Wednesday, November 19th, 2008
The 2008 NASCAR season officially came to an end Sunday night as Carl Edwards took the checkered flag for a record ninth time this season only to finish second in the points behind Jimmie Johnson who scored his third consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.
Johnson is now a part of history becoming the second driver, along with Cale Yarborough, to win three consecutive titles. Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, goes into the history books as the only crew chief to achieve the feat.
Johnson’s third title was inevitable with an 141-point lead going into the finale, but Edwards wasn’t giving up. (more…)
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Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
It was a weekend full of repeats at Texas Motor Speedway as Ron Hornaday Jr., Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards all made their second trip to TMS’ Victory Lane for the year.
Hornaday, who was the favorite to win, experienced misfortune early on, as the caution came out while he was pitting. He regained the lead and made his way to the front of the pack, passing leader Busch, to captured the win. He is now only six points out of the lead in the Craftsman’s truck series point standings.
The Nationwide race, like the truck race, was dominated by Busch. After starting fourth, Busch quickly made his way to the front taking the lead from Kevin Harvick, who had started second. (more…)
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Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008
Passing the halfway mark, it’s down to four races to go until the Chase for the Sprint Cup comes to an end. And it looks like it just may very well be none other than two-time reigning champion, Jimmie Johnson sitting pretty after Homestead.
He came into Martinsville, the leader, after two not so good finishes from previous leader, Carl Edwards. The gap between Edwards, who was in fourth, and Johnson was 168 with Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle on Johnson’s tail. The gap now is 198 points between first and fourth-place, Edwards. Burton and Biffle, who switched positions after Sunday’s race, are more than 140 points behind Johnson.
How did Johnson gain so many points to sit nicely on top of the standings? (more…)
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Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Talladega proved to be just as exciting as it has always been. There was the “big one,” times two, a first time winner and of course some beating and banging.
The “big one” was multiplied times two Sunday and each was equally damaging to the two sets of drivers.
The first “big one” happened on lap 63 with Brian Vickers, the leader of the middle row of cars, who was battling for the lead with all the other cars on the frontstretch when his right front tire exploded. The explosion sent his No. 83 Toyota into the left side of Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 1 Chevrolet and many cars and drivers searching for clarity. (more…)
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Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
Race No. 3 in the “Chase for the Sprint Cup” at Kansas Speedway was similar to the previous two races. Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards were competing for the win, Greg Biffle had yet another Top 5 finish, Kyle Busch continued to have bad luck and at least one Chaser finished poorly.
Now, I could be wrong, but it does not look as if Kyle Busch will win the Championship, as many thought at the beginning of the summer. He added yet another not so good finish Sunday. (more…)
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Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
He did it again!
Greg Biffle won Sunday’s race — the second in the Chase for the Sprint Cup — much like he did the weekend before. Biffle, who ran in the top five most of the day, got his No. 16 Ford around teammate, Matt Kenseth, No. 17, with less than 10 laps to go. He was able to hold the lead, get around lap traffic and beat his teammates to the finish line to capture his second win of the season.
He is currently the only driver to win the first two races in the Chase since its inception. He also sits third in points, tied with Jimmie Johnson, and is only 10 points behind his teammate, Carl Edwards, who has the lead.
The Roush-Fenway Racing Fords were fast. Not only did Biffle win and teammates, Kenseth and Edwards finish second and third respectively, but teammate Jamie McMurray lead a good amount of laps early one in Sunday’s race. (more…)
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Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
The first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup was good clean racing, for the most part, and as most years go to show, it shook up the points a bit.
Kyle Busch went into Sunday’s race as the points leader, when he left, he was 74 points behind new leaders Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson — they are tied for first.
What happened to Busch? (more…)
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Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
As predicted the weather played havoc with this past weekend’s race activities. Both Nationwide and Sprint Cup series teams and drivers were able to participate in their one and only practice session on Friday. However, Friday qualifying sessions were canceled and both races were postponed until Sunday with the Cup race set to run first.
The starting lineup for both races were set according to owner points, which meant Joey Logano was not able to make his Cup debut in the 02 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. It does look like he will be able to attempt to qualify for this weekend’s race in Loudon, N.H. (more…)
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Thursday, September 4th, 2008
The Chase for the Sprint Cup is upon us. In 11 weeks we’ll have a new champion or a returning champion and the 2008 season will conclude.
The Chase will be set at the conclusion of this Saturday’s race. There will be 12 drivers who will have the chance to race for the Championship and they are sure to make it interesting, or at least we all hope so.
Last Sunday’s race locked the race winner, Jimmie Johnson, along with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton into the Chase. Those three drivers along with Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch don’t have to worry too much about this weekend’s race at Richmond, Va. (more…)
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Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
With the second and last road course done and over with for the Sprint Cup guys it’s on to short tracks and speedways with a super-speedway thrown in the mix. With Watkins Glen out of the way this now means there are only four more races until the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins.
But aren’t they “Chase”ing now? Yes, but they are chasing to get into the big Chase, the one that really counts.
After Sunday’s race, Kyle Busch locked himself in. His eighth win of the season gives him 80 bonus points and the top-seed come Loudon in September. He may not have to worry about making the Chase but come September he may want to watch out, because they’re all coming for him. Eighty points can go quickly especially with the field of competition now. (more…)
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