Friday, November 16, 2007
ON THE TRACKS
Weekend events
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP
Ford 400
Site: Homestead, Fla.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (ESPN2, 3 p.m.); Sunday, race (ABC, 3 p.m.).
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles, 18-20 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 400 miles, 267 laps.
Last race: Jimmie Johnson took command of the Nextel Cup championship by winning at Phoenix International Raceway to open a daunting lead over teammate Jeff Gordon in the race to the title. Johnson, the defending champion, heads to this week’s season finale with a comfortable 86-point lead over Gordon.
Last year: Johnson cruised over every speed bump in his path, overcoming debris in his grill, a missing roll of tape, a loose lug nut, treacherous traffic and his own nerves to finally win the NASCAR championship. Johnson wrapped up the title with a ninth-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He finished 56 points better than Matt Kenseth. Greg Biffle won the Ford 400 for the third straight season, beating rookies Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin to the finish line. Kenseth was sixth.
Fast facts: Johnson became the first driver to win four straight in a season since Gordon did in 1998, and his season victory total is the most since Gordon won 13 races that year. He is trying to become the first driver to win consecutive titles since Gordon did it in 1997 and 1998. ... Last week’s race mathematically eliminated everyone but Johnson and Gordon from title contention, so regardless of what happens in Homestead, Hendrick Motorsports will win its seventh Cup title. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. has failed to finish a race in three of his last six starts and nine times in 35 events this season. He has won at least one race every year since 2000 but hasn’t won this year. ... Juan Pablo Montoya has a 21-point lead over David Ragan in the Rookie of the Year standings.
NASCAR BUSCH
Ford 300
Site: Homestead, Fla.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Noon, Speed Channel), race (ESPN2, 4 p.m.).
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles, 18-20 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Kyle Busch followed his truck series win the previous day with a victory in the Busch event at Phoenix. It was the final Busch Series race of Busch’s career at Hendrick. He’s leaving the team at the end of the season as it makes room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and isn’t scheduled to race in this weekend’s finale.
Last year: Matt Kenseth passed teammate Carl Edwards for the lead with 11 laps to go, then pulled away to win the Ford 300 at Homestead, Fla., for his second consecutive Busch victory. Kenseth led 90 laps, lost the lead on a poor pit stop and had to chase down Edwards to reclaim it.
Fast facts: This will be the 804th and final event run under Busch beer sponsorship. The series, which began in 1982, will be sponsored by Nationwide Insurance next year. ... Drew Blickensderfer, Kenseth’s crew chief, was fined $10,000 by NASCAR for failing last week’s postrace inspection. NASCAR said the right rear was too high on the second-place car. Kenseth was docked 25 championship points, while team owner Jack Roush forfeited 25 owner points. ... Mark Martin has six top-five finishes in seven Busch starts at Homestead. ... David Ragan has a 30-point lead over Marcos Ambrose in the Rookie of the Year chase.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
Ford 200
Site: Homestead, Fla.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 5 p.m.), race (Speed Channel, 7:30 p.m.).
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles, 18-20 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 201 miles, 134 laps.
Last race: Kyle Busch lead the final 42 laps to win at Phoenix International Raceway. Championship contender Ron Hornaday finished second, and series points leader Mike Skinner was eighth. Skinner started the race with a 57-point lead over Hornaday, but the margin was trimmed to 29 heading into this week’s finale.
Last year: Mark Martin made his last race in a Roush Racing truck a memorable one, pulling away for a hard-earned victory at the Ford 200, while Todd Bodine wrapped up the series championship with a 21st-place finish.
Fast facts: Skinner can clinch the title by finishing second or third with at least one lap led. Hornaday will win if leads the most laps and Skinner finishes third with zero laps led. ... The championship will be decided in the final race for the 12th time in 13 seasons. Only Jack Sprague (1999) and Travis Kvapil (2003) failed to win the title after carrying the lead into the season finale. ... There has not been a repeat winner in 11 truck races at Homestead. Hornaday won in 2002. ... Willie Allen has a seven-point lead over Tim Sauter and a nine-point advantage over Joey Clanton in the Rookie of the Year standings.