November 2010

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By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photo

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 21) — 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).

In the afterglow of a fifth straight title, however, the flaws in the process didn’t matter.

“Jimmie, you are a rock star, my friend,” Chad Knaus radioed after Johnson crossed the finished line 1.608 seconds behind Edwards. “You have proven it time and time again. And you damn did it today, my friend.”

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.

Though his crew worked feverishly to repair the damage, the incident affected the handling just enough to keep Hamlin from making an aggressive run to the front. His troubles were compounded when he was trapped a lap down during a cycle of pit stops and had to take a wave-around to the tail end of the lead lap. At that point Hamlin was fighting Harvick for second in the final standings, not battling Johnson for the championship.

“I felt like, as soon as we dropped the green, I thought we could win the race,” Hamlin said. “Our car was really fast at the beginning—I mean, just unbelievably fast at the beginning—and I knew we had a car that could contend for a win, and obviously when we got in that incident on the back straightaway, it tore up the front and knocked the toe out, and obviously the car did not drive as well for the rest of the day.

“We just tried to patch it and work on it the best we could, but it just wasn’t the car that it was at the beginning. It’s just part of racing.”

Johnson restarted second on Lap 251 after Harvick dumped Kyle Busch, Hamlin’s teammate, into the inside frontstretch wall to cause the 10th and final caution on Lap 244. Johnson couldn’t catch Edwards over the final 17 laps, but he pulled away from Harvick to secure the title.

“I’m just beside myself,” Johnson said in Victory Lane. “Four was amazing. Now I have to figure out what the hell to say about winning five of these things, because everybody is going to want to know what it means. I don’t know. It is pretty damn awesome — I can tell you that.”

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Pos Driver BPts Points Ldr Nxt Starts Poles Wins T5s T10 DNFs Money Won

1 Jimmie Johnson 155 6622 0 0 36 2 6 17 23 4 $7,264,781
2 Denny Hamlin 125 6583 -39 -39 36 2 8 14 18 2 $5,856,553
3 Kevin Harvick 90 6581 -41 -2 36 0 3 16 26 1 $6,812,584
4 Carl Edwards 70 6393 -229 -188 36 3 2 9 19 2 $5,716,357
5 Matt Kenseth 65 6294 -328 -99 36 0 0 6 15 0 $5,621,481
6 Greg Biffle 70 6247 -375 -47 36 0 2 9 19 3 $4,966,012
7 Tony Stewart 110 6221 -401 -26 36 2 2 9 17 1 $5,664,253
8 Kyle Busch 115 6182 -440 -39 36 2 3 10 18 3 $6,291,686
9 Jeff Gordon 115 6176 -446 -6 36 1 0 11 17 4 $5,703,706
10 Clint Bowyer 80 6155 -467 -21 36 0 2 7 18 3 $4,700,629
11 Kurt Busch 95 6142 -480 -13 36 2 2 9 17 2 $6,732,738
12 Jeff Burton 95 6033 -589 -109 36 0 0 6 15 2 $5,178,400
13 Mark Martin 65 4364 -2258 -1669 36 1 0 7 11 3 $4,481,763
14 Jamie McMurray 75 4325 -2297 -39 36 4 3 9 12 3 $6,858,689
15 Ryan Newman 40 4302 -2320 -23 36 1 1 4 14 4 $5,001,864
16 Joey Logano 40 4185 -2437 -117 36 1 0 7 16 4 $5,151,406
17 Juan Pablo Montoya 95 4118 -2504 -67 36 3 1 6 14 8 $5,088,406
18 David Reutimann 40 4024 -2598 -94 36 0 1 6 9 3 $5,090,837
19 A J Allmendinger 25 3998 -2624 -26 36 1 0 2 8 3 $4,761,572
20 Kasey Kahne 60 3961 -2661 -37 36 4 0 7 10 4 $5,289,135
21 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 40 3953 -2669 -8 36 1 0 3 8 0 $4,572,928
22 Martin Truex Jr. 45 3916 -2706 -37 36 1 0 1 7 3 $3,742,689
23 Paul Menard 25 3776 -2846 -140 36 0 0 1 6 2 $3,599,779
24 David Ragan 20 3599 -3023 -177 36 0 0 0 3 2 $3,597,379
25 Brad Keselowski 30 3485 -3137 -114 36 1 0 0 2 5 $4,254,261
26 Marcos Ambrose 20 3422 -3200 -63 36 0 0 2 5 8 $4,234,323
27 Elliott Sadler 40 3234 -3388 -188 36 1 0 0 1 4 $3,479,474
28 Regan Smith 10 3229 -3393 -5 36 0 0 0 0 4 $3,441,814
29 Sam Hornish Jr. 30 3214 -3408 -15 36 0 0 0 1 4 $3,447,549
30 Scott Speed 20 3178 -3444 -36 36 0 0 0 2 2 $3,754,922
31 Bobby Labonte 15 2583 -4039 -595 36 0 0 0 0 11 $3,172,180
32 David Gilliland 40 2445 -4177 -138 32 0 0 0 0 2 $3,035,140
33 Travis Kvapil 40 2426 -4196 -19 34 0 0 0 0 5 $3,197,722
34 Robby Gordon 40 2028 -4594 -398 27 0 0 1 1 9 $2,913,816
35 Kevin Conway # 5 1830 -4792 -198 28 0 0 0 0 9 $2,547,868
36 Casey Mears 10 1573 -5049 -257 21 0 0 0 0 7 $1,871,549
37 Dave Blaney 10 1416 -5206 -157 29 0 0 0 0 21 $2,326,365
38 Joe Nemechek 25 1361 -5261 -55 31 0 0 0 0 30 $2,535,504
39 Reed Sorenson 10 1355 -5267 -6 16 0 0 0 1 5 $1,891,733
40 Brian Vickers 15 1158 -5464 -197 11 0 0 0 3 2 $1,579,832
41 Bill Elliott 5 1107 -5515 -51 13 0 0 0 0 2 $1,314,989
42 Mike Bliss 10 1050 -5572 -57 17 0 0 0 2 12 $1,517,953
43 Max Papis 0 907 -5715 -143 18 0 0 0 0 11 $1,629,418
44 J J Yeley 10 891 -5731 -16 17 0 0 0 0 13 $1,261,659
45 Michael McDowell 20 879 -5743 -12 24 0 0 0 0 23 $1,993,075
46 David Stremme 10 825 -5797 -54 11 0 0 0 0 2 $946,775
47 Landon Cassill 5 717 -5905 -108 16 0 0 0 0 15 $1,207,811

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1 2 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
2 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet
3 28 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
4 24 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
5 5 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
6 1 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
7 23 39 Ryan Newman U.S.Army Chevrolet
8 31 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet
9 13 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
10 27 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
11 25 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
12 17 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
13 18 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
14 37 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
15 4 21 Bill Elliott Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
16 8 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
17 10 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
18 15 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
19 16 98 Paul Menard Mastercraft / Menards Ford
20 9 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
21 3 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
22 32 09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
23 41 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
24 26 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
25 38 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
26 20 47 Marcos Ambrose Clorox / Kleenex Toyota
27 22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
28 12 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
29 35 71 Andy Lally Anderson’s Maple Syrup Chevrolet
30 42 7 Kevin Conway # ExtenZe Toyota
31 14 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
32 33 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota
33 34 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
34 39 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver’s Ford
35 40 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
36 36 38 Dave Blaney A&W All American Food Ford
37 11 24 Jeff Gordon Dupont Chevrolet
38 7 00 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
39 19 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
40 43 64 Landon Cassill Empire Steel Buildings Toyota
41 29 87 Joe Nemechek Young Eagles / HeatRedefined.com Toyota
42 21 36 J J Yeley Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
43 30 66 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota

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10TH TITLE: Hendrick Motorsports now is NASCAR’s all-time leader in NASCAR Sprint Cup owner championships with 10 after Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team earned their fifth consecutive series title Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports previously was tied with Petty Enterprises, which earned nine Cup owner championships.

THE OTHER GUYS: With its fifth straight championship, Hendrick Motorsports becomes one of just four teams in major American professional sports to have scored five or more titles consecutively. The Boston Celtics posted eight NBA titles in a row starting with the 1958-59 season and ending in 1965-66. Hendrick now is tied with the New York Yankees, which earned five World Series rings from 1949-53, and the Montreal Canadiens, which scored five Stanley Cups from 1956-60.

COMPARISONS: In the major American professional sports leagues, Hendrick Motorsports’ 10 total Sprint Cup owner championships are tied for eighth behind the New York Yankees (27 World Series titles), Montreal Canadiens (24 Stanley Cups), Boston Celtics (17 NBA titles), Los Angeles Lakers (16 NBA titles), Toronto Maple Leafs (13 Stanley Cups), Green Bay Packers (12 NFL championships) and Detroit Red Wings (11 Stanley Cups). The St. Louis Cardinals own 10 World Series titles.

ALL-TIME CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 2010 Sprint Cup car owner championship is the 13th for Hendrick Motorsports across NASCAR’s three national series, extending the team’s all-time record. Richard Childress Racing ranks second among owners with 11 combined titles. In the car owner category, Hendrick has won 10 titles in the Sprint Cup Series and three in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Hendrick Motorsports also has won a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship, which came in 2003.

KNAUS SETS THE STANDARD: Chad Knaus is the only crew chief ever to win more than two consecutive Sprint Cup titles (he now has five in a row), and his championship total (also five) ranks him second all-time among crew chiefs in NASCAR history. Only Dale Inman (eight titles) has more.

FIVE-PEAT: Johnson is the first driver in NASCAR history to capture five straight Sprint Cup titles and the first champion in the Chase format to overcome a points deficit going into the final event. Johnson, however, is not the first driver ever to come back and win a championship. Most recently, Alan Kulwicki rallied from 30 points down going in to the 1992 season finale to win it all.

TWO TO GO: With a fifth title, Johnson breaks a tie with teammate Jeff Gordon to become the Sprint Cup championship leader among active drivers and third all-time. Johnson is two titles shy of NASCAR’s all-time leaders, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, who scored seven apiece during their Hall of Fame careers.

DRIVE FOR FIVE: Winning five straight championships is a first for Hendrick Motorsports, which previously was the only NASCAR team to have achieved four titles consecutively. In addition to Johnson’s 2006-10 run, Hendrick scored four in a row with Gordon (1995, 1997 and 1998) and Terry Labonte (1996). No other team has won more than three Sprint Cup championships in consecutive seasons.

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK: Johnson isn’t the first driver in motor sports this year to come back from a points deficit and capture the series championship in the season finale. John Force (NHRA Funny Car), Sebastian Vettel (F1) and Dario Franchitti (IndyCar) join Johnson in coming from behind to capture their series championships in the final race of the season. Force trailed first by 37 points going into the Nov. 14 finale, when he rallied to win his 15th Funny Car title. Vettel made up 15 points in F1’s season finale on Nov. 14, while Franchitti overcame a 12-point deficit on Oct. 2 to capture the IndyCar championship in the last race of the season.

WINNING PERCENTAGE: Hendrick Motorsports is the most efficient team in major American professional sports, earning 10 titles since its inception in 1984 for a 37.04 all-time title-winning percentage. The Celtics rank second with 17 titles in 65 seasons (26.15 percent), while the Yankees are third with 27 World Series championships in 107 seasons (25.23 percent). Hendrick has won 10 of the last 16 Sprint Cup championships (1995-2010), putting the team’s title-winning percentage during that span at 62.5.

SINCE 1984: No other major American professional sports team has earned more championships than Hendrick Motorsports since 1984, the organization’s inaugural season. In that time, the Los Angeles Lakers have earned eight championships and the Chicago Bulls have collected six titles. The New York Yankees and Edmonton Oilers have scored five titles apiece.

STILL ROLLING: Hendrick Motorsports never has run a Sprint Cup campaign without winning a pole position (1984-2010). The team scored five this season, including two from Johnson.

APPROACHING 200: Hendrick Motorsports has posted at least one Cup-level win in 25 straight seasons (194 victories from 1986-2010), the longest active streak in NASCAR. The streak began Feb. 16, 1986, when Geoff Bodine won Hendrick’s first Daytona 500.

ANOTHER ONE FOR CHEVY: Chevrolet captured its 34th Sprint Cup manufacturers’ championship this season after winning 18 races. Johnson led all Chevy drivers with seven victories.