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 12th, 2008
If you’re living under a rock or refusing to accept reality than you don’t know or have chosen not to acknowledge that Jimmie Johnson is more than likely going to win the Sprint Cup championship for the third straight season.
Granted there is a 141-point difference between Johnson and Carl Edwards, and this is NASCAR. So, anything’s possible, but luck is on Johnson’s side.
There are obviously several scenarios that could come into play this coming weekend for Johnson (or Edwards). The obvious one could be Johnson having a major problem and getting a DNF (did not finish) skyrocketing Edwards to the top of the points standings with a win. Unfortunately, that scenario isn’t the most logical or most likely. (more…)
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Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
The Sprint Cup championship may be “in the bag” for Jimmie Johnson, who rallied back for an early race pit road speeding penalty to finish second.
Johnson, who once again “captured” the pole due to qualifying being canceled, lead early in Sunday’s race, but fell back to 30th after getting a pit road speeding penalty for too fast exiting pit road. Many laps and two cautions later, Johnson was the first car a lap down and got his lap back. He was 20th.
He never seemed to be a factor, that was until the final caution, for debris, when Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, made the call to bring him in for a four-tire stop. He restarted 11th and as quickly as the green-flag flew, Johnson was picking up spots. (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 15th, 2008
Racing under the lights at Charlotte, or rather, Lowes Motor Speedway is always exciting, particularly during the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Saturday’s race, the only night race in the Chase, was no exception.
It may not be a Talladega race, but the race did falter some of the Chasers’ hopes of Championship glory as it brightened the hopes of others.
Carl Edwards, who started the second “big one” at Talladega a week ago, could not get away from a bad mistake — a mistake he was sorry for. The person not allowing him to get away from it was in fact, Edwards. (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 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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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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