Bleacher Report - NASCAR

Dodging Out of Sight: The Decline of Dodge in NASCAR

Dustin Parks — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:25:07 -0500

When it was announced that Richard Petty Motorsports would switch to Ford in 2010, it meant that one of the most recognizable figures in racing was switching affiliations.

Back in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Petty was the flagship driver for Daimler-Chrysler.

Petty was constantly driving a Plymouth or Dodge and was featured on many of their advertisements. When the famed "Super Bee" came out in 1970, Petty was quick to put one with his No. 43 on the track.

In 2001, when Ray Evernham led the charge of bringing Dodge back to NASCAR, Petty was the second team to come over to the brand. Soon, there were 10 cars that joined in, going to the Dodge name plate.

Now, 10 years later, that number is down to four. Heading into the 2010 season, only Penske Racing and James Finch remain as teams bearing the Dodge emblem in the Sprint Cup Series.

What happened to the brand that returned to the sport after nearly a 30-year hiatus?

The truth is, what happened was not much. When Dodge returned in 2001, it took the brand 23 races before they got to victory lane. That race was rain-shortened, as Sterling Marlin took the checkered flag.

Dodge would go on to win three more races that year, including putting Bill Elliott in victory lane for the first time since 1994.

The 2002 season would prove to be the best season for Dodge, as they recorded eight wins. They included a win in the Daytona 500 with Ward Burton, Ryan Newman winning the Winston, and Bill Elliott putting Dodge in victory lane at the Brickyard.

The following year saw Dodge have another successful campaign, as the brand was in victory lane seven times, six of which were from Ryan Newman.

Over the next two years, it would be a struggle to see Dodge in victory lane as they would only get seven victories.

Then in 2006, Dodge came back with horns blazing. Their lead driver, Kasey Kahne, recorded six victories, including sweeping the races at Charlotte.

But since 2007, the brand has only 11 victories in the series. Kahne leads all the Dodge drivers with five, while Busch has four, and both Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya each have one.

What could cause such a great brand to struggle in recent years in NASCAR?

It is hard to say, but many factors are responsible for such a decline. More recently, it has been the economy taking a hit on American car manufacturers. Both General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a signal that the car buyers were moving away from American makers.

With such a struggle, there were sacrifices. Richard Petty Motorsports admitted that the filing caused his team to lose a lot of their funding for the team. In turn, the organization had to lay off many of its workers.

Now, with the move to Ford, a lot more of those employees will be out of work as the resources of Yates Racing are now part of the team.

One other reason for their decline can also be attributed to the debut of Toyota. When the Camry made it's debut in 2007, some of the lead teams elected to switch to the import brand.

Toyota would not get it's first win in the Sprint Cup Series until 2008. But, in the two years that followed, the brand has 20 wins. Meanwhile, Dodge only has eight.

Prior to the 2009 season, Dodge was already losing some drivers. Robby Gordon's single car team left the brand in favor of Toyota.

The Ganassi Racing team that fielded Montoya merged with Dale Earnhardt Inc., which fields Chevrolet.

Newman himself left the Penske organization to join Tony Stewart's new operation, switching over to Chevrolet as well.

The only teams that are left under for the Dodge brand in the Cup Series are Penske, who fields cars for Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., and rookie Brad Keselowski, plus James Finch, who has multiple drivers.

Just four cars bearing the Dodge emblem could mean that the end is near for them in NASCAR.

But how much longer can they last? They're committed through 2010, but will they be there in 2011? How about 2012?

They may have a Hemi, but it looks like their future is very meek. What a far cry from their days of dominance in NASCAR.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Kyle Busch: Will He, Won't He Become a Truck Series Owner

S M Napier — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:24:27 -0500

For just about the entire 2009 season, you've had the rumor being whispered about Kyle Busch bring Kyle Busch Motorsports coming to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010.

It goes without saying that many thought it would have happened this year, and it didn't happen.

Speed, Jayski.com, and various other media outlets have added their speculation to Kyle Busch being an owner in the Truck Series and feed us rumors all season.

Now I'm going to beat them to the punch by saying yes, we'll see KBM in the Truck Series in 2010, and what follows is why.

The most obvious reason is that he's left Billy Ballew Motorsports, and the Ford 200 was his finale for the team.

Why make this move if he's not starting his team?

Why would he take a season off without running in a Series he loves tailgating in?

With the season just concluded, scenedaily.com had a article were his agent, Jeff Dickerson, says it will happen, but don't jump to believe it because Kyle says he's still on the fence.

Busch's team KBM currently fields Late Model cars, and since 2007 he has been working on completing a new race shop that could house his potential Truck team.

So here's four reasons why we'll see Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series in 2010, and yes it's 100% speculation on my part.

1.) At Homestead Speed's Ray Dunlap during practice, he talked to Brian Scott, and it seems that it's basically a done deal with Busch buying Xpress entirely.

Busch basically is buying the entire assets of the team. If that's the case, why won't he just run out of the Xpress shop till his new place is done?

2.) Johnny Benson Jr. was rumored to be signed with Busch and even had Con-Way Freight as sponsor.

Nothing is mentioned about JB these days regarding the Truck Series, other than that he'll be a spotter for Tom Thomas in the Snowball Derby Late Model race.

You're a brand new team, so why won't you want a wily veteran driving a truck full-time for you, one that can be a mentor for the team.

3.) Busch is going to be driving a partial schedule again, just racing in companion races up to the Chase, and will need a part-time driver.

Who better than his good friend Brian Ickler. Makes sense you can put him in the Late Model car, with a combination of the truck events Busch misses and the NASCAR Camping World East Series.

Ickler's a great driver and just needs more seat-time, plus JB would make a great mentor for him.

4.) Of course someone will comment regarding engines and help. But he'll have help from Toyota's TRD and get his engines from Joe Gibbs Racing.

J.D. already said they'd give him a deal on engines, plus it would benefit JGR to have Busch oweing his own team and allow them to run some of their development drivers in a third truck.

So yes, I think we'll see Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series next season, and no doubt it'll be a success endeavor.

But the big question is who's going with him from Billy Ballew Motorsports?

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Ryan Truex Hopes To Follow In Joey Logano's Footsteps at Irwindale

Mary Jo Buchanan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:44:30 -0500

Ryan Truex, Camping World Series East Champion, hopes to follow in Joey Logano's footsteps with a win at the Toyota All-Star Showdown in Irwindale, California this January. Just like Logano, Truex hopes to follow up his championship with a win at the race dubbed the "Daytona 500 of short track racing."

"I'm really excited about the Showdown," Truex said. "You're racing against some of the best drivers in the country."

"All of those guys can drive and they have the records to prove it," Truex continued. "If you win the Showdown, you can say you've beaten the best of the best."

Truex is the first driver from the East Series to confirm that he will complete in the prestigious race. Other eligible drivers include those who won a race in either the Camping World East or West Series, as well as the champions from the six regional touring series and the Whelen All-American Series national champion.

The starting grid will be set by time trials, including limited provisions for Camping World Series regulars who can make the trip to Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. There is also a last-chance "Open" race to allow drivers one final opportunity to race their way into the show.

As one of NASCAR'S youngest champions, Truex, currently 17 years old, will visit the track for the first time. "I've never raced at Irwindale before," Truex said. "So that adds another level of excitement for me."

"Everyone talks about how great the track is," Truex continued. "I can't wait to get the NAPA Auto Parts Camry out there and see what we can do."

Truex is one of the developmental drivers for Michael Waltrip Racing. He is also the younger brother of Martin Truex, Jr., who will be joining MWR for the 2010 Cup season.

Waltrip has decided to go all out for his young champion at the Showdown. The team and NAPA are designing an entirely new paint scheme for the car, replacing the white No. 00 Toyota that Truex raced in the East Series with a blue, NAPA-themed scheme.

After competing in the Showdown, Truex will get back to business, defending his title in the Camping World Series East in 2010. As soon as he turns 18 years of age in March, MWR also plans to race Truex in select Nationwide Series races, specifically paired with his older brother Martin.

"We're going to have some fun with that," Martin Truex. Jr. said. "I'm excited to race with my brother. It will be fun racing and sharing things about our cars."

While all of this excitement will occur for Ryan Truex in the New Year, the young driver is still celebrating his accomplishments from this past season. Truex won three races and had eight top ten finishes.

Along with Joey Logano, Truex became just the second driver in the Camping World Series to win the championship, as well as Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, in the same season.

The 2010 Toyota All-Star Showdown will take place on January 29th to January 30th at the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California. In addition to the Showdown, the race weekend will also include a 100-lap Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model race, as well as a 75-lap Late Model race.

Both nights of racing will air live on SPEED.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Jimmie Johnson: The Most Dominating Athlete of the Decade

Ed Berliner — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:59:01 -0500

It remains the most intriguing, entertaining, argumentative, vexing, annoying, time consuming, time wasting, useless, and completely necessary debate.

Who is the greatest athlete?

All-time. Single season. Single game. Single play. I’m surprised the debate hasn’t been narrowed down to the certain juxtaposition of astrological signs in relation to the Earth's tidal forces and the latest gnashing of teeth from Cubs fans.

With the second decade of the 21st century about to debut, this leaves us with the first “long term” sports debate of the era.

Who is the single greatest and most dominating American athlete in the first decade of the 21st century?

An excellent argument can be made that this athlete fits the bill on a global scale as well.

There is not one single logical discourse to the contrary.

Jimmie Johnson.

Driver of the No. 48 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Winner of four consecutive season titles.

Hands-down. Not even close.

I will not waste a lot of invectives and adjectives here trying to once again convince the non-believers that racers are athletes. No matter how persuasive or logical the arguments are, I have found that there is little that can be done to remove a lifetime of athletic ignorance.

I won’t spend any time at all in noting the hours spent strapped into a bullet, at speeds greater than 200 MPH, taking forces of gravity up to six times the norm, and the incredible stress that places on the human body, both physically and mentally.

Or the physical conditioning it takes to undergo that punishment for up to five hours or more every weekend, not counting the mountain of practice hours spent under those same conditions.

No, I won’t debate that for many athletes, you make a mistake and there’s a shattered bone or two that will more than likely mend to some semblance of normalcy.

While meanwhile within a split second mistake on the track can shatter a life and leave friends and families unable to ever find that semblance of normalcy again.

Let’s focus instead on what Johnson has accomplished. In one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports in the world, he has captured the most coveted prize in his sport four times.

Four consecutive times.

And now dear readers, click here for the remainder of the article and the numbers proving Johnson's dominance, which will, of course, start one whale of a debate. Yes, I am wearing my helmet.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

NASCAR Sprint Cup 2009: A Look in the Rearview Mirror

Angie Campbell — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:33:15 -0500

Now that the 2009 season is over, NASCAR fans are left with a sense of emptiness as they eagerly anticipate 2010 season. But before we put this season to rest, let’s take a look back at the highlights, disappointments, and surprises of 2009.

The season ended with a bang as Jimmie Johnson made history by winning his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship. With a second place finish by Mark Martin, and with Jeff Gordon finishing third in points, HMS once again shone as the team to beat.

And although Mark Martin finished second for the fifth time in his career, his love of the sport and his humility makes him one of NASCAR’S most respected drivers.

Said Martin, “I’m very proud of what we accomplished and on top of all that, I had more fun than anybody.”

At the other end of the spectrum is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who endured the most frustrating season of his career. Although his disappointing year was the most talked about, he was certainly not alone.

Carl Edwards made the 2009 Chase but who would have thought he’d end the year with no wins? Richard Childress Racing had no drivers in the top twelve and clearly has a lot of work to do in the offseason to become more competitive.

One of the surprises of the year is Kyle Busch. He had four first place finishes, but a season riddled with inconsistency prevented him from making the Chase. He captured the Nationwide Series Championship but his Sprint Cup season was not the follow-up we expected to 2008.

Another surprise was the emergence of a focused, more mature Denny Hamlin. He finished off the Chase with two wins and six top 10 finishes, making him one to watch in 2010.

His confidence and determination may prove to be the catalyst he needs to take the next step.

“I promise you, the next couple of years, we’re going to win a Championship,” Hamlin confidently stated.

Hamlin also provided one side of the best rivalry this season, as he and Brad Keselowski butted heads and bumped fenders, much to the delight of the fans.

Keselowski moves to Penske Racing in 2010 to begin his first full time Sprint Cup ride. It will be entertaining to see how the veteran drivers react to his aggressive driving style.

Another one of the highlights of the year was the debut of 19-year old Joey Logano as he took over the No. 20 ride for Joe Gibbs Racing. Five years ago when Mark Martin announced his plans to cut back on his racing schedule, he spoke highly of Joey Logano, going as far as to say he’d hire him.

When it was announced that Logano had won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award, Martin grinned and said, “I told you so.”

Joey’s season got off to a rocky start but he ended the year with one win, three top five finishes, and seven top 10 finishes.

In a move that was questioned by many, Tony Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing and raced as a team owner for Stewart-Haas Racing this season. Stewart quickly silenced his critics, winning four races and finishing sixth in the points standings.

The end of 2009 also marked the end of a chapter in Michael Waltrip’s Sprint Cup career, as he will go to a part-time schedule next year. Mikey, as he’s affectionately called, is a fan favorite and his infectious humor will be sorely missed.

Many fans have complained that the 2009 Sprint Cup season lacked excitement, but looking back, it turned out to be a great one. Now that it’s over, all the fans want is more.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Is Winning a Nationwide Championship the Best Option?

Sal Sigala Jr. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:29:06 -0500

Dale Earnhardt Sr. won the first ever Busch Series race as it was called back in 1982 as a full-time cup driver; and since then many of the cup drivers have used the series to either get more valuable seat time, or to use as an extra practice session while familiarizing them with a track that maybe they were having problems with.

Bushwhacking, as it is known, has come under stream of controversy in today’s racing world, because many of the fans feel that it’s taking away from the up and coming drivers who use this series as stepping stone to advance to the cup level.

Each season we are witnessing more and more cup drivers who are not only using the series to gain more experience, but also adding the series on their schedules in hopes of winning the championship.

Kevin Harvick became the first full-time cup driver to win the championship back in 2006, followed by Carl Edwards in 2007, Clint Bowyer in 2008, and the most recent being Kyle Busch in 2009 becoming the series 21st champion.

Busch was also one of the drivers whose goal this past season was to race in the Nationwide series as it is known today, in hopes of winning the championship which he did. Busch also joined Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Brian Vickers, and Martin Truex Jr. as the only full time cup drivers to win a championship and not make the chase with Carl Edwards being the only driver to do so.

Now looking back at all the past Nationwide champions who have had their moment of glory, was there a price to pay for being able to say that you were the best for that one season?

And just how beneficial has the series been for the cup drivers who choose to put that extra piece of hardware in their trophy cases at home, and what cost did it come to them?

Well in the world we live in there is a thing called the law of averages, and for those who believe in this theory it can funnel into areas of our lives if we allow it to.

There are both good and bad sides to this theory, and from the looks of things the bad side has entered into a few aspects of the NASCAR series.

Now looking back at the past 21 Nationwide champions, only one driver has been able to find the good side of this theory, and capitalize on his good fortunes when he hoisted that nice bright shiny trophy above his head for all the NASCAR world to see.

In the 27 year history of the Busch/Nationwide series, Bobby Labonte has been the only driver that has won a championship in Nationwide series (1991), and the Sprint cup series (2000).

Not even two time winners Jack Ingram, Sam Ard, Larry Pearson, Randy LaJoie, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, or Martin Truex Jr. could accomplish what Labonte was able to.

Carl Edwards, who is a past Nationwide champion, almost joined Labonte in 2008 when he finished second to Jimmie Johnson for the Sprint Cup Championship, and Harvick has only won one Sprint cup race since his championship back in 2006.

Winning a Nationwide, or any championship in a lower tier series for that matter, is supposed to be a stepping stone for much greater success with the accolade being the proof that you have what it takes to move up to the next level.

But instead becoming a Nationwide champion has taken on a life of its own, while likening it to a driver signing his own death certificate from becoming a Sprint Cup champion.

The law of averages, for some unseen reason, does not want to play fair when it comes to allowing a driver the chance to embrace two of NASCAR’s most coveted trophies.

Who will be the next driver that will dance with the law of average's, and gamble with their own destiny?

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

The All-Motorsport Power Rankings: Week 45

James Broomhead — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:11:22 -0500

Have you recovered from the shock yet? 'The shock of what?' I hear you ask. The shock of Jimmie Johnson winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup title, I mean no one was expecting that were they? If you despise NASCAR you can read the same comment into the long expected announcement of Nico Rosberg as the first driver at the new Mercedes/Brawn team this week. Elsewhere in things you weren't expecting it was the Macau Grand Prix weekend, or several drivers charging around streets that would not normall be suitable for long vehicles, let alone racing cars (see picture for graphic representation of why), with the decision of another World Champion. The Power Rankings have been a visiting feature on Midweek Motorsport on Radio Le Mans Wednesday at 8pm UK time, 3pm Eastern, 12pm Pacific and on Itunes shortly thereafter.

Begin Slideshow

Dear National Anthem Singers: Get It Right or Get Off the Stage

Kelly Crandall — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:52:41 -0500

Oh, say, can you see,

To those that love NASCAR, there are two important parts to any weekend.

The first is the actual race that everyone has tuned in to see or paid money to attend. The racing is the reason they love and watching NASCAR.

By the dawn’s early light,

But the second most important part of the weekend comes just before the engines fire: the National Anthem.

Before any sporting event, the fans know they will rise to their feet, remove their hats, and salute their country before enjoying their favorite game.

What so proudly we hailed,

Sports fans love America as much as they love their favorite pastime.

The two go hand in hand.

At the twilight’s last gleaming,

Over the years there have been some great renditions of the National Anthem, and of course, there have been some awful ones.

Good being Whitney Houston, LeAnn Rimes, and Mariah Carey.

Whose broad strips and bright stars,

Bad being Hillary Clinton, Christina Aguilera, and Roseanne Barr. Actually, Barr can qualify as downright hideous.

After Jesse McCartney forgot an entire verse of the National Anthem before the Pepsi 500 at California, fans and media alike couldn’t believe it.

Through the perilous fight,

Neither could McCartney.

McCartney wrote on his Twitter page, “Here at the NASCAR race! So much fun! Can’t believe I forgot the words to the Anthem! I’ve performed it 100 times. Bad nerves today I guess.”

O’er the ramparts we watched,

But for viewers, they weren’t guessing when expressing how they weren’t pleased with how McCartney and others have “ruined,” “butchered,” and “disgraced” the National Anthem.

They’ll fight for their drivers as hard as they’ll fight for their country and for a proper National Anthem.

Were so gallantly streaming,

Personal websites and blogs light up after the National Anthem is sung each weekend about whether they approved or not and what other thoughts they have.

Lately it hasn’t been of approval. NASCAR fans are not messing around when it comes to the National Anthem. You better do it right, or they’ll tell you just how wrong you are.

And the rockets' red glare,

But don’t think that it’s just the National Anthem that you need to worry about.

Fans and media are very observant, and they’ll spot someone that stands out in a crowd for all the wrong reasons.

The bombs bursting in air,

Mostly from what the TV camera caught while showing drivers, crews, and fans or from standing and observing those around them.

It’s not uncommon to see some wives—perfect example being DeLana Harvick—wearing their hats during the National Anthem. Some fans do so as well, and it is not a popular move to others.

Gave proof through the night,

The only people that should be wearing a hat during the singing of the National Anthem are military members.

However, that seems minor compared to the outrage and thoughts on what the National Anthem is all about.

That our flag was still there,

Being in the grandstands during the National Anthem is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Time stands still; thousands of people stand as one and in silence, in what can only be known as a moving experience. The only thing on everyone’s mind is a bigger picture than a shining trophy and checkered flag.

Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,

Many celebrities and public figures have been invited to sing the National Anthem before a NASCAR race, many saying they are big NASCAR fans, but when they get up to sing one of the hardest songs in the country, they can’t pull it off.

At least not to most people’s liking.

O’er the land of the free,

The easiest thing for anyone that is going to be invited to sing the National Anthem at a NASCAR or any sporting event is to remember an important piece of advice: Keep it simple.

As one fan said, a fan that has a bald Eagle and an American Flag wrap that runs down the side of his Ford pickup truck, “Sing it the way it was intended. Keep it simple. I don’t need all these people adding bulls&*%t to it.”

When Francis Scott Key sat down and wrote the song back in 1814, he didn’t have background music. He didn’t have any added spice in mind. He was more concerned with the words he was writing and how important they were.

No one seems to remember that.

No performer remembers that they aren’t supposed to turn it into a country, rap, or hip-hop performance; they aren’t putting on a concert.

They need to remember the strength of the words they are saying, the importance and the meaning of those words, and let that be their performance.

To have the honor to perform a song that is the song for their country is far more important than who they are.

Most importantly, they need to remember, it’s not about them. It’s about the United States of America; it’s about Freedom, and honoring the men and woman who have given them that freedom.

If they can’t remember that, then from now on the only people that should be performing the National Anthem are the ones that it was written for—the military—because they’re the only ones that do it right.

And the home of the brave.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Four-Time Champ Jimmie Johnson Is in a New York State of Mind

Mary Jo Buchanan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:39:14 -0500

Although NASCAR's championship banquet is no longer in New York City, the four-time champion of the Sprint Cup Series finds himself smack dab in the middle of the city that never sleeps this week.

Johnson is making the rounds, participating in talk shows and other media experiences to talk about his place in history with four consecutive championships in NASCAR.

Johnson started off his post-championship visit to the tri-state region with a visit to the ESPN studios in Bristol, CT. Looking slightly weary from his celebration the night before, Johnson also was a guest on the Mike and Mike in the Morning radio show on ESPN2 and ESPN Radio.

Johnson then found his way to Jersey, visiting with one of the City's biggest sports icons, Yogi Berra. A 10-time Yankee champion, Berra showed Johnson around his museum in Little Falls, NJ.

On his visit, Johnson presented the Yankee legend with a diecast of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet. In exchange, Berra shared story after story in his own inimitable style with the new NASCAR champion.

Johnson will be participating in many of the news shows in the City this morning. But the highlight of his visit will most certainly be flipping the switch to light the Empire State Building to show the colors blue, white and yellow in celebration of "Jimmie Johnson Day" in New York City.

Johnson will be introduced by baseball great Johnny Damon. Damon is a two-time Major League Baseball World Series champion.

In addition to his visit to the "Big Apple", Johnson is also reveling in his place in history. He now joins the company of others with multiple champions in sports, including Yogi Berra, Tiger Woods, Bill Russell, Carl Lewis, and Lance Armstrong.

The next stop for Johnson and his No. 48 Lowes race team will be in Las Vegas for the Championship banquet. Events will begin on Dec. 2 and lead up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Award Ceremony on Dec. 4, where Johnson will be officially crowned champion.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Jimmie Johnson Is Not a Great Driver...Just Sayin'

David Yeazell — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:16:08 -0500

Every form of media has saturated the market for weeks now speculating Jimmie Johnson’s fourth title. His history making championship was all but secured when the checkered flag flew at Richmond International Raceway; it just took 10 weeks to make it official.

Now the media pundits have turned their focus and keyboards to a different hype, one that includes monikers like great and greatest.

While NASCAR is still an ongoing sport, it is impossible to establish who is, or was, the greatest driver.

Johnson is being compared to Earnhardt, Petty and Yarborough. These comparisons, while having some merit, are by far inconclusive and lack foundation.

Earnhardt and Petty’s seven championships are the most in NASCAR history at this time. But each driver accomplished these feats under very different, and albeit difficult circumstances.

Each championship was secured by running a full 36 race season under the direction of multiple crew chiefs and with different types of race cars.

Earnhardt’s championships were won with three different crew chiefs, two different owners and three different Chevrolet body designs (Impala, Monte Carlo and Lumina). Cale Yarborough won back to back titles, changed crew chiefs, and won his third in row.

Johnson has won four consecutive championships by winning the best of 10 races four times. All four championships have been with the same crew chief, same car make, and, by being able to run a mediocre season of 26 races, only needing to remain inside the top 12 in points.

Once the best of ten starts, better known as the Chase, the sandbagging stops, Chad Knaus flips his magical switch that NASCAR cannot find, and Johnson drives away from the competition.

It wasn’t that long ago Jeff Gordon was touted as being the greatest driver. After securing his third championship with Ray Evernham, Gordon was also being compared to Petty, Yarborough and Earnhardt.

Since Evernham’s departure in 1999, Gordon has added just one championship trophy to his resume, and has spent the past eight years driving for five.

Johnson’s accomplishments might be the measuring stick, benchmark, or standard for this generation of racers, but even then, great or greatest should be reserved for those drivers who, unlike Johnson, have accomplishments in more than one racing discipline.

Jeff Gordon has championships in USAC, Sprint Cup, and Rookie of the Year honors in Nationwide and Sprint Cup. Tony Stewart has championships in IRL, Sprint Cup, and USAC. He was also Rookie of the Year in all three. Greg Biffle has championships and Rookie of the Year honors in Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series.

Jimmie Johnson is in fact re-writing the history books. While it is certain to be omitted, prudence demands that Chad Knaus’ history of fines and penalties be included in these re-writes.

Titles and descriptions using the words great and greatest should be reserved for multi-talented, multi-dimensional drivers, not a driver who, is at best, a single-dimensional achiever.

Photo Credit: David Yeazell

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

BAM Racing Closes in on Return to the Track

Christopher Leone — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:40:29 -0500

This weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, BAM Racing and owner Beth Ann Morgenthau formally announced their return to the Sprint Cup Series for the 2010 season with the No. 49 Warner Music Nashville Toyota.

The partnership will feature a revolving roster of Warner artists on both the hood and side panels of the car, with Larry the Cable Guy the first to be featured. He will appear on the car for Daytona Speedweeks as the team attempts to race their way into the Daytona 500.

BAM Racing has not fielded a car since 2008 at the spring Martinsville race, their first under the Toyota banner after switching from Dodge. Microsoft Small Business was the sponsor, and while the partnership was supposed to last longer than one race, funding fizzled.

The team announced a brief hiatus with intentions of regrouping in the fall, but had no such luck. Crew chief David Hyder and other key employees were lent to the Wood Brothers, where they remained through 2009, as BAM did not attempt to run any races. Hyder will return to the No. 49 team this season.

The driver has not yet been formally announced, but the keywords on BAM Racing's homepage contain the name Mike Bliss, suggesting that he'll get the call. Bliss finished fifth in the Nationwide Series standings this year, bouncing between half a dozen teams after getting the pink slip from Phoenix Racing, despite winning the spring Lowe's race with them. He spent most of the end of the year with CJM Racing, with whom he never finished worse than 10th.

Bliss also ran 13 Cup races this year, 11 with Phoenix and two with TRG Motorsports, with a best finish of 24th in the fall Lowe's race. He had 11 DNFs, mostly due to starting and parking.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Mark Martin: A Piece of NASCAR History Missed

Roberta Cowan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:03:44 -0500

This weekend in Homestead, history was made.

Jimmie Johnson won his fourth championship in a row. Hendrick Motorsports accomplished the first one-two-three points finish in the history of the sport. But the piece of history that was missed was that either way the championship went, history was going to be made.

While the press handed out the nickname of Superman to Jimmie Johnson, perhaps it would have been better placed with his teammate and challenger Mark Martin.

Martin is the oldest driver to ever contend for the championship. He came out of semi-retirement to do that after two years. He finished second for the fifth time in his career. He did so with five wins, 14 top-fives, 21 top-10s and seven poles. He accomplished this at the age of 51.

Martin finished with all the style and grace of a champion but without the trophy to show for it. He gave credit where it was due and, at the same time, he took the credit he was due.

"My equipment is just as good," he said. "But I am not as good as Jimmie Johnson."

"For me, to even have a chance is pretty incredible. It just speaks volumes about this team and my first opportunity to work with (crew chief) Alan Gustafson. I feel really blessed to have had a chance.

"There's no frustration, man. There's none. I'm very proud of what we accomplished, and on top of all that, I had more fun than anybody. So how could you … what else can you say, man? I had a blast.

"It's been an honour and a privilege, and I didn't leave nothing (out on the track). I never left anything anywhere. We got beat, and we got beat under any scenario that might have happened. I didn't leave anything out there."

Martin has finished second in the Cup standings five times to a handful of the sport's greatest drivers: Dale Earnhardt (1990 and 1994), Jeff Gordon (1998), Tony Stewart (2002) and now Johnson.

While the obvious was on everyone's lips, Martin did what he had to do. He ran his race. He did it with the same determination and respect for others on the track that he has always had. You will not hear other competitors threaten retaliation on Mark Martin. Why? Because he doesn't drive that way. He races clean and respectful. He brings the car home in one piece and is always prepared to be the teacher or advisor to young and experienced drivers.

He gives true credence to the adage that "A Champion is as a Champion does in all things. The way he walks, the way he talks, the way he deals with those who can not advance his cause."

Mark Martin has raced his entire career like that. Quietly and respectfully.

He may not be the flashiest of drivers. He may not be the most reported on or talked about. But Mark Martin defines what it means to be an old-school champion.

When it comes time to race, he races hard and to the full extent of his ability and his equipment. When it comes time to talk about it, he does so with dignity and offers his competitors the same. Rarely do you hear him point fingers. Rarely do you hear disappointment or anger in his words. Martin conducts himself with class and grace regardless of what he may be thinking or feeling. He sets the example that many younger drivers would be wise to embrace and the standards many of them would be even wiser to strive to meet.

The obvious story this week was the fourth consecutive championship run of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus and the obvious dominance of Hendrick Motorsports. But perhaps the best story was harder to define and write.

It was the story of a champion that did not bring home the prize at the end of the rainbow but instead understood that it is the journey that holds the worth of the multi-colored bow. Mark Martin gave illustration to the truth that a true champion is just as gracious and strong in defeat as he is in victory. A picture that our world needs to see in this day and age.

Mark Martin finished second in the points. He finished 14th in the race. But Mark Martin again set the standards that our sport should be proud to be judged by. He walked the walk like a man. He raced the race like a racer. He didn't stroke. He didn't ride. He raced as hard as the car would allow him to him race and when it was over he came up short in the points. But Mark Martin did not fall short on being a champion. He proved himself that and a whole lot more. His influence and teachings in the sport will long live after him. He is a true champion.

This writer is grateful to have the opportunity to watch Martin work his magic with a car, with a team and with young and struggling proteges. Thank you, Mark, for keeping the faith in a system that is sometimes flawed and sometimes undeserving. Most of all, thank you for keeping old-school racing alive.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Year in Review: The 2009 NASCAR Season from Inside the Drivers Helmets

Kelly Crandall — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:13:34 -0500

After the conclusion of the 2008 Sprint Cup season I wrote an article that consisted of 36 quotes, one from each race from last year that was memorable.

It was a year in review straight from the drivers themselves.

Things that had been said that stuck out for whatever reason and that someone might look back on for that race and remember the season. This year I’ve done the same thing for every race we watched, talked or argued about, and may have forgotten about.

Now it’s time relive them and see what stands out from the 2009 NASCAR season.

Daytona 500: “It’s going to be really wet out here because I’m crying like a baby.” Matt Kenseth

After going winless for the first time in his career in 2008, Kenseth and his No. 17 team started the 2009 season by winning the biggest race of them all: The Daytona 500 after it was called short because of rain.

California: “They should fire me. You just can’t make mistakes like that.” Greg Biffle

Biffle thought he and his team had a shot at the victory heading into their final pit stop. When he came down pit road he ran over his air house and had to back up, losing value time and allowing the leaders to leave him in the dust.

He was never able to hunt them down and finished fourth.

Las Vegas: “Say goodnight Gracie.” Jeff Dickerson

The spotter for Kyle Busch guided the driver of the M&M’s Toyota to a victory at his home track and as he did so made that comment over the radio as Busch passed Clint Bowyer for the lead late in the race.

Atlanta: “Good things come to those who wait.” Kurt Busch

Big brother Kurt backed his brother’s win up by dominating the Kobalt Tools 500 for his first win of the year. Busch had a miserable year in 2008, only being able to win a rain-shortened race in New Hampshire, and finished 18th in points. This year started much better for the Miller Lite team who showed they could contend again.

Bristol: “Look at that, Earnhardt’s the Lucky Dog. Ha, ha, ha!” Kyle Busch

Since the two joined new teams, Busch blames Earnhardt Jr. for his release from Hendrick Motorsports, and since then the two have traded not only paint, but also words.

As Busch dominated Bristol, Earnhardt Jr. struggled and the young driver seemed to enjoy that over his team radio.

Martinsville: “If the roles were reversed, I’d do the same thing --- and believe me, I will if it ever comes back around.” Denny Hamlin

Hamlin was leading late in the race at Martinsville over Jimmie Johnson, but Johnson had a trick up his sleeve. Heading into turn three Johnson drove in hard and knocked Hamlin up the track as he went passed.

Johnson went on to win, as Hamlin had to settle for second at his home track.

Texas: “You got me a win in Texas --- I love you!” Jeff Gordon

Four-time champion Jeff Gordon was another driver that experienced his first winless season in the Sprint Cup Series last year. Going into Texas no one expected him to pull off a victory at a track that he’s never won at and has struggled on so much in the past.

But he did so and thanked his team accordingly who had gotten him off pit road first on their final stop.

Phoenix: “Tony [Stewart] would race me clean, but he would race me crazy, too, to get a win.” Mark Martin

For the first time in nearly four years Martin returned to victory lane on a Saturday night in Phoenix after dueling with Stewart. Martin beat him for his first win with Hendrick Motorsports as Stewart was trying to win for the first time with his own team of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Talladega: “They put us in this box, and we’ll race like this until we kill somebody, and then they’ll change it.” Carl Edwards

After being just yards from winning at the Superspeedway, Edwards found himself upside down and in the fence off the front bumper of Brad Keselowski, who went on to win. Edwards wasn’t happy with NASCAR’s rules or restrictor plate racing since the contact from Keselowski came as a result of not being able to pass below the yellow line.

Richmond: “It’s great to be able to do this on my birthday week, it means a lot.” Kyle Busch

On the night that Busch turned 24 years old, he was able to celebrate in victory lane after winning the Crown Royal 400, sweeping the weekend. He was also in victory lane the night before after winning the Nationwide Series race.

Darlington: “He’s superman … I thought he was trying to snooker me, lollygag back there and all of a sudden mash the gas, and I’d be off-guard.” Mark Martin

After celebrating in Phoenix, Martin decided he wanted to feel victory again and took the checkered flag in Darlington over teammate Jimmie Johnson.

Lowe’s: “It’s fun, but I felt like I was down on pit road for a month [waiting for NASCAR to call the race].” David Reutimann

For the second time in 2009, one of the biggest races of the year was called for rain and this time the benefactor was David Reutimann that stayed on the track and inherited the lead and the win after the leaders all pitted.

Dover: “He’s always had a chip on his shoulder for me so I expect any time he gets an opportunity to throw a jab in there he’s going to do it. That’s just his personality.” Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Round 819,8764...of the Dale Earnhardt Jr./Kyle Busch rivalry took place the Friday before Dover when Busch made comments about Earnhardt Jr. receiving a new crew chief. Earnhardt Jr. responded to those comments in his press conference.

Pocono: “He’s doing a damn burnout!” Steve LeTarte

When Tony Stewart took his first checkered flag as an owner/driver no one could believe that he made it around the triangle with enough fuel. Including Jeff Gordon’s crew chief that was shocked that not only did Stewart win, he was able to celebrate as well.

Michigan: “Old man, you snookered us again.” Jeff Gordon

When Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson raced each other too hard in Michigan and ran out of fuel, it was Mark Martin that snuck by and won the race. Teammate Jeff Gordon congratulated the senior driver in victory lane.

Infineon: “Awesome --- not bad for a dirty tracker from Washington!” Kenny Francis

Kasey Kahne captured his first road course win at Infineon in late June and even more impressive was that Kahne held off road course king Tony Stewart on four late restarts.

His crew chief approved of his driver’s efforts.

New Hampshire: “That’s the second week in a row that stupidity has cost us a race … I guess everybody just learns to expect Kyle to do something stupid. Stupid is forever.” Brian Vickers

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun the tires on a restart, Kyle Busch made it three wide going into turn one. The result was a big wreck that left many drivers angry with the driver of the M&M’s Camry, including Brian Vickers.

Daytona: “If the second-place driver bumps the leader, then black flag his ass. He doesn’t get the win.” Kyle Busch

A week later it was Busch that was mad after being wrecked by Tony Stewart. Busch was leading coming off turn four to the checkered flag when he swung up to block Stewart, the two made contact, sending Busch on a wild ride.

Chicagoland: “I’m starting to lose faith in his ability to be a three-time champion on the track.” Kurt Busch

At the Infineon race Busch was riding in fourth with just a handful of laps remaining before Jimmie Johnson sent him spinning off course. Then at New Hampshire the two rubbed fenders again. Finally after Johnson “body-slammed” Busch at Chicagoland, he let everyone know that he wasn’t impressed with the champion’s actions.

Indianapolis: “I swear on my children and my wife, I was not speeding.” Juan Pablo Montoya

Fierce Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was fired up when he was caught speeding on pit road late in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Montoya dominated the day but pushed just a little too hard on his final pit stop that cost him the win.

Pocono: “I’m not happy. I’m aggravated, I’m mad as heck.” David Reutimann

The Michael Waltrip Racing driver would have had a good shot at making the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup had Denny Hamlin not wrecked him at Pocono. Hamlin was charging through the field and instead of using patience, went charging through Reutimann.

The wreck dropped the No. 00 through the points standings and he was never able to recover or make the Chase.

Watkins Glen: “This is my house right here.” Tony Stewart

After finishing second at Infineon Stewart went out and dominated at Watkins Glen, where he’s always run better of the two road courses. He also sent a message to the rest of the field when it comes to racing at The Glen.

Michigan: “He’s out of rope. I’m just done.” Brian Vickers

During a Nationwide race Vickers and Kyle Busch were racing for the lead when Brad Keselowski shot by for the win. Busch said that Vickers shouldn’t have raced him like he did and that it gave the win away.

Vickers shot back that he didn’t know he was supposed to move over for Busch. Then he said, as far as Kyle Busch is concerned, he’s done with him.

Bristol: “He’ll never be far enough away that I can’t find him and bring him back.” Rick Hendrick

Word began to spread when the Nationwide and Sprint Cup teams arrived at Bristol that Brad Keselowski, currently driving for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series, had signed a deal to drive for Penske Racing in the Cup Series next year.

Keselowski was presumed to be the heir to the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 car that is occupied by Mark Martin, but Martin is returning next year and Keselowski wanted a cup ride and got one. But Rick Hendrick doesn’t seem too concerned about that.

Atlanta: “Even though I am not going to miss work, my Aflac policy has me covered.” Carl Edwards

Edwards arrived in Atlanta with a broken foot the result of playing Frisbee with his friends. Fans, foes and media alike had fun with the situation all weekend and even Edwards was able to get his sponsor a plug while talking about his injury.

Richmond: “Typical here at Richmond.” Kevin Harvick

Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick were racing side-by-side for the lead when they made contact. Harvick was able to save his car that got sideways while Hamlin had to pit to repair fender damage.

Neither one would win the race.

New Hampshire: “My car is tore up and he ain’t got enough talent to run in the top five, I guess … I mean, we’re all running real hard but you’ve got to know how much race car you’ve got and you’ve got to know how much talent you’ve got before you go down in the corner. He never knows. It’s disappointing.” Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It wasn’t Kyle Busch that Earnhardt Jr. was none to pleased with at NH, but rather David Reutimann. Reutimann sent Earnhardt Jr. into the wall late in the race on a day that Earnhardt Jr. was having one of his best runs of the season. He was running fourth at the time, but was left with a destroyed car.

Dover: “It ends up being terrible, I think its just crap.” Denny Hamlin

Hamlin arrived in Dover frustrated just to be racing at the Monster Mile, a place he’s not good at, and then unleashed his anger at Goodyear for what he believed the tire of choice was for the race.

Kansas: "It just seems weird that two cars from Hendrick Motorsports were questionable. If it had been me, I would have been suspended for six weeks." Anonymous Crew Chief

Upon winning at Dover Jimmie Johnson and second place Mark Martin’s cars were brought back to NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in North Carolina for further inspection.

NASCAR told the teams they were “too close” to the tolerance level that was allowed but no penalties were handed out. Upon hearing the news one crew chief questioned that decision, considering that Martin and Johnson were first and second in points at the time.

California : “NASCAR threw a debris caution for no debris. We had a bad race to get a caution to put on a show for the fans.” Kasey Kahne

Many have questioned the cautions that break out during what can be said as a boring race. Those cautions even became known as “phantom debris cautions” to tighten up the field. But when that happened at California and Kahne was involved in a wreck from the ensuing restart, he wasn’t very happy.

Lowe’s : “I got wrecked by a washed-up Sprint Cup driver, I guess.” Steve Wallace

During the Nationwide race Wallace was running solidly in the top 10 before being spun by David Gilliland after Gilliland made it four wide going into turn one.

Martinsville : “We’d have a Chase if everyone would stop pulling over for the 48, like it’s the cops behind them.” Jeff Dickerson

High above the paper clip Dickerson told driver Kyle Busch what he saw after Busch said he couldn’t believe that Johnson was moving forward through the field so quickly.

Talladega : "I'm just disappointed. I told Billy before the race started that I wanted it to be a 1-2 finish, but I wanted to be '1' some kind of bad." Aric Almirola

Billy Ballew Motorsports finished first and second in the Truck race with Kyle Busch picking up the win and teammate Almirola pushing him there. But Almirola has never won a Truck race and was disappointed he couldn’t be the one that scored the win.

Texas : “Brad [Keselowski] is the worst driver at restarts that I’ve ever seen. “ Tony Eury Sr.

Saturday’s Nationwide race wasn’t a particularly good one for the driver of the No.88 Chevrolet as every restart he would spin the tires and stack the field up. When interviewed on ESPN his crew chief let everyone know what he thought about that.

Phoenix : “He’s a no talent son of a son-of-a-[expletive].” Tony Stewart

Stewart was none too happy about being caught up in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s accident when he spun on lap 169 in turn four.

Homestead-Miami : “You find that f*&#$ing 42 spotter and ask him for some respect!” Jimmie Johnson

As Johnson tried to sow up his fourth consecutive championship on a Sunday night in Homestead to make NASCAR history, he was none to happy with how drivers were racing him. During the race he expressed frustration with Clint Bowyer, Sam Hornish Jr., teammate/owner Jeff Gordon, and then Juan Pablo Montoya.

And there you have it, the 2009 NASCAR season from how the drivers viewed it from behind he wheel. What will you remember about this season?

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Parks Race Reactions: Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Dustin Parks — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:48:33 -0500

And so it ends. At approximately 6:30 last night, the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season came to a close. It started in mid-February with a rain-shortened Daytona 500 and came to an end under balmy overcast skies in Miami.

It was an unbelievable race to end the season. So much jockeying for position and such incredible action all around the track. Certainly was a fun race to conclude the season.

Now, in this edition of "Parks Race Reactions," I'll look back at the drivers who had a big day in the final race plus a view of an incredible feat in the sport's history.

Let's start out by looking at the race. What an awesome run by Denny Hamlin. He certainly was the hard-luck driver of the Chase. He had three DNF's in the Chase, which really put him at the back of the standings. But, in the races he didn't have trouble, he ran extremely well.

Sunday night, he put his FedEx Camry in victory lane, ending the year on a very high note. It was his fourth win of the season, the most in his career. Afterwards, Hamlin made a bold prediction as he stood in victory lane.

"I promise you, in the next couple years, we're going to win the championship," Hamlin proclaimed.

It's uncertain if that will happen, but the team is capable of getting in done. We will not know until the 2010 season begins.

Also, how about the RCR organization ending the season on a high note. Three of their cars ran up front all night long, with two of them finishing in the top five.

Runner-up Jeff Burton nearly pulled off a victory but he was unable to run down Hamlin in the late going. Kevin Harvick finished behind his teammate, and ran extremely well all afternoon and evening.

If this is any indication that this organization has rebounded, then 2010 looks to be a very good season for Richard Childress Racing.

Now, on to the points standings. Before I get to the champion himself, the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization made history Sunday night. His teams finished an improbable trifecta of finishing one-two-three in the standings. It is hard enough to get one team to finish in the top five of the points, let alone three, so big congrats to Rick Hendrick.

Unfortunately, the boss himself was not at the track to celebrate. Hendrick got news that his niece, Ashley Gainey, needed an emergency liver transplant, so he left the morning of the race.

So, the celebration was a bit somber, but it was nonetheless an incredible accomplishment.

It's also been an incredible accomplishment for runner-up Mark Martin. It was uncertain how Martin would do in his first full season since 2006, especially in a high profile ride like the No. 5 car.

However, not only did he run well, he nearly took the championship in his first season. His run over the year has been nothing short of amazing. His win at Phoenix showed that even at his age, he can get the job done.

He proved that wasn't a fluke weeks later in winning the Southern 500. Then came his win at Michigan, and then domination at Chicago. Those wins put him in the points lead heading into the Chase, and he started the final 10 races by winning at New Hampshire.

The entire season he was saying that all he's doing is having fun. You could tell that when he gets out of the car with a huge smile on his face.

After the race, Martin reflected on the opportunity that Hendrick gave him.

"To come in my first year and compete for a championship, it speaks volumes for this team. I feel really really blessed to have a chance," Martin said.

At the same time, he admitted it was an emotional ride for him because of all the support he's received.

"The fans and the competitors really made it emotional for me," Martin said.

It certainly was an emotional season for Martin and the entire No. 5 team, but this is an indication of what the 2010 season will bring. Martin will again battle for the championship, and everyone in the garage will be looking for another strong run by Martin.

But, what can you say that about the No. 48 Lowe's team, Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson. This team has done something that no one has come close to accomplishing in NASCAR.

In the eight years that this team has been on the track, they have four championships, a runner-up and have finished no lower than fifth. That is unheard of in this sport.

Johnson has opened up his own wing in the sport's history. Four consecutive championships are something that no one would have ever thought would happen.

"I never thought in my career, in my lifetime, I'd see someone win four in a row," Johnson's teammate Jeff Gordon said. "To see it happening right in front of your eyes makes it even more extraordinary."

Runner-up in the race, Jeff Burton, agreed, saying "If you would've told me four years ago that someone would win four championships in a row, I would've told you you were crazy."

Crazy or not, it happened. Johnson has put himself beyond the elite group of champions. He is in his own realm of history, one that will never again be matched.

Even Johnson himself could not believe what he and his team had done.

"The truth is, to do something that's never been done in this sport--to love this sport like I do, and respect it like I do--and the greats: Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon...to do something that they've never done is so awesome," Johnson said to ESPN's Alan Bestwick.

"To win four championships in eight years, what this team has done...I don't know where to start. It's unbelievable."

Believe it, it is a reality, Johnson is the driver to beat. The only question is how far he can go. Can he win five straight? Six straight? Seven? Eight?

It's unclear how many, but until teams figure out how to beat them in the Chase, get used to seeing Johnson win more titles. He is the champ, and he truly is "Superman."

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

*Jimmie Johnson Becomes Four-Time NASCAR Champion: The Symbol of Excellence?

Sal Sigala Jr. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:06:09 -0500

The 2009 season has just ended as most fans thought it would: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's sponsored Chevrolet, making history by winning his fourth championship in a row.

Never in the history of the sport has a driver been so unwelcome and scrutinized for winning a championship while, at the same time, putting his name in the NASCAR history books.

Johnson, who put his name next to a 30-year-old record just last season by winning his third championship in a row, was able to rewrite that same record on Sunday when he finished fifth to capture the 2009 Sprint Cup Championship, making it four in a row and making him the sole owner of the record.

But this season, as well as the chase, was different than in years past, and it was easy to realize by all the negative comments the team was receiving from fans on various NASCAR social sites.

Johnson was able to bring the NASCAR boards to a standstill with all the talk surrounding how he single-handedly made the Chase one the most uninteresting events the sport has ever witnessed.

The accomplishment will probably never be duplicated, but that didn’t matter to the thousands of fans who expressed their disgust with NASCAR for allowing the team to push the limits of the rulebook.

When NASCAR confiscated Johnson’s car after winning at Dover, along with his teammate Mark Martin’s who finished second, officials found the vehicles to be pushing the limits and warned the teams about being to close to the allowable tolerances.

The news sent a wave of uncertainty with many saying that somehow Chad Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief, had found a way to manipulate the rulebook just as he had done in previous seasons.

In their own defense, NASCAR once again confiscated the same two cars following the race at Kansas a week later, hoping to put to rest the accusations that took place just a week earlier.

In other sports where performance-enhancing drugs are always the culprits, NASCAR has to deal with the manipulation of one of the thousands of parts that go into building these high-speed athletes on wheels.

An athlete doesn’t become Superman overnight when they begin to take these supplements, but there is a process that takes place in order for them to become fully affective.

Weightlifting, along with a stringent conditioning regime is the only way to get the drugs' full effect.

There are also ways that these supplements can be masked, just like there are ways of masking one of the many thousands of parts it takes to build a Cup car.

If you have ever watched a Cup car go through tech, there is no way they can check every part and there is a really good possibility that something can be missed.

As much time as Knaus spends around the car, there is a really good possibility that he has found something that could be within, or outside, the rules to help enhance the car's performance and, with time, has found a way to use it to his own advantage.

Either way, Johnson still needs to perform and his accomplishments have been proof that he has the driving skills to win championships. There are no guarantees, even if an enhancer is used, that luck or driver error couldn't easily ruin a good day at the track.

So until NASCAR can prove that Johnson’s cars were illegally altered (and it's too late now because the season is over), there will be those who choose to put an asterisk next to his four championships, and the record as well.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Creature vs. Creature Writers Pool: Results And Champion After Ford 400

Kelly Crandall — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:32:02 -0500

The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is in the record books, and history has been made.

Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet team for Hendrick Motorsports have won their fourth consecutive championship over teammate Mark Martin. Johnson finished fifth at Homestead-Miami on Sunday night to wrap up the title.

Our Creature championship has come to an end as well after its first season. Heading into 2010 with some new faces, as well as returning players, the season champion will be a marked man.

After creating the game, Ben Bomberger has won the 2009 Creature title and bragging rights heading into next year's game.

After starting off the season a little slowly, Bomberger kicked it up during the summer months. First he took the point lead and then he went to victory lane for the first time thanks to Tony Stewart in the July Daytona event.

After that, he never looked back.

Win No. 2 came from Kyle Busch at Bristol in August and a month later, after the points were reset for the first race of the Chase, Bomberger went to victory lane at New Hampshire with Mark Martin for his third win.

Things keep going well for him as he stayed in the top two in points before winning at Martinsville with Denny Hamlin and began pulling away from the competition.

Then the icing on the cake and the sealed championship came from Jimmie Johnson in Phoenix for his fifth win of the season.

Thanks to his pick of Carl Edwards and the seventh place finish in Homestead, Bomberger won the title.

Here's how the rest of the Creatures finish in the 2009 competition.

Ben Bomberger (6,572 ) Carl Edwards finished seventh (5 )

Kelly Crandall (-80 ) Kurt Busch finished fourth (2 )

Mary Jo Buchanan (-223 ) Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 28th (2 )

Kara Martin (-233 ) Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 28th (4 )

Rob Tiongson (-261 ) Martin Truex Jr. finished ninth (2 )

Jen Preston (-327 ) NO PICK SENT (2 )

James Broomhead (-404 ) Matt Kenseth finished 13th (3 )

SM Napier (-506 ) Kurt Busch finished fourth (3 )

Mason Dunn (-802 ) NO PICK SENT (0 )

Danielle Henderson (-976 ) NO PICK SENT (2 )

David Phillips (-1,017 ) NO PICK SENT (2 )

Adam Heasley (-1,542 ) NO PICK SENT (3 )

Anyone who would like to join the competition for 2010, please let me know.

And any current Creature who wants to participate should please let me know. If I don't hear from you, I will assumed you do not want to participate and will take you off the email list.

Enjoy the offseason, everyone!

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

The Lugnut Report: Martin Comes Up Short Again In Homestead

Jen Preston — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:06:01 -0500

“Martin may be the bridesmaid once more, but he is anything but bitter.” -Examiner

“Mark Martin is NASCAR's king of close calls.” -Orlando Sentinel

“Fryer's Five: Martin is a true champion.” -Yahoo! Sports

All in all in 2009, Mark Martin was just happy to be there.

Entering the Ford 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway, Martin was 108 points behind championship leader and teammate Jimmie Johnson. Clinching his first Sprint Cup title was possible, but highly unlikely.

The team led by Alan Gustafson practiced well throughout the weekend, even winning the second practice session. He was also able to put his Chevrolet fourth on the board during Friday's qualifying. Unfortunately, Johnson qualified on pole, allowing them to pick the first pit stall, and give them a huge advantage going into Sunday's season finale.

Martin started fourth on the field, but struggled earlier on with a loose No. 5 Kellogg's/Carquest. Falling out of Top-10 at lap 116, Martin and company continued working on their Chevrolet, but it was to no avail.

On the lap 121, Johnson and Martin restarted 23rd and 25th, respectively. While his teammate was able to make his way back into the Top Five at a blistering pace, Martin struggled in traffic and was never able to get back to the Top 10, despite hoping pre-race that his car would improve as the sun went down.

Martin's car took several laps to start moving up through the pack, while Johnson continued to push his way to the front.

More than a hundred laps after falling into the clutches of traffic, Martin was challenging for a top 15 spot, and ended the night 12th. He remained second in points behind Johnson, 141 points behind his teammate.

"There's no frustration, man. I know you'd love it. I know all y'all would love it. But there's no frustration."

Martin will get another chance at Johnson and the Sprint Cup Championship, though. After coming out of retirement to sign with Hendrick for this season, Martin signed an extension that will keep him at HMS through 2011.

For Tony Stewart's Lugnut Report, click here .

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Winners and Losers: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2009 Season

Patti Rodisch — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:18:02 -0500

The NASCAR season starts in February on the beaches of Daytona and ends on the beaches of South Florida in November. It’s a long, grueling season for every team. At the end of the season, only one team can be called the champion.

On Sunday, NASCAR Sprint Cup series crowned their champion under the lights.

Check out a special edition of the final winners and losers of the 2009 season.

Winners

Jimmie Johnson

It is incredible what Jimmie Johnson has done in NASCAR top touring series in the last four years. He has dominated when it counted and won when it mattered.

Jimmie Johnson and his team have done exactly what every team wants do, that is win races and you win championships.

Johnson will be a threat to win for years to come, the history he made on Sunday with his fourth championship in a row, many will never see again. So NASCAR fans need to embrace Johnson and what he has done.

It’s hard to root for a guy who dominates like he has, but you have to appreciate what he has done. What we witness is pure domination and a team that has no plans to slow down.

Congratulations Johnson on your fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.

Points: First

Michael Waltrip

No, Michael Waltrip has not won a championship and he does not win every week. What Waltrip has done for this sport cannot be overlooked. He is an ambassador for this sport, and his relationship with the fans is a testament to that.

On Sunday, Waltrip will take the checkered flag for the final time as a full-time driver. His career spans three decades of NASCAR racing.

Waltrip has been a very important voice in leading car manufacturer Toyota into a sport where the cars are American made.

Now Toyota has been widely accepted by NASCAR fans and is winning championships and NASCAR should thank Waltrip.

Waltrip numbers are not flashy and he would never have the win totals of a Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., or Jeff Gordon or even his brother, Darrell Waltrip. He will, though, have the respect of his fans and his peers.

2010 will be the first season of not having a Waltrip running full time, it is the end of an era in NASCAR.

Points: 33rd

Mark Martin

What a year it has been for Mark Martin. After coming out of semi-retirement, Martin signed on to drive the No. 5 for Hendrick Motorsports, his intentions were not to win a championship. He wanted to win races and see where you stack up.

Martin has exceeded his own expectations but to his fans and his peers, nobody ever counted Martin out of the championship.

Martin has shown age is just a number, winning five times and bringing life back into his career. You cannot be anything but a Martin fan. He is honest and accepts that he might never win a championship. but he loves what he does.

He might not have won the championship in 2009, but Martin heads into the off season one happy driver.

Points: Second

Joey Logano

There were so many expectations on Joey Logano coming into 2009, many expected to him right away; others did not buy the hype.

Logano had a slow start to the season. As they have returned to different tracks, Logano has slowly gotten better.

Logano became the youngest driver in NASCAR history to win a race when he pulled strategy in a rain-shortened race at Loudon in June.

Logano gained some confidence with these cars, and you saw that with how he ran on the race track.

Logano will win Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, the youngest to do so. The honor is well earned and well deserved. He might not have won multiple races but he certainly worked hard to live up to the expectations that were laid on him.

Points: 20th

Losers

Casey Mears

It has not been easy for Casey Mears, to find an organization where he can really settle in. He has driven for the best in this business, but yet Mears is heading into the offseason with a lot of uncertainty in his racing career.

He joined Richard Childress Racing in the offseason piloting the fourth car and carrying the Jack Daniels colors for sponsorship. Once again though Mears struggles with the new car and at times bad luck marred the first half of the season.

Then came the announcement that sponsor Jack Daniels would be pulling its support from NASCAR, leaving RCR and Mears searching for a sponsor for 2010. We have yet to hear of Mears plans or if RCR will continue to run the car in 2010.

A struggling economy though does not bode well for Mears and now once again he is auditioning for a ride not only for 2010, but for his career.

He has many opportunities but has been unable to capitalize, now he is hoping his late season surge will once again lead to an off season signing.

Points: 21st

Robby Gordon

Robby Gordon is one the few in a sport dominated by large organizations, with big names and big money behind them. Gordon has been doing it on his own and for a while he was able to hold his own, until the economy sank and sponsors pulled out of NASCAR.

Gordon acknowledged that he only has sponsorship for only eight races in 2010, after sponsor Jim Beam pulled its support. Now Gordon is hoping that another sponsor is willing to sign on; otherwise, he will be able to only run a limited schedule in 2009.

Gordon has always done it his way and never really conformed to what NASCAR has become but now if a sponsor does not sign Gordon will have to find another way to race on Sundays.

Points: 34th

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It has been a rough year for Dale Earnhardt Jr.; his fans do not need to be told that. It was not easy from the start of the season, pit road mistakes and bad luck. While his teammates were running up front, Earnhardt was struggling to stay competitive.

The frustration boiled over after Coca-Cola 600 and owner Rick Hendrick made the crew chief change. The move seemed to help Earnhardt, and while his finishes did not show the results, this team began to run better.

Earnhardt will not lose sponsors, his ride, or his fans with his disappointing season. Even so 2010 is an important year for Earnhardt.

He needs to be a contender each week and that means running up front and avoiding both mental mistakes but physical mistakes.

He has the talent to do so and I think we saw late this season he has the equipment. That might be the only positives fans can take in what has been a long season.

Points: 25th

Lucky Dog…

Juan Pablo Montoya

If there was one driver who was the biggest surprise to make the Chase, it was not a surprise to Montoya and his team.

One of their goals was to make the Chase and win races. They were unable to win a race, but they made the Chase.

Montoya had great cars in the second half of the season. Montoya was aggressive was willing to lay it all on the line for wins. Sometimes that aggression has cost him chances at wins and cost them good finishes.

Montoya though has a lot to be proud of for what he has accomplished in 2009. He has proven he will be a contender for the championship in 2010.

Points: Eighth

Final Lap…

Well the final race of the season has come and went and now the changes will start on Monday. For some they will not return to the track at Daytona for other drivers they will have new teams.

It has been a good season for NASCAR. They have shown they are listening to the fans and the drivers. The implementing of the double file restarts at Pocono made the racing exciting. NASCAR and its tracks are lowering prices for tickets.

They are trying to help the struggling race fan, and you have to give NASCAR credit for that.

It has been a fun season watching first time winners and great finishes. We have seen teams falter when it counted and teams rise to the occasion. We watched the end of an era with Waltrip and the beginning of a new one with Logano.

We watched two former champions in Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon rebound from disappointing 2008 seasons. There have been ups and downs. We watched a sport adapt to a changing media and struggling economy.

Now fans have to wait until Speed weeks to see if any team can dethrone Johnson. It’s a long 84 days till the green flag of the 52nd annual Daytona 500.

Thanks for reading my weekly series. I am looking forward to bringing you all the winners and losers in 2010.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

NASCAR Fans: What To Do for the Next 83 Days?

Brandon Caldwell — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:45:15 -0500

Now that the season is over, NASCAR junkies like me wonder what there is to do for the offseason?

There are a number of things to do. But nothing that compares to NASCAR.

You can start up your own silly-season sheet, and follow along with the silly season, and put everyone in the right places, that's what I do. Although it is indeed silly, it's fun.

You could watch football.

Don't get me wrong, I love football, and played it all four years of high school, enjoying every second of it. But sorry NFL fans, it doesn't even come close to NASCAR.

You could also spend time with your family.

If you're like me, you're blessed to have a great, fun family to spend the holidays with. Up here in the Appalachian Mountains of New Jersey, we shovel snow and build fires to keep the family warm.

I spend every Sunday of the long season in front of the TV for every NASCAR race, so I owe it to them to spend time with everyone.

But as soon as the holidays are over, and we start to get back to the real world and return to work, I find myself hungering for the sounds of a racing stock car.

I miss it in the offseason. All the hype trying to beat Jimmie Johnson and the struggles in the life of a Bobby Labonte fan; it is so much fun, and we're anxious for Daytona because we know anything can happen there.

So now it's 83 days and counting.

It's only an hour out of the season, and I'm looking forward to the Budweiser Shootout. Speaking of which...what the hell are they going to do with that?

That's just another thing to keep us busy in the most hectic and brutal offseason in all of sports.

Thanks for all the hard work by everyone on this website, and in NASCAR, for making this season another awesome one for me, and for making me crave more in 2010.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

The Lugnut Report: Tony Stewart Caps Off Season With 22nd Place Finish

Patti Rodisch — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:12:41 -0500

For first-year owner and driver Tony Stewart, 2009 should be considered a success.

After turning a struggling organization into a championship contending organization in a year, Stewart has a lot to be proud of.

Both he and teammate Ryan Newman made the Chase for the championship and both finished in the top-10 of the standings.

Stewart led the championship standings since Dover in the spring, but has struggled in the Chase.

It all came to an end on Sunday with the Ford 400 in Homestead-Miami. Stewart was looking to end the year on a high note and carry momentum into the offseason.

Stewart has won at the South Florida race track twice before, so Stewart knew how to find victory lane.

On Friday during the first practice Stewart ran a total of 20 laps and his fastest lap was lap 20. A 31.4 second lap was good enough for sixth on speed charts. The team then started preparing for qualifying later in the afternoon.

Stewart was to go out 22^nd on Friday for qualifying, Stewart put up a great lap, 31.3 seconds around the mile-and-a-half track. That fast lap had him taking the green in fifth position.

On Saturday the teams were looking to tune up the race car and get the handling right for the 400 mile event on Sunday.

They struggled just a bit in this practice with the handling of the race car they ran a total of 19 laps. Their fastest lap was the first lap as it was with many teams. A 32.5 second lap was only good enough for 23^rd fastest on the speed charts.

The final practice of the weekend and of the season was crucial for teams to really dial in their race cars for race trim.

Stewart and his team ran a total of 38 laps in the final session. His fastest lap was his second. His fast lap of 32.8 seconds had him sitting 13^th on the speed charts.

Now the focus was race day and ending the season on high note.

Early on Stewart was moving up from his fifth place starting spot. By Lap 25 he was in second place and cutting into leader Jimmie Johnson lead. Stewart took the lead on Lap 33 and began to pull away from Johnson.

During the first round of pit stops Stewart lost the lead with a slower pit stop, but he retook the lead on Lap 64.

On the first caution for Marcos Ambrose's spin, Stewart won the race off of pit road, but was unable to hold the lead on the restart. He fell back but began to make up the lost ground.

On Lap 117, contact between himself and Juan Pablo Montoya sent Montoya to the wall and Stewart on pit road for fresh new tires. He was 29^th and sitting deep in traffic, the farthest back he had been all day long.

Stewart's car did not have a lot of damage so they were able to continue on. They were in the top 15 by Lap 148.

On Lap 156, Montoya and Stewart were running nose to tail, when Montoya came up behind and tagged Stewart. That sent Stewart spinning and caused slightly more damage than the last incident.

He ended up going a lap down after having a good car early in the race.

For Stewart his day was realistically over. The damage was done. They were able to get their lap back but it was too late. It was not the way they wanted to end the season as they finished 22^nd .

Even with a disappointing race, Stewart has a lot to be proud of. They have accomplished a lot in 2009 more than anyone even expected. The 2010 season is looking very bright for this organization.

Check out Jen Preston’s Lugnut Report on Mark Martin.

Thanks to everyone who followed Jen Preston and I on our Lugnut Reports. They will be back in 2010 tracking your favorite drivers from Daytona to Homestead.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Kevin Harvick Dominates For The Win; Hornaday Clinches The Owners Title

S M Napier — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:18:50 -0500

It's deja vu all over again, as Kevin Harvick wins another exciting green/white/checkers finish in the season finale for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Harvick with four laps to go under caution, came to pit road for four fresh Goodyear's and on the ensuing restart he'd cruise by Timothy Peters for the race win.

While Ron Hornday Jr. would clinch the owner's championship, after Kyle Busch suffered a cut tire, and went two laps down because of it.

For the second week in a row, the dueling burnout was exciting to see, and this time Harvick held his own with Hornaday.

Colin Braun in the No. 6 Con-Way Freight Ford starts on the pole, and it was his fifth pole of the season.

Chad McCumbee in the No. 07 Valvoline Fuel Proof/tiwi Chevrolet starts from the outside pole position.

Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Georgia Boot Chevrolet starts third, Ron Hornaday Jr. in the No. 33 Longhorn Chevrolet starts fourth and Mike Skinner in the No. 5 Exide Batteries Toyota starts fifth.

Tonight's race brings the end to Roush-Fenway Racing in the Trucks, Xpress Motorsports final race, as Brian Scott heads onto the Nationwide Series next season and Kyle Busch's final race for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

Kyle Busch in the No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts/Graceway Toyota started shotgun to the field after making a engine change.

At race time, it was 72 degrees, and a beautiful clear night. 36 trucks started the race and the pit window is 55 to 60 laps.

Braun took the green gets a great jump on McCumbee, Harvick takes second and starts to reel in the leader.

Busch by Lap Three, had picked up 17 positions currently running in 19th. Meanwhile the leader, Braun has Harvick in second and Skinner in third hot on his heels.

By Lap Five, Busch was running in 15th, Braun still leads but has Harvick on the low-side challenging him for the position.

Harvick would take the lead on Lap Six, passing Braun on the low-side and pull away by several truck length.

By Lap Eight, Busch has made it up to 11th and Harvick leads by 0.650 seconds on Braun in second.

On Lap 12, Hornaday running in fifth, would have Matt Crafton in the No. 88 Australian Gold Chevrolet in sixth make slight contact with him and neither was effected by it.

They have been racing together trying to work their way around McCumbee in fourth, who's been blocking Horn both high and low.

By Lap 18, Harvick is leading Skinner in second by 3.100 seconds and Busch is running 10th.

On Lap 20, Harvick leads continues to pull away from Skinner and Busch has made it up to eighth.

The best racing is Hornaday in fourth and Crafton in fifth, battling it out for those respective positions and have swapped the positions repeatedly over the last several laps.

On Lap 25, Harvick leads by five seconds over Skinner in second and Busch takes fourth, passing Hornaday on the high-side.

On Lap 27, Harvick leads but Skinner (second), Crafton (third) and Busch (fourth) are three wide battling over those positions.

Coming into turn three, Crafton on the high-side, Busch on the low-side split Skinner running in the middle and both pass him. Crafton takes second and Busch would get third.

On Lap 30, Harvick would lead by 6.532 seconds, while Busch would take second by passing Crafton on the high-side.

Hornaday would pass Skinner on the high-side for fourth and Timothy Peters in the No. 17 Strutmasters.com Toyota would also take fifth from Skinner.

The first caution comes out on Lap 33, for Shane Sieg in the No. 93 S&W Services Chevrolet who tagged the wall and pancaked the right side of his truck.

Everyone pits on Lap 34, when pit road opened everyone pits making the first of two stops for tires and then fuel.

Ryan Sieg in the No. 39 S&W Services Chevrolet was the Aaron's Lucky Dog Award winner under this caution.

Coming onto pit road, Almirola makes contact with Sauter and damages his front end and his team would make an extra stop to make repairs.

After pit stops on Lap 36, the top five was; Harvick leads, Busch second, Skinner third, Crafton fourth, and Johnny Sauter in the No. 13 FunSand/Rodney Atkins/Curb Records Chevrolet in fifth.

On the Lap 37 restart, Harvick took the green with Busch on his bumper but two laps later the race would be slowed by caution again.

The second caution came out on Lap 39, for Dan Brode in the No. 41 Mike Berg TruckingDodge losing it and spins exiting turn two.

Ricky Carmichael in the No. 31 Monster Energy Drink Chevrolet was the Aaron's Lucky Dog winner under this caution.

On the Lap 41 restart, Harvick takes the green with Busch on his bumper and couldn't make a pass work for the lead on the low-side.

On Lap 42, Mike Bliss in the No. 25 Harris Trucking Toyota spins coming out of turn four onto pit road and results in no caution.

By Lap 44, Harvick had opened up a six truck length lead on Kyle Busch in second.

On Lap 46, the best racing was Braun sixth, Hornaday seventh and Peters eighth all racing together and fighting for those positions.

They would get to three wide racing with, Hornaday picking up sixth and Peters seventh passing Braun dropping him to eighth.

Harvick leads by 0.784 seconds on Busch in second and Crafton in third is 1.5 seconds back of the leader.

After 52 Laps, the top five was; Harvick leading, Busch second, Crafton third, Skinner fourth, and Peters fifth.

Harvick was leading by 0.650 seconds, when the third caution came out on Lap 59, for Lance Hooper in the No. 73 County Building Center lost a right front tire in turn one and got into the wall.

The pits opened on Lap 60, everyone pits making the first of two stops, and a few would use pit strategy taking just fuel. Of the leaders Busch was the only one to take fuel only.

Marc Davis in the No. 19 Howard University Radio/WHUR Chevrolet was the Aaron's Lucky Dog winner under the caution.

After pit stops on Lap 61, the top five was; Busch leading, David Starr in the No. 24 Zachry Toyota was second, Sauter third, Harvick fourth and Tayler Malsam in the No. 81 One-Eighty Toyota was fifth.

On the Lap 63 restart, Busch took the green gets a great start on Starr and pulls away by four truck lengths.

Back through the field the trucks are three and four wide battling for position.

On Lap 66, Busch leads by 0.698 seconds but Harvick in second is the fast truck on the track right now and he's coming in a hurry.

On Lap 69, Busch and Harvick are side by side battling for the lead, coming out of turn four to the stripe Harvick makes his pass on the low side stick and takes the lead.

After 73 Laps, the top five was; Harvicl leading by 0.236 seconds, Busch second, Peters third, Skinner fourth and Almirola fifth.

By Lap 78, Harvick leads by 1.648 seconds on Busch in second and Peters in third is 2.3 seconds back of the leader.

On Lap 83, Busch would come to pit road under green due to a cut right rear tire and would go a lap down because of it. His tires on the right side had the cores showing and a cut on the inside right rear.

Unfortunately, he also would be penalized for having a tire roll outside of his pit box and get black-flagged by NASCAR. Once he serviced the penalty he was two laps down.

On Lap 91, Harvick leads by 2.178 seconds over Peters in second and Busch serves his pass through penalty. He's now two laps down.

After 93 Laps, the top five was; Harvick leads, Peters second, Crafton third, Skinner fourth, and Aric Almirola in the No. 15 Graceway Pharmacueticals Toyota was fifth.

On Lap 99, Harvick would stretch his lead out to 3.565 seconds on Peters in second.

Scott pits due to a right front flat, comes to pit road for right side tires, and loses a lap to the leader.

On Lap 101, Harvick leads by 4.777 seconds now over Peters in second. Busch two laps down is trying to catch Harvick to get a lap back by racing for it.

After 106 Laps, the top five was; Harvick leads by 5.8 seconds, Peters second, Crafton third, Almirola fourth, and Skinner fifth.

On Lap 111, Harvick leads by 6.3 seconds on Peters in second, and Crafton in third is 8.893 seconds back of the leader.

From Laps 114 to 122, green flag pit stops happen with everyone coming for fuel stops to make it to the finish.

Peters took over the lead for two laps, when Harvick pitted for fuel. Then Almirola took over, leading for six laps before pitting and turning the lead back over to Harvick on Lap 123.

Speed TV would play audio from when Busch pitted for fuel, and wanted to park the Truck since his day was over.

Crew chief Richie Wauters told him, "No you're not. Get back out there and finish the race."

On his fuel stop, Almirola would get caught for speeding coming to pit road, serves a pass through and eliminates him from a chance to win the race.

After 126 Laps, the top five was; Harvick leading by 4.282 seconds, Peters second, Crafton third, Skinner fourth and Braun fifth.

The fourth caution flag came out on Lap 129, for Ryan Sieg in the No. 39 S&W Services Chevrolet gets into the wall after contact with James Buescher in the No. 10 Maxx Force International Diesel Ford.

When pit road opened on Lap 131, Peters would stay out, while the leader Harvick and the other 10 lead lap trucks also pit taking tires.

Which was a bad move by Peters, on the restart he'll be a sitting duck with everyone behind him having four fresh tires.

It'll be another exciting green/white/checkers finish, the eighth of the season, and 82nd in the Truck Series history.

On the Lap 134 restart, Peters took the green but going into turn one Harvick already passed Peters for the lead and he'd just pull away.

Harvick takes the white flag, keeps pulling away as Crafton, Peters and Braun are three wide battling for second and Crafton takes second on the low side.

Coming back out of turn four, Braun would get third from Peters drooping him to fourth.

Harvick would take the checkers, getting his second consecutive win in a row, and picked up his third win of the season.

Hornaday would win the owners championship, doing what he needed to do by finishing eighth, and just never had a decent enough truck to challenge for a better finish.

For the second week in a row we'd see the dueling burnouts by Harvick and Hornaday, pretty cool to see and it was the Harvick's second owners championship they've won.

Hornaday would officially receive the title, first from NASCAR's Mike Helton and then from Camping World's CEO Marcus Lemonis.

Matt Crafton finish second, ran a really good race and finished second for the fifth time in 2009. He's also excited that next season it'll be just one pit stop, felt the two stop rule hurt them costing them a couple wins.

Colin Braun finished third, started on the pole, led five laps, and ran a great race in his final Truck Series start—or at least while he's with Roush.

Timothy Peters finished fourth, lead six laps, tried pit strategy for the win but came up short and ran a really great race building momentum for the coming season.

Todd Bodine finished fifth, his team battled all day making adjustments to the Truck, he lead a lap and earned a hard fought top five finish today.

Six through 10th were; Mike Skinner, David Starr, Ron Hornaday Jr., Johnny Sauter, and T.J. Bell.

The points after the Ford 200 were;

1.) Ron Hornaday Jr.        3,959
2.) Matt Crafton              -187
3.) Mike Skinner               -357
4.) Todd Bodine               -527
5.) Colin Braun                 -621
6.) Johnny Sauter            -628
7.) Brian Scott                -652
8.) Timothy Peters           -670
9.) David Starr                -688
10.) Rick Crawford           -798

See you in 84 days, when the Trucks 2010 season starts at Daytona and be exciting to see what Horn does in those new Silverado's.

Author's note: Sorry this one got posted a little late, was distracted Saturday by College Football and spent Sunday following games online while finishing this up.

This race recap of the Ford 200, is based on my race notes and any mistakes are my own.

Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Denny Hamlin Settles Score With Brad Keselowski—Maybe

Mary Jo Buchanan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:56:28 -0500

On lap 35 of the final Nationwide race at Homestead, Denny Hamlin made good on his promise to get even with Brad Keselowski. Hamlin hooked Keselowski in the rear and spun him out.

The feud between both drivers has been longstanding. In fact, Hamlin and Keselowski have tangled at various times since the 2008 season.

By Hamlin's count, Keselowski has wrecked him once at Watkins Glen last year and again at Dover this year. Hamlin also contends that Keselowski forced him into a three-wide wreck at California this season, as well as blatantly wrecking him at last weekend's Nationwide race at Phoenix International Raceway.

Keselowski on the other hand downplays his confrontations with Hamlin, stating that most of the issues are "just racing deals." Of their most recent confrontation at Phoenix International Raceway, Keselowski said, "We just got in a pushing match. I don’t really hold any grudges."

"I don’t know why he wanted to do that," Keselowski continued. "It’s just the way racing is, I guess.”

But Hamlin was not willing to let the issue go, vowing to "get even" with Keselowski the next chance that he could. His opportunity came in the early laps of the Ford 300, the season finale for the Nationwide Series.

On lap 35, Hamlin found himself right where he wanted to be, directly behind the No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet of his nemesis Keselowski. And Hamlin took full advantage, hitting Keselowski in the rear and sending him spinning.

Over his car radio, Hamlin said, "Look at this, all the guys down pit road are laughing at me. Every guy from every team that he ever took out is laughing. This is hilarious."

Even Keselowski seemed a bit amused saying to his crew over his radio, "That was fun. Give me four tires."

NASCAR, however, did not find the incident the least bit funny and deemed the pay back spin as intentional. NASCAR officials penalized the No. 11 of Hamlin one lap for rough driving.

In spite of the penalty, Hamlin finished the race in the fifth position. Keselowski also battled back from his spin, finishing in the 12th position.

After the race, Keselowski did not even acknowledge the confrontation with Hamlin until pressed by the media. He focused instead on congratulating race winner and Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch.

When asked specifically about the incident on lap 35 between himself and Hamlin, Keselowski reiterated that he thought it was "pretty funny." But then he continued philosophically saying, "You know, I don't really hold any grudges. I'm ready to move on. Hell, I've already moved on."

"Hopefully, he feels the same way," Keselowski said of Hamlin. "I have a feeling when he wakes up in the morning, he's not going to feel any better about himself."

"He's got a lot of problems on and off the race track and I don't think spinning me is going to make him happy," Keselowski said. "That's just my take on it."

Hamlin had his own take on the incident and it was, of course, a bit different. "I feel great right now," Hamlin said enthusiastically. "It was well worth it."

"The sun was bad at that point and I'll use that as my excuse," Hamlin continued. "The fact is, I wasn't going to give him an inch."

"I thought when I went down pit road after the race that I had won," Hamlin said. "I've never seen so many crews applaud and give the 'thumbs up' on the way by."

"It just shows you all the cars he's torn up in the past," continued Hamlin. "All the teams, they feel a little redemption anyway."

"We'll never be even in that sense," Hamlin said. "I'm grateful to CJ giving me the opportunity to race this weekend and pay back my debts."

Hamlin acknowledged that while NASCAR is a self-policing sport, they also had to penalize him for the "deliberate" retaliation. "I wasn't mad about that at all," Hamlin said of his one lap penalty. "My objective was to win the race first and take care of him (Keselowski) second."

"There's going to be other days when we're racing and he's still going to think about it when I'm in his rear view mirror," Hamlin continued. "Obviously the scales are tipped a little bit more in my favor but still tipped a little bit too much."

After the race, NASCAR President Mike Helton was asked about the confrontation and NASCAR's reaction. "Our job is to maintain law and order," Helton said. "We honestly want the spirit and the character and the enthusiasm to come out but there is a point where NASCAR says 'enough is enough' and that's just the order part."

While Keselowski and Hamlin are finished with their Nationwide battles, the two are set to take the track together for the Cup finale Sunday afternoon at Homestead. Keselowski qualified in the 27th position, while Hamlin is well behind him, starting the race in the 38th spot.

Is the Hamlin vs. Keselowski battle over? It may be for now, but most likely this ongoing feud between these two drivers will not only continue but also carry over into next year's competition.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Roush Fenway Hoping To End Season The Way It Started: With a Victory

Sal Sigala Jr. — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:19:24 -0500

When Roush Fenway Racing began the 2009 season at Daytona International Speedway, the only goal in mind was to get all five of the team’s drivers into contention to bring a championship back to an organization that hasn’t seen one since Kurt Busch won his first during the 2004 season.

Jack Roush, team owner of all five drivers, came so close last season with Carl Edwards, the driver of the No. 99 Aflac sponsored Ford Fusion, who put up a valiant effort against the eventual Sprint cup champion Jimmie Johnson, finishing second by only 69 points.

Even though Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M sponsored Ford Fusion, would finish out the 2008 season in third, 217 points behind Johnson, there was still that ray of hope that some of that momentum could be carried over into the 2009 season.

After all, the team was able to hold the powerhouse team of Hendrick Motorsports at bay with two of their three drivers taking two of the top five spots at season's end.

Roush Fenway would come out strong to start off the 2009 season with Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 DeWalt sponsored Ford Fusion, picking up his first as well the organization's first Daytona 500 win.

The win sent a statement out to the rest of the teams that Roush Fenway was geared up and ready to play, and they were prepared to take on all comers.

After Kenseth picked up the victory the following week at Auto Club Speedway, giving him wins in the first two races of the season, the man in the hat had four of his drivers sitting in the top 10 in points (Matt Kenseth first, Greg Biffle fifth, David Ragan eighth, and Carl Edwards ninth).

But as the season would progress, so would the fire that burned within them leaving all but two drivers still within the top 10.

As fate would have it, Kenseth surprisingly would be eliminated from making the chase for the first time since its introduction into the series, back in 2004. Edwards and Biffle would be the only two Roush Fenway drivers representing the organization in the chase, even though they have both remained winless on the year.

Heading into the final race of the season at Homestead, Roush Fenway Racing is hoping to close out the season the same way it started: with a victory. Victories have been far and wide so far this season for an organization that has the most wins at this track, winning the last five and six out of the last seven.

Biffle’s three consecutive wins in 2004, 2005, and 2006, does make him a good candidate to pick up the team's fourth victory of the season and the second win of the Chase, coupled with Jamie McMurray who took the victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

“It’s always been a good track for me, and I’m pretty proud to have contributed half of those six wins,” said Biffle.

“As for the team as a whole, I think that we hit on something there a few years ago and were able to just carry over the success. It’s also a driver’s track, and we have some of the best drivers in the series.”

A strong case can also be made for Edwards who has finished inside the top five the last three years, including the win to close out last season's Chase (’06 – second, ’07 – fourth, and ’08 – first), even though he only has two top 10’s in this season's chase.

“It’s our last chance to get a win in 2009. It’s been a tough year. We’ve been working hard. Our mile-and-a-half program is better now than it’s been for a long time, so this race really is one that I feel we have a good shot of running well," Edwards said.

“Our history there is great. We won it last year. It was special to me last year, so it would be an honor for me to do that again.”

This weekend will mark the end of an era for Matt Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing. After more than a decade serving as the primary sponsor for Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 team, DEWALT will run its last race aboard the No. 17 Ford Fusion this weekend at Homestead.

One of the most successful partnerships in NASCAR history, the duo of Kenseth and DEWALT teamed for the 2000 Rookie of the Year Award, the 2003 Championship, and the 2009 Daytona 500 win during their 10-plus year tenure together.

Kenseth, who won here back in 2007, is hoping to end the season the same he started: with a victory.

“It started really well at Daytona and California obviously, but started to go down the next week at Las Vegas when we finished last," said Kenseth.

"It was a frustrating season, because we just did not run well enough. We’ve made some gains the last few weeks and hopefully we will continue to build on that as we move towards next season.”

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Homestead-Miami Final Practice: Childress Has Pair Of Hot-Rods

McCord Roberts — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:46:44 -0500

The Chase for the Championship comes to a close Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Jimmie Johnson looking to win an unprecedented fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Johnson currently has a comfortable 108-point lead over second place Mark Martin which equates to the difference from first to 25th place.

During the final preparations for the race in Saturday’s practice sessions, both Martin and Johnson look to be equally up for the task for Sunday’s showdown. Johnson, who won the pole on Friday, was strong in both sessions running third fastest in the early session and seventh fastest during happy Hour.

Martin fared better Saturday having the fastest times in the first practice and third best in Happy hour giving the No. 5 Hendrick some semblance of hope that at least they know they’ll have one of the strongest cars on race day.

Both drivers are coming in with winning chassis’ as well. Johnson has the same car that he won with at Indianapolis and Martin brought his same car that won a Darlington and Chicagoland.

While the main story all week has centered around the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers battling for the Championship, two Richard Childress Racing drivers came out blazing during Happy Hour creating their own story and making them serious contenders to win the race itself.

Jeff Burton led Happy Hour with the fastest lap of 165.736 mph and close behind was teammate Kevin Harvick with the second fastest lap. Both drivers laid down the quick times in the early stages of the session.

Burton is looking continue his current hot streak on the season that has seen him finish in the top-10 in his last three races including a season best second-place last week at Phoenix. In his last 1.5-mile high banked track, run at Texas, Burton finished fifth.

Despite the good run at Texas, Burton’s team opted to bring a brand new chassis for this race and if this an indication to what may be in store for 2010 for RCR, missing the Chase likely will not occur again.

Harvick’s good run in practice shouldn’t come as too much of surprise, even though he did beat out the regular practice bully’s of Johnson and Martin. Harvick has finished in the top-10 in six of his last eight Miami starts, including last season’s best of second-place. This week he has brought the same chassis that finished fifth at Texas two weeks ago.

Both Harvick and Burton also put together the best average lap speeds during happy Hour which means Mark Martin may have a battle on his hands as he attempts to lead the most laps and win the race.

Top Speeds - Saturday’s First Practice Session:
1) Mark Martin 168.177 mph—AVG 30 laps @ 162.027
2) Denny Hamlin 167.884 mph—AVG 32 laps @ 161.119
3) Jimmie Johnson 167.863 mph—AVG 31 laps @ 161.497
4) Ryan Newman 167.822 mph—AVG 28 laps @ 161.046
5) Kyle Busch 167.811 mph—24 laps @ 161.554
Top Average speed: Kevin Harvick 24 laps @ 163.194
Most laps run: Brian Vickers 39

Top Speeds - Saturday’s Final Practice (Happy Hour)
1) Jeff Burton 165.736 mph—AVG 44 laps @ 161.439
2) Kevin Harvick 165.375—AVG 42 laps @ 161.293
3) Mark Martin 165.067 mph—AVG 47 laps @ 160.923
4) Martin Truex Jr 165.022 mph—AVG 48 laps @ 160.923
5) Ryan Newman 164.604 mph—AVG 50 laps @ 160.103

Top-10 Rated Drivers do Homestead-Miami based on final practices, recent performances on high banked 1.5-mile tracks, and current state of the team.
1) Mark Martin
2) Kevin Harvick
3) Kurt Busch
4) Jeff Burton
5) Jimmie Johnson
6) Ryan Newman
7) Denny Hamlin
8) Tony Stewart
9) Kyle Busch
10) Juan Pablo Montoya

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Dustin Off the Final Race: Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Dustin Parks — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:24:51 -0500

It will be a bitter-sweet feeling for everyone in the NASCAR community as this Sunday, the 2009 season will come to a close. All the miles, all the finishes, and all the stories during the 36-race season end at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

All the miles, all the laps, and all the checkered flags will conclude Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It has been a season of many highs and many lows. Some things shocked us while others were expected.

It will definitely be a season that will be remembered. Now, in this finale edition of "Dustin Off," we'll go through the drivers to watch out for in the Ford 400 and a look at the championship race.

FAVORITES

CARL EDWARDS

The driver of the No. 99 was the bridesmaid at this race last season for a couple reasons. He won the race by using fuel strategy to make it to the end.

But, Johnson finished high enough to win his third title, a title that he was battling Edwards for.

This year has been a little different for Edwards as he has yet to win a race. He has been near the front and come close, but some incidents were outside his control.

This is a very good track for Roush-Fenway racing, as they have won the last four events. This is the last chance for Edwards to get a victory and salvage some good from the season. He will certainly be a factor come Sunday.

GREG BIFFLE

The other surprise from the Roush-Fenway stable is definitely Greg Biffle. As expected, he made the Chase, but has not made as much noise as expected.

Biffle has no wins this year, just like Edwards, but has run very consistent.

This is also his last chance to come away with a victory in the 2009 season. He came close at Michigan this past June, but fell half a lap short in gas.

Prior to Edwards winning last season, Biffle won three consecutive races at Homestead. He definitely will be up front.

TONY STEWART

Alright, so it has been nine years since "Smoke" has put his car in victory lane here, but that doesn't mean he won't be running well.

Stewart won the first two races at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 1999 and 2000, but there was a big difference in those races. The track had very little banking, as in six degrees in the corners, when Stewart won.

Since the track was reconfigured to have the progressive banking, Stewart has not found his way to victory lane.

However, tracks such as Atlanta and Charlotte have similar banking, and Stewart has won at both. Watch for Stewart's team to use a similar set up for this track as they would there.

This has been a dream season for the owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and there's no better way to end the year than in victory lane.

SLEEPERS

KURT BUSCH

It looks as though Busch is taking a page out of Rusty Wallace's playbook. When he was with Penske, after a victory Wallace would name the race car.

Two weeks ago, Busch went to victory lane at Texas, and afterwards named the car "Patriot" because he carried Operation Homefront on the hood. This weekend that same car will be on the track again.

Both tracks were similar in banking, so the car will already be set up to run well and maybe just a bit loose to get off the corners.

I would not be surprised if he makes his way to the front early, so watch for the No. 2 Miller Lite Doge.

MARK MARTIN

No, that's not a typo, I'm actually putting Martin in this category for a reason. I have him as a sleeper because in order for him to even remotely have a chance to steal the championship, his weekend needs to be perfect.

He needs to win the race, lead the most laps, and somehow hope Jimmie Johnson has a problem. The likeliness of all that happening is slim to none, but he's going to try.

A win to finish out an incredible season would give this entire team a lot of momentum heading into 2010. Martin will be a contender for the title next year for sure.

A win would culminate an incredible return to full-time driving for Martin. He could sneak up and take some of the attention away from his teammate.

But, the attention will be on Johnson all weekend. Friday he came out and scorched the field in qualifying, putting his car on the pole. For a team that only needs to finish 25th or better, they came out fast and hard.

It will be a new chapter in NASCAR's history, as for the first time, a driver will have won four consecutive titles. That is unheard of in any sport. That's like seeing a team in the NFL win four straight Super Bowls, or a baseball team winning four World Series titles back to back.

It is history in itself, and one that everyone will be talking about for years to come. An incredible feat by an incredible driver.

Sunday culminates one of the most competitive seasons NASCAR has ever seen. The only question remaining is who will win the final race, and have bragging rights heading to Daytona in 2010. Coverage will be on ABC starting at 2:30 with NASCAR Countdown.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Why Jamie McMurray Is My Dark Horse Title Contender For 2010

Sam Miller — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:30:47 -0500

Okay, I'm not exactly saying that Jimmie Johnson needs to watch out for the No. 1 car next year, but I do believe that Jamie DOES have a legitimate chance not only to win a race or two, but also quite possibly make the chase, something he has yet to do.

A lot of people have said that they believe that Jamie is washed up, that he belongs only in the Nationwide Series, but that is not true.

Here are a few reasons why:

1) Jamie is no longer the fifth racer on a five-man team. Say what you will about how strong Roush may be, but being the 4/5th racer on a team does little to boost a drivers performance.

At Ganassi in his early years, Jamie was one of their top drivers, and was given priority in equipment. When he went to Roush next year, though, he immediately got what was essentially the leftovers. Ask most drivers, and they'll tell you being a fourth or fifth driver is not a good situation. Being second at EGR WILL give him a boost, if not in confidence, but definitely from a technical standpoint. I hate to say it, but Chevy>Ford.

2) Fresh start. Jamie goes back to the organization where he had the most success as a driver, and should benefit from being under the guidance of the EGR family once again.

3) The engines and support from Childress and Ganassi has finally come around, and the results have shown. Next year, I only expect their program to continue to improve.

4) Jamie is the "veteran" on a race team. Funny to think of a 33-year-old as a veteran in NASCAR, but JPM has an opportunity to learn from many of the things Jamie has gone through, and Jamie not only can learn from a chase driver what it takes, but he also gains a teammate that I have considered to be a rival.

JPM and J-Mac dont always get along, and it usually ended with J-Mac in the wall. But as teammates, that will not be the case.

5) The final talking point, its still a contract year. I will admit, this year there was a weak free-agent class, but the next class will not be. If Jamie hopes to snag a ride for next year, this year is a put up or shut year.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Jack Daniel's Chevrolet To Carry Special “Thank You” Hood at Homestead

Sal Sigala Jr. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:31:59 -0500

After five seasons and three drivers with RCR, Jack Daniel’s, sponsor of the No. 07 Richard Childress Chevrolet, will no longer be a part of NASCAR after the season-ending race in Homestead this weekend.

So, in honor of all the drivers, crew chiefs, crew members, and administration personnel who have worked with the program since first climbing on board with RCR back in 2005, the company has decided to put all 140-plus names around the words "Jack" and "Thanks" on the hood.

The special hood was the company’s way of showing how much they appreciated all the hard work that went on to make this team the success that it was.

It also added a personal touch that was handed down from the founder, Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel, who personally made sure his recipe for Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 was always carried out by human touch.

Clint Bowyer, who is currently sitting 15th in the points standings, had the longest stint with Jack Daniels from 2006-2008 before moving over to Cheerios/Hamburger Helper for the 2009 season.

Dave Blaney was the initial driver behind the sponsor in 2005, and Casey Mears picked up the sponsor when he signed with RCR for the 2009 season.

During the five-year span from 2005-2009, the Old No. 7 picked up two wins, and two pole awards, to go along with 21 top-fives and 61 top-10 finishes.

"The last five years in the sport has been fun and exciting, to say the least,” said Dave Stang, Assistant Vice President of Brand Awareness for Jack Daniel’s. "It took a ton of people, and all those fantastic fans, to help Jack get its responsible drinking message communicated throughout the USA and beyond. We recognize them all with this little token of appreciation, Jack would be proud."

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Tiffany Daniels Invited to ASA Race in South Africa

Mary Jo Buchanan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:24:58 -0500

Tiffany Daniels, who competed most recently in the Camping World Series East, is one of two female racers invited to the ASA Transcontinental Series Free State 500 in South Africa in January 2010.

Tiff, as she is nicknamed, will join fellow female competitor Toni McCray to compete at the Phakisa Freeway Circuit oval in Welkom, Free State South Africa on January 31.

"I am really excited," Daniels said of her invitation. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to go over to South Africa and run a race."

"I think it's going to be so much fun," Daniels continued. "It will be really great racing with drivers from the US and South Africa and that is something that we normally don't get to to in our racing careers."

"I'm really looking forward to it."

Daniels began her racing career in Legend cars, finishing third at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Summer Shootout Series and third in the Winter Heat Series points. Daniels then graduated to late models, where she had six Top Five and nine Top 10 finishes in 2007.

In 2008, Daniels participated in Lyn St. James Driver Development Program, a well-known development program focusing on bringing females to the top levels of the sport. In that program, Daniels won the Kara Hendrick Memorial Award for her spirit and talent.

In 2009, Daniels competed in five Camping World Series East races, with her best finish at the Monster Mile. Daniels took the checkered flag in the 14th position, an impressive showing on her first attempt at the Dover International Speedway.

Daniels currently lives in North Carolina, having graduated from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte with a Mechanical Engineering degree. In addition to her own racing, Daniels works full-time with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, supporting the teams of Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin Truex, Jr.

As well as competing with one other female in the ASA South Africa event, Daniels will be teammate to Marc Davis, a familiar competitor and a good friend. The two racers grew up together on the short tracks of North Carolina and Virginia.

"She is more than a competitor and teammate, Tiffany is a friend," Davis said. "We are both excited to represent Team USA in the ASA Free State 500."

"We will be the youngest team and hopefully the fastest," Davis continued. "Our goals are to make new friends see what a wonderful country South Africa is, and finish first and second."

With a friend as a teammate and another female racer in the competition, Daniels is a bit torn as to who she would really like to win the race. "That would be great to have the girls show up the guys over in South Africa," Daniels said. "But really as long as I'm finishing first I don't care what the rest of the field looks like."

Daniels continued, "I'm going to be completely honest about it. It would be great for the girls to get a one-two finish and also going as a teammate to Marc Davis, I'm also hoping our cars finish one-two as well."

Daniels is no stranger to ASA racing, particularly through a friendship she developed with Reed Sorenson. "I raced with Reed in Legends," Daniels said. "And our families became good friends. I remember going to watch Reed race at ASA events at Concord and Berlin and learned a lot about ASA from that."

"There have been some huge changes in the ASA program and they have done so much to expand, especially to come up with a race over in South Africa," Daniels said. "That is really impressive and its definitely a good series to be a part of."

Dennis Huth, ASA President, has good things to say about Daniels and her participation in the series. "Tiff has a great personality and talent and we're excited to have her as part of this event," Huth said. "Her enthusiasm shows every time I talk to her."

Not only is Daniels looking forward to the ASA race in South Africa in the New Year, but she is also anticipating another milestone in her life. She will be celebrating her 25th birthday on January 6, 2010, prior to going overseas.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Is There Anything Left To Accomplish in NASCAR For Jimmie Johnson?

Kelly Crandall — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:11:05 -0500

There has been one big question on everyone’s mind over the last four years in NASCAR: when will Jimmie Johnson’s dominance end?

The answer has yet to be seen, and the fact that he’s not getting ready to retire anytime soon doesn’t bode well for haters of the No. 48 team.

It’s both well documented and continually repeated just how much Johnson has accomplished in his eight years on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

And when it comes to the 10-race Chase, he’s made it his personal playground.

“I’ve wanted my whole life to be able—to be a champion, to compete against the best drivers in the world,” he says.

But in his eight years in NASCAR, Johnson has accomplished more than most drivers do in their entire careers. He’s won the big races, he’s won championships, and in fact he’s never finished lower than fifth in points.

In most sports, once a player accomplishes everything he or she can or everything there is, the player moves on and tries something else or retires.

Just look at fellow driver Juan Pablo Montoya. He dominated and won everything there was to win in open wheel racing and then decided to give NASCAR a shot.

Johnson has accomplished everything there is in NASCAR; actually he’s done it numerous times.

He’s a two-time winner of the Sprint All-Star race (2003, 2006). He’s a three-time Coca-Cola 600 winner (2003, 2004, 2005).

He’s also a three-time winner of the Brickyard 400 (2006, 2008, 2009).

He’s won the Daytona 500 (2006), and after Sunday, could have four Sprint Cup Series championships (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009).

Along the way he’s won at many other great tracks, such as Martinsville, Talladega, and Richmond.

He’s set records and is on the verge of making more history.

Which begs the question: what’s left for Johnson in NASCAR?

He’s done it all, he’s won it all, and yet he’s back year after year to do the same thing.

Doesn’t it get a little old and boring?

Doesn’t he want new challenges?

After all, you can only make history once.

But, Johnson doesn’t think of it like that. When asked Thursday afternoon what else he wanted from NASCAR he replied, “Of course, I want to be successful and win more races and contend for championships, that kind of thing.”

What that means is that Johnson and his No. 48 team won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Instead, they’re going to keep showing up to the racetrack with new determination.

Take, for instance, a few weeks ago at Lowe’s.

Crew chief Chad Knaus badly wanted to complete a perfect weekend by being the fastest in every practice session, winning the pole, leading the most laps, and winning the race.

They did exactly that, and Knaus talked about how he’s always wanted to pull that off, it was something important to him.

Since they’ve done everything else there is, seems they need new ways to find motivation to go out and win.

If fans are looking for ways to get Johnson either away from racing, or distracted enough to end his championship-winning ways, that’s not going to happen either.

Sure, he’s married, but he’s told the media that he and wife Chandra have no plans to start a family. Especially not after seeing teammate Jeff Gordon raising a daughter, he once joked.

He does enjoy spending time at home and with family, but says that it’s not something that he’s looking for on a full-time basis.

“I’m not at a point where I’m craving that time, and I wish I had it,” he says. “Because I love my job, and I love what I’m doing.”

What he’s doing is cementing his place in history, and he’ll be back in 2010 to continue to add to his trophy case.

And while there is nothing major left for Johnson to accomplish, there are six tracks left on the schedule at which he’s never won.

He’s taken home a checkered flag at every style of track except for a road course, he’s 0-8 at both Infineon and Watkins Glen, and has said he wants to add a road course victory to his resume.

And while he’s captured his first and only Nationwide Series victory at Chicagoland, he’s still 0-8 in the Cup Series.

Another 0-8 track is Homestead-Miami, the final race of the year. Johnson has never run well at the track and has never focused on winning the event because he’s always more worried about winning the championship.

While he says he plans to go there and win the event and the title this weekend, that’s hard to believe.

The championship comes first, and until he’s not able to win the title, maybe he’ll focus on winning the race.

The final two tracks that the No. 48 has never pulled into victory lane are Bristol and Michigan; he’s 0-16 at both venues.

Johnson hasn’t been very good at the bullring in Tennessee, but the last few races he has finished in the Top 10.

He’ll be back strong in 2010, and the same goes for Michigan, a track that he’s always run well at but has had problems down the home stretch (problems such as running out of fuel while leading in the late stages of the event). He’ll get two more chances to get the ‘W’ next year.

So, while he has accomplished almost everything there is in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus won’t rest until they’ve accomplished everything of everything.

Then they can look back at all the championships, Coca-Cola 600s, All-Star races, Brickyard 400s, Daytona 500s and say they’re the only team to have won at all 23 tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

“Racing’s it. It’s all I’ve ever done. I’m glad it’s worked out because I don’t know what the hell I’d be doing otherwise,” says Johnson. “I’m finally good at it, and I want to keep it up, I want to keep it going.”

And on Friday morning it was announced that Jimmie Johnson will be keeping it going with Hendrick Motorsports and Lowe's until 2015.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com

Tony Stewart Is Far from Dissapointed with 2009 Season; 2010 Should Be Better

Sal Sigala Jr. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:08:39 -0500

Life has a very peculiar way of helping us to expose what we are made of from the inside out. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad thing or that it should be taken the wrong way, but instead it should be looked at as more of a positive, especially when your own personal goals are involved.

Expectations along with those same personal goals always run high at the beginning of every season, and Tony Stewart was one driver who took that initiative, when he left Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the 2008 season to take over half ownership of Haas CNC Racing.

Stewart had found success in 10 years driving for Joe Gibbs Racing by winning two championships along with 33 victories overall, but there was still that void of someday owning his own Sprint Cup team which finally became a reality for Stewart.

Stewart, who brought along with him Penske driver Ryan Newman, set his sights on making the chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, which he did while keeping his season from becoming a total loss.

Newman on the other hand left an organization that was not going in the direction that he felt was going to benefit his career, and with his contract expiring at the end of the 2008 season, the opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time to sign on with a team that would meet his own expectations.

“People ask about our expectations and our goals and we had some goals and we didn't know what the expectations were going to be.”

Newman added that, “We've done a lot of great things as an organization. We've done a lot of great things as drivers to get to where we are, and for me personally to make the big change and obviously Tony as well, didn't have any idea what to expect.”

Stewart already knew that ownership has its fair share of responsibilities, and it all starts with a good solid foundation as well as a strong commitment to want to succeed.

"It has been consistent from day one. As soon as we made the commitment that this was what we were going to do. And as soon as Darian Grubb came aboard, I think that was the biggest key in making sure that it was a smoother transition.”

So now with one race left, Stewart sits fifth in points, while his teammate Newman also made the chase for the Sprint Cup Championship while holding onto the ninth spot.

Stewart should be feeling very proud of himself even though they are both mathematically eliminated from winning the championship this season.

Stewart has always been known as a driver that does not give in to adversity, and because of that trait he was able to pick up his first win as a team owner at Pocono back in June of this season.

Stewart would add another three wins to bring his total up to four so far on the season, easily surpassing those of his fellow Chevy team owners with the exception of Hendrick Motorsports which has 13 of its own.

Stewart also led the point standings for 13 weeks before giving way to Mark Martin once the Chase started, but even surrendering that lead wasn’t enough for him to look at this season as a disappointment.

"I think it's hard to be disappointed no matter where we end up. Just by getting two cars in the Chase and winning the races we've won this year exceeded more than what any of you guys [media] could have anticipated and we could have anticipated we were able to do.”

Stewart added that, “We knew on paper that it was possible, but the reality of it was going there and competing against great race teams every week. So to be able to accomplish this goal has been an awesome year for us. It's still no different than it was when everybody talked to us after Richmond about losing a 200-point lead of whatever it was.”

Good, solid teams don’t just magically come together; instead they are carefully planned out with a lot of hard work and dedication, and all that usually comes with a lot of trial and error.

Setbacks, as well as those times when all the hard work doesn’t seem to be paying off, are all part of the building process, but in order for a team to have a chance at succeeding it must go through those growing pains.

“It just shows that we still have work to do. We were able to exceed our expectations for the year, but at the same time we won't stop at that," said Stewart.

“We'll keep pushing to be better and to try to be where the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) team and the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) team and the No. 5 (Mark Martin) team and all these great race teams that we're competing against and that we're racing for points.”

Stewart Haas Racing has all the ingredients needed to become a championship caliber team in the near future, but as in life there is still a building process that must take place before greatness can be reached.

The path that Stewart has chosen for his team has already begun paying dividends, and that alone is the best way to get started in the right direction.

But only time will tell just how much character and poise this team really has when it comes down to crunch time, and that will be the time when its foundation will be put to the test.

With the 2010 season just beyond the horizon, Newman has already begun looking ahead at the team’s potential, and his outlook sounds very promising.

“Realistically just building on the relationships that we’ve got and working on the race cars. I think we have great relationships we just have to use those relationships to polish up the race cars and be ready for 2010.”

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com