating to the past 35 events. Heading into Homestead-Miami Speedway's Ford 400, headlines included the magnificent comeback of Mark Martin, the most recent resurgence of Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton, the dismal year for Dale Earnhardt Jr, as well as the final race for Michael Waltrip in full-time Sprint Cup competition. However, those story lines would serve only as sidebars to the quest of Jimmie Johnson attempt to capture a record-setting 4th straight championship.

Having already asserted himself in qualifying for the Ford 400 by grabbing pole, Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Lowes Chevrolet made is clear that the winner of 3 consecutive Sprint Cup championship chases were by no means willing to play a conservative effort in the 2009 season's finale. Being 108 points ahead of Hendrick Motorsport teammate Mark Martin, Johnson's sole challenger chance for his long-fought championship trophy rested on the slim hopes.

Polesitter Jimmie Johnson used his early race positioning to gain him some additional cushioning in the points by leading the first 9 laps. Adding 5 points for leading the event, Johnson needed only to finish 27th place or better to hold off Martin's best efforts. Taking the front spot from Johnson was the #47 Toyota of Marcus Ambrose. A proven road course ace from Tazmania, this first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series displayed better than expected abilities for a rookie driver on ovals. Ambrose's time at the front would be short-lived as a right-rear tire caused Ambrose the first of many headaches in the 400 mile race which resulted in a 35th place finish.

Through the early stages of the Ford 400, JR Nation fans had a reason to cheer as the #88 National Guard Chevrolet inventively used the high line to maneuver from 32nd to 8th by lap 67. By this time in the race, the #14 car of Tony Stewart led the way with Richard Childress Racing's cars Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer running in tow. Stewart, having led NASCAR Sprint Cup points before the chase, saw himself holding onto 5th in the 2009 chase standings entering into Homestead.

The race's first caution came out on lap 82 as Ambrose's #47 spun off turn 4. Setting up the ideal conditions for the full field. Two Hendrick Motorsport cars who had been running well prior to the caution, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon, experienced difficulty keeping pace with the field on the restart. While Gordon was able to recover to 6th in the final running order, Earnhardt Jr's #88 suffered a flat tire just before the half way point. A 28th place finish was the result of the final race of 2009 for the #88 Chevrolet as Earnhardt is certainly ready to put behind him.

Within 35 laps, the caution came out 4 times for single car incidents. In final one of those cautions the lap 117, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya began what became an incident trilogy past amongst the mid-way point of the Ford 400. Started when the two drivers were jockeying for position out of the Homestead-Miami Speedway's turn 4 a lap prior to caution, Montoya's #42 Chevrolet used the higher groove to gain a faster exit speed. A Stewart's #14 sled up in front of the swifter #42 car, Montoya maintained his momentum as he slammed into the back bumper of Tony Stewart. Suffering no lingering damage from the squarely-targeted shot, Stewart nonetheless felt displeased with the contact. As the pair exited turn 2 side-by-side, Stewart repaid the avoidable contact by shoving into Montoya's passenger side. The impact not only mangled the sheet metal of Montoya's car but cut down a right side tire. The #42 Chevrolet slammed the turn 3 wall hard enough to shatter a brake rotor. Requiring several laps to repair, Montoya lost valuable ground on the once existent opportunity to grab 5th place in the Sprint Cup chase standings. A position held ironically by Tony Stewart leading into Homestead.

Digressing from the Stewart/Montoya clash, that lap 117 caution brought fought one of the race's most chaotic wreck on pit road. In a reaction to an almost stopped #96 car, several cars entering the pits were forced to brake causing four cars to be damaged through the chain reaction accident. The worst damaged cars in the incident were the #19 of Elliott Sadler and the #43 of Reed Sorenson, both belonged to Richard Petty Motorsports.

Eventually returning to the track, Juan Pablo Montoya remained mindful of what caused him to endure some costly repairs. Back on track, the #42 commissioned the three act in the Stewart/Montoya feud. In a move of blatant payback, Montoya turned Stewart around in turn 4 sending the #14 spinning during lap 157. With Montoya receiving a 2 lap penalty for rough driving, the on-track confrontations between the two drivers finally ended.

As the race progressed, the #11 Fed-Ex Toyota of Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch's #2 Dodge fought between themselves for the Ford 400 victory from lap 135 to 198. Following their battle, a new contender emerged after in the #31 CAT Chevrolet. Jeff Burton, who left 19 laps later in the race's running, became the third RCR car to lead on the day.

Burton led as a yellow flag for a debris caution flew. Unknowingly the final caution which would slow the Ford 400, the lead lap cars entered pit road; the majority of those cars took 4 fresh tires in response to the abrasive surface of Homestead-Miami Speedway. In an effort to replace a tight sensation and win track position, the #2 car's crew chief Pat Tryson elected that only two right side tires be changed. Tryson, spending his last race with the Penske Racing team before going to Michael Waltrip Racing for 2010, last decision for the Miller Lite Dodge was not the winning move for Kurt Busch. The two-tire strategy bit the #2 Dodge immediately on the lap 220 restart as he lost 5 positions the time he exited turn 2. Fighting back as the tires equalized against the competition, Busch captured 4th place on the checkered flag.

Starting on the second row for the lap 222 restart, Denny Hamlin #11 Toyota powered by his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch (who earlier in the weekend celebrated his first NASCAR Nationwide championship). While Jeff Burton in 2nd place showed pace equal to Hamlin, he was unable to catch the speedy Denny Hamlin who took the Ford 400.


Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images


An impressive win by Denny Hamlin and his #11 Joe Gibbs Racing team, his victory was instantly foreshadowed by the 5th place finisher Jimmie Johnson's effort. Johnson won the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, the 4th straight year the driver of Hendrick Motorsports' #48 Chevrolet completed the feat. "I am just blown away by the things we've been able to accomplish over the last eight years in the sport. Obviously the last four years have been just unbelievable." Johnson said as he went on the pay thanks to everyone from NASCAR, to long-time crew chief Chad Knauss, and to team owner Rick Hendrick. Due to a family emergency, Mr. Hendrick was unable to be on attendance for the celebration. Wishing the best outcome for Rick Hendrick's emergency, he'll hopefully be celebrating his 9th Cup series championship with Johnson and crew some time before the December 4th Sprint Cup Awards Banquet in Las Vegas.

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Johnson Takes Pole in Homestead Finale

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

As the top three NASCAR touring series wrap up their 2009 seasons at Homestead-Miami Speedway, only the NASCAR Sprint Cup series has a title which is still up for grabs ( Kyle Busch simply needs to take the green flag in Saturday's Ford 300 NASCAR Nationwide race to wrap up that title). Just 108 points ahead of the hungry Mark Martin, 3-time Sprint Cup championship Jimmie Johnson is intending to lock up his unprecedented 4th title in a row. Having set himself into a perfect flight path to by winning 4 of the 9 races in the chase, Johnson needs only to place his #48 Lowes Chevy in a spot 25th or better to counter any effort made by Mark Martin and his #5 Chevrolet.

As the Hendrick Motorsports teammates plan to duo for the 2009 Cup, one thing that remains certain is car owner Rick Hendrick will hold his 9th Cup series championship in 1995. This 2009 championship will place Hendrick just one short of the record 10 Cup championships secured by the Petty Enterprises operation.

In Qualifying for the season finale Ford 400, Mark Martin did exactly what he needed to do in attempting to win a long-fought first Cup championship. Setting the #5 Kelloggs/Carquest Chevrolet at the top spot, Martin was only 2 of the first 15 cars to set time in qualifying to remain in the top 15 at the completion of qualifying. Attribute the warmer afternoon 82 degree Fahrenheit weather creating a slicker track surface for the earlier runners for the poor overall showings for many top drivers at Homestead-Miami Speedway(Kyle Busch is starting in 30th and 2007 race winner Matt Kenseth placed deep into the 34th starting spot.

Leaving 33th for qualifying was the driver and car who captured the Homestead-Miami Speedway pole. Maybe feeling that the pressure of his 4th championship isn't enough, Jimmie Johnson placed his #48 Chevrolet right at the front of the 43 car starting grid. After Johnson's qualifying attempt, Scott Speed and Marcus Ambrose performed runs to take the 2nd and 3rd spot. In fact, Speed in the #82 Red Bull Toyota was the last car out on the track and almost challenged the #48 Chevy.

Rounding out the top 10 in qualifying for the Ford 400 are Tony Stewart in 5th, Kevin Harvick 6th, Ryan Newman 7th, Greg Biffle 8th, Bill Elliott 9th, and Clint Boywer 10th. Surprises near the front of the grid includes Regan Smith in the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet as well as Michael McDowell's #36 Baldwin Racing Toyota. Managing to place race cars from underfunded race teams in 16th and 18th place starting positions.

Starting in 20th place for the Ford 400, Jeff Gordon prepares to hold off Kurt Busch who sits 42 points behind the #24 car driver in the Chase. This is significant because if Gordon can maintain 3rd in the points, he could conclude Hendrick's dominance of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship by sweeping the top 3 in the standings.

For the fourth and final Hendrick Motorsports car of Dale Earnhardt Jr, the team could only manage a forgettable 32rd place starting spot. Running 8th in practice earlier in the day, an early session run for Dale Earnhardt Jr's qualifying attempt likely contributed to the poor qualifying result. Nonetheless, this is another run of misfortune for the entire #88 team for the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2009. As the other three Hendrick Motorsports drivers occupy the top 3 spot in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Earnhardt Jr rests 24th in the points standings between Martin Truex Jr and AJ Allmendinger.

Deciding the outcome of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup series, Sunday's Ford 400 is set to start at 3:15 eastern time.

NASCAR Sprint Cup
2009 Ford 400 Starting Grid

Top 10

1. Jimmie Johnson (C)
2. Scott Speed
3. Marcus Ambrose
4. Mark Martin (C)
5. Tony Stewart (C)
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Ryan Newman (C)
8. Greg Biffle (C)
9. Bill Elliott
10. Clint Bowyer

Other Notables

11. Jamie McMurray
12. Kurt Busch (C)
13. AJ Allendinger
16. Regan Smith
17. David Gilliland
18. Michael McDowell
20. Jeff Gordon (C)
23. Juan Pablo Montoya (C)
24. Carl Edwards (C)
25. Kasey Kahne (C)
31. Kyle Busch
33. Dale Earnhardt Jr
35. Matt Kenseth

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Jimmie Johnson Dominates in the Desert

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR



Making the perfect recovery from last week's 110 point loss at Texas Motor Speedway, the quest for vengeance drove the #48 Lowes Chevrolet Impala going into the penultimate round of the 2009 Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship. Starting third in the field, Jimmie Johnson was very much ready to return to common form during the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Hendrick Motorsports teammate and Sprint Cup championship challenger Mark Martin, on the other hand, would like to have another uncharacteristic stumble from Johnson to liven the hunt for the 51 year old veteran's first Cup championship.

The green flag dropped for the 312 lap race on the Phoenix one-mile oval under the supervision of Arizona Senator and 2008 US presidential candidate John McCain. polesitter Martin Truex Jr enjoyed only the briefest lead as his #1 Rain-X Chevrolet was overhauled by front row companion Kurt Busch on the first lap. Riding momentum form his win next week in Texas, Busch led 90 circuits around PIR until a racy Jimmie Johnson grabbed the front position as the field approached green flag pit stops.

After a round of green flag pit stops shuffled the lead back to Johnson, caution came out for the first time on lap 115 for debris. Attended to by a track clean up truck was on track, it should be noted that the piece of debris was not seen on television. Nonetheless, this much needed breather set up the first of two restart incidents in the race. As green returned on lap 119, missteps on the restart by some cars ahead in the double-file lineup caused an accordion effect that caught David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, Robby Gordon, and Michael Waltrip (the latter three cars sustained crash damage).

Johnson's Chevy continued to lead handily until a 3rd yellow flag dropped for debris (an unidentified piece of debris similar to the first caution). As the green flag fell on lap 167, two laps later the caution came out again for the biggest incident of the day at Phoenix International Raceway. Amounting from a Dale Earnhardt Jr losing control of his #88 Chevrolet on the low side of the track, an 8 car pileup ensued collecting Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, and again Brad Keslowski in the #12 Dodge. 2000 Cup Series champion Labonte, in his #71 TRG Motorsport Chevrolet, was immediately out of the race due to the extent of his race vehicle's damage. Tony Stewart faired better but could only muster 25th place through falling two laps down for repairs to the #14 car. As for Earnhardt Jr, he finished 56 laps down in 35th position likely taking solace that the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign is almost over. With members of the Hendrick Motorsports #88 crew caught up on a non-serious traffic accident before the race, questions should surround whether Dale Earnhardt Jr is being haunted by jinx for 2009.

As the race went green at lap 178, it was all Jimmie Johnson who, with exception to a final pit stop exchange, led the Sprint Cup field uncontested to his 7th win of the 2009 season. Almost 2 seconds behind Johnson, the #31 CAT Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton quietly enjoyed their best finish in what has been a dismal 2009 season for the whole Richard Childess Racing organization. Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin, and Martin Truex Jr filled out the remainder of the top 5 after 312 laps at Phoenix.

The win for the #48 Lowes Chevy was also the Hendrick Motorsport squad's 6th straight team victory at Phoenix International Raceway and 9th in a row for auto manufacturer Chevrolet.

While benefiting Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin have seen their chances dwindle for stealing the Chase Championship. While Martin can pose a risk to Jimmie Johnson at Homestead-Miami, Gordon's "Drive for 5" opportunity will be put to rest once the #48 car takes the green flag in the finale.

Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
Phoenix International Raceway
Race Results

1. Jimmie Johnson #48 Chevrolet (C)
2. Jeff Burton #31 Chevrolet
3. Denny Hamlin #11 Toyota (C)
4. Mark Martin #5 Chevrolet (C)
5. Martin Truex Jr #1 Chevrolet
6. Kurt Busch #2 Dodge (C)
7. Clint Bowyer #33 Chevrolet
8. Juan Pablo Montoya #42 Chevrolet (C)
9. Jeff Gordon #24 Chevrolet (C)
10. David Ruttimann #00 Toyota

11. Marcos Ambrose #47 Toyota
12. Kyle Busch #18 Toyota
15. Kasey Kahne #9 Dodge (C)
16. Carl Edwards #99 Ford (C)
18. Matt Kenseth #17 Ford
20. Ryan Newman #39 Chevrolet (C)
25. Tony Stewart #14 Chevrolet (C)
35. Dale Earnhardt Jr #88 Chevrolet
37. Brad Keslowski #12 Dodge
38. Brian Vickers #83 Toyota (C)

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Phoenix's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Preview

With only two race to go, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series streaks into the Arizona desert to wage battle on the tight one-mile oval of Phoenix International Raceway. Coming off the unpredictable race last Sunday in Texas, the Chase for the Cup championship has become a fight again following the race turmoil that presented itself onto Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Chevrolet. Under the most pressing attacks of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, the spread between the three drivers are 112 points. Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart remains in mathematical contention but require an unrealistic breakdown of the key Hendrick Motorsports cars to make the 2009 championship a realistic possibility.

As much as the Sprint Cup Chase has captured headlines, Phoenix is the second to last chance for drivers to prove themselves before the season ends. One time championship contenders in the 2009 Chase for the Cup Juan Pablo Montoya and Carl Edwards. Having entering the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2007, Montoya has become a sensation through the second-half of the Sprint Cup season establishing himself and the #42 Target Chevrolet as a consistent front-runner. Having won 8 races in 2008, Carl Edwards have only 2 races left to prevent going winless in the #99 Aflac Ford 2009 season. Also noteworthy in this category is Dale Earnhardt Jr who is looking to shake the monkey off his back on the Phoenix racetrack which has been historically beneficial to the Kannapolis native. The past few months have allowed moments of excellence to shine from the #88 Chevrolet Impala only to be followed by a miserable finish as result of late race problems.

A track very favourable to Hendrick Motorsports, the Chevrolet juggernaut has swept the past 5 Sprint Cup series events at Phoenix International Raceway. Of those, 3 wins were captured by Jimmie Johnson's #48 team. 2nd place Mark Martin, just 73 points behind Johnson, enters Phoenix advantaged with most recent Cup series winner from the early spring race. Even more of a streak, Chevrolets has won past 8 Sprint Cup outings at Phoenix International Raceway.

The penultimate round of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is set to start at 3:15PM Eastern time.

Jimmie Johnson Strumbles at Texas, Potentially Breaks NASCAR Championship Chase Wide Open

With only 3 races remaining in the 10 race Chase for the Sprint Cup, the entire points scenario turned anti-climatic as three-time champion Jimmie Johnson appeared destined to prevail in the 2009 Chase holding a 184 point lead into Dickies 500 Texas Motor Speedway. In a sad sense, many fans were probably hoping for one chink in the armor to the bulletproof nature of the #48 Lowes Chevrolet Impala. Well, the NASCAR Sprint Cup show at the 1.5 mile quad-oval granted the relief for the growing NASCAR fanbase not on the #48 bandwagon.

On lap 3 at Texas Motor Speedway's Dickies 500, the apparent Teflon coating that shielded Johnson wore thin. With cars still settling their positions from the drop of the initial green flag, Johnson was carrying his momentum on the an outer race line through turn 2 with cars on his inside. Two of those cars were the #00 Toyota of David Ruttimann and the #77 AAA Dodge of Sam Hornish Jr. Ruttimann ran just a little bit quicker on the back of Hornish resulting in very minor contact. As Hornish drifted wide to regather his Dodge her swept up into Johnson's Lowe Chevy transferring the #77 car's kinetic energy into the #48 car. Unsettled, Jimmie Johnson attempted to straighten the his Chevrolet Impala but couldn't handle his compromised car. Sliding down the backstretch, the #48 returns contact with the #77 catching the Dodge before the Johnson collided with the inside wall.

Spending 112 laps in the garage area receiving attention from mechanics of Hendrick Motorsport, the #48 Lowes Chevrolet was drastically rebuilt with an entirely new front nose and hood as well as a replaced rear drive assembly.

As the race at 2009 Dickies 500 Texas Motor Speedway continues, it is yet to be decided whether 2nd place points hunter Jeff Gordon and 3rd place Mark Martin will be able to capitalize on the rare faltering of the #48 Chevy.