Johnson claims fifth NASCAR crown

Second-place finish at Ford 400 ensures another title for driver

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

HOMESTEAD, Fla.

NASCAR has a rock star — and perhaps after a fifth straight championship for unsinkable Jimmie Johnson, the sport will realize it.

Johnson ran second to Carl Edwards in Sunday’s season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to secure the first come-from-behind title in his skein of five championships.

Edwards’ victory was perfection. He led 190 of 267 laps in winning his second straight Sprint Cup race and the 18th of his career.

“Why didn’t you set the cars up like this before, Bob?” Edwards joked with crew chief Bob Osborne after the race. “That was the best performance down the straightaway I’ve had in a long time.”

The race for the championship was anything but perfection. And it wasn’t the high drama fans had anticipated from the closest Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the introduction of NASCAR’s playoff format in 2004.

An early spin on the part of Denny Hamlin, the Chase leader by 15 points entering the final race, ultimately proved decisive. A pit road speeding penalty knocked Kevin Harvick (third in points) to the rear of the field just when he appeared ready to contend for the victory. Hamlin finished 14th; Harvick rallied to finish third.

Sloppy work in the pits on the part of Johnson’s “substitute” crew — borrowed from Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 team in the middle of the eighth Chase race (at Texas) and bound to Johnson thereafter — repeatedly cost the champion track position.

To call the final race a comedy of errors on the part of the title contenders may be harsh, but championship team owner Rick Hendrick did precisely that.

“It was like, ‘Who’s going to screw up the most?’” Hendrick said after claiming his 10th Cup title (five with Johnson, four with Gordon and one with Terry Labonte).

Johnson finished 39 points ahead of Hamlin and 41 ahead of Harvick.

Before the race was 25 laps old, Hamlin made a tough job much more difficult. His No. 11 Toyota, which had started the race 37th but had gained 18 positions in the first 23 laps, touched the No. 16 Ford of Greg Biffle as the cars sped through Turn 2 on Lap 24. Hamlin spun through the infield grass, damaging the front splitter and knocking the toe angle of the tires out of position.