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Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

The Jimmie Johnson dynasty in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series stretched to half a decade at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday as the most dominant driver the sport has ever seen won his fifth straight championship with a second-place finish in the Ford 400 season finale.

As Carl Edwards motored to his second straight victory in as many weeks, leading 190 laps, Johnson fought back from early pit problems, settled into his regular routine and came on at the end to seal the title.

For Edwards, the two consecutive victories came after a 70-race winless streak.

"This is unreal," Edwards said in victory lane. "It's a great way to finish the season. I think the way we're going, if we can start like that, our Aflac team will have a shot at them next year.

"To finish like this is unreal. It's just these guys not giving up. We don't give up. We've had just an unbelievable run toward the end of this season. It's just a great way to end the season."

The championship battle was a nail-biting contest whose complexion changed time and time again throughout the 267-lap event.

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Filed under: Nationwide Series, NASCAR

As Kyle Busch motored to a comfortable victory in the Nationwide season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday, Danica Patrick led her first lap in NASCAR racing before settling for a 19th-place finish, nonetheless her best ever in the series.

Busch dominated the event before winning by about a second over Kevin Harvick. Series champion Brad Keselowski was third, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne.

It was Busch's record-settiing 13th victory in the Nationwide series this year, and it clinched the owner's championship for Joe Gibbs Racing, even though Keselowski won the driver's title. Busch did not run in every race this year and thus did not compete for the driver's title.

"That says it all right there, boys!" Busch shouted on his radio as he took the checkered flag. "You guys are the stuff. I can't do it without you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

"This is fun," he added while still circling the track. "This is what it is all about. I wish I had something for tomorrow, but we'll play with teammates tomorrow and try to get them one."

 

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Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Sitting on stage just to the left of his two championship rivals for a final NASCAR championship contenders press conference, Kevin Harvick leaned back in his chair and smiled, listening to Sprint Cup series points leader Denny Hamlin and second place Jimmie Johnson trade barbs and confidently explain how they planned to rise to the occasion in Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

At times they looked awkward and uncomfortable with the situation -- each arguing the other was under greater pressure -- while Harvick, a 46-point third place underdog, couldn't have appeared more settled, looking every bit his nickname, "Happy" Harvick.

Pressure? That was 10 years ago.

"It seems like it has worked backwards for me with coming in and taking over Dale's (Earnhardt) car,'' said Harvick, 35, who was picked by Richard Childress to drive the late seven-time champion's car in the days after Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.

"You started with the biggest press conference you'll ever be a part of in your whole life. You start with the weight of the world on your shoulders. As it's gone through the years, it's actually gotten easier. It's almost like you've gotten prepared for these situations before you even got started.

"There is no pressure this week. It's so easy, we're having fun, we're relaxed. We realize we have a small deficit to overcome and we've done it throughout the year beating both cars. So we're having fun with it.''

 

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We are having another contest. The prize is No. 29 team Shell-Pennzoil Holiday prize packs. There are 5 prize packages in total and they contain some pretty cool NASCAR items.

A No. 29 die-cast car

No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Christmas Ornaments

No. 29 decals

Harley-Davidson Koozies

Microfiber Clean Cloths

Here is how you enter. You have multiple ways and the more you enter the better chance you have of winning. I will spread the contest across all the social media and email list so everyone that follows the site gets a fair shake.

Join our Newsletter: Everyone that joins will get an entry. We will give away 2 prize packages here. Join our Newsletter

Leave a comment on this contest post on the site: We will give away 1 prize package. We will also be giving away 3 Shell gifts cards as a second prize. 1 entry per day is allowed.

Twitter: Follow @awesomeracefans and send a @ reply “I want to win Kevin Harvicks Shell-Penzoil Car” We will give away 1 prize packages here.

Facebook: “Like” our page Awesome Race Fans on Facebook and post in the Contest thread. We will give away 1 prize package.

The contest ends Saturday 11/27/2010 at 6pm est

If you spread the word about this contest it would be much appreciated.

Prizes were provided by Shell – Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasoline acts as a barrier to protect critical engine parts against performance-robbing gunk.

Shell NASCAR Prize Package Contest is a post from: Awesome Race Fans

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Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR

MIAMI -- Dressed in a freshly pressed, button-down shirt, cleanly shaven and appearing slightly preoccupied, Denny Hamlin was the first to arrive for NASCAR's version of a title fight weigh-in -- a formal press conference with the Sprint Cup Series championship contenders in downtown Coral Gables.

Looking a lot younger than the 30 years he turned Thursday, Hamlin politely smiled but more often stared up at the ceiling as his two bearded, 30-something challengers -- four-time defending Cup champ Jimmie Johnson and veteran Kevin Harvick -- arrived and took their seats on either side of him, then seized every opportunity to take good-natured barbs at the birthday boy and each other.

Hamlin, who holds a 15-point edge over Johnson and a 46-point cushion over Harvick entering Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, called the event "awkward'' because "there's all this s***-talking going on and we're like two feet away (from each other).''

"He definitely seems like the most nervous,'' Harvick said smiling and looking over at Hamlin.

"That's because I'm between you,'' Hamlin replied.

Actually, it's his position in front of them that has made this the most dramatic final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup since NASCAR first instituted its 10-race playoff format seven years ago.

It is the closest-ever margin between first and second place entering the final race. And Harvick, who has the best average finishing position (8.4) among the three at the 1.5-mile Homestead oval, is still a factor compared to past years when a third-place driver was merely a mathematical technicality.

 

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Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Denny Hamlin certainly had plenty of frustration boiling over after late-race strategy failed to work in his favor. So, he took a water bottle and threw it Sunday in Phoenix.

The temperament, however, may be unjustified: Hamlin heads into Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the proverbial driver's seat to win the 2010 crown.

Sure, the Virginia driver is sporting just a 15-point lead and could lose it by finishing second to Jimmie Johnson at Homestead.

But if that happens, Hamlin will be just the third driver in NASCAR's modern points system era to lose the championship in the season's final race. The first was 1979 when Richard Petty beat Darrell Waltrip and the second in 1992 when Alan Kulwicki topped Davey Allison.

Hamlin, however, clinches his fate by simply leading the most laps and finishing second or better. If Hamlin pulls that feat while Jimmie Johnson wins, the two will finish tied in the point standings.

 

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Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Crew Chiefs, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Denny Hamlin is said to be over his minor meltdown after the Phoenix race, and his crew chief, Mike Ford, is feeling good because they've had the best car and done the most winning down the stretch in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Kevin Harvick is bringing a new car to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend and as the third-place driver, will race flat out, crew chief Gil Martin said. But before Harvick goes for broke, the team is hanging out the "Gone Fishing" sign and headed to the Keys.

And Jimmie Johnson? Well, he's just a better driver than the other two, or so says crew chief Chad Knaus.

It may be that some of the things said Tuesday in a triple-header media conference featuring the three contending crew chiefs will - for motivational purposes - end up taped to one or another team's tool box in the garage at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Or it may be that it's just a lot of hot air that disappears into the air like so much exhaust smoke out of their engines.

 

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And then there was one.

Heading into Homestead this weekend for the final race of the 2010 season, the championship race is still wide open.  After Phoenix, Denny Hamlin now leads Jimmie Johnson by a scant 15 points, and Kevin Harvick by 46.  The race to determine the champion could literally come down to the last lap.

At Phoenix, where it appeared that both the 11 and 29 teams had missteps that could have cost them big, both came out pretty well.  Even with having to pit late for two tires and fuel Hamlin fought back to 12th, and Harvick was able to overcome a pit stop issue to finish sixth.

With Homestead looming, I wanted to take a second to point out each driver’s stats at the track.  In his career, Harvick has an average finish of 8.4, with four top five and seven top 10 finishes.  Johnson has an average finish of 12.7 with three top five and six top ten finishes.  While Hamlin has an average finish of 10.6, with one win, three top five, and three top ten finishes.  No driver appears to be dramatically better then the others, but it is interesting to point out that Hamlin has won their previously, and Johnson has the worst average finish.

As you digest the finish at Phoenix and look forward to the finale, we wanted to give you this opportunity to sound off about the championship.  Which driver and team will rise to the top and win the title, and why do you think so?  Talk amongst yourselves!

TheNASCARInsiders.com

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Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Half predicting, half declaring next week's NASCAR season finale will be "one hell of a show," Jimmie Johnson emerged from his fifth-place finishing No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet smiling and feeling good about his chances for an unprecedented fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

You'd have thought he won the race. He's not even leading the standings.

That designation belongs to the unhappiest of Sunday afternoon drivers, Denny Hamlin, who, after leading a race-best 190 laps, had to pit for fuel with 14 laps remaining at Phoenix International Raceway.

Hamlin heads to next week's final showdown at Homestead-Miami Speedway a scant 15 points ahead of Johnson in the closest championship fight since the Chase playoff format was installed in 2004. Third place Kevin Harvick is still very much in the thick of things, 46 points behind Hamlin.

The in-car television camera showed Hamlin yanking off his driving gloves and throwing them one by one against the dashboard of his 12th place No. 11 FedEx Toyota after the race's cool-down lap. Sitting on pit wall immediately after the race, he threw a water bottle and sullenly awaited his television interview.

"Yeah, it's pretty disappointing,'' Hamlin said, taking a long pause before answering questions. "We were in a good position there to look pretty good going into next week.

"It's tough to not be happy having a points lead going into the last race but. ... I was sitting pretty.''

 

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Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Crew Chiefs, Pit Crews, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Kevin Harvick said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway that Denny Hamlin's crew chief, Mike Ford, stuck his foot in his mouth with his bold, confident statements last weekend after Hamlin won the race at Texas. The victory gave Hamlin the lead in the Chase to the Sprint Cup by 33 points over Jimmie Johnson, with Harvick close behind, 59 points back.

"I think Mike should take his own advice to his driver and not insert your foot into your mouth when you don't do something that winds up being something that you say it should be," Harvick said. "I think the comments that he made after the race about being better than the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) team and all that stuff, I think he's just trying to stir stuff up."

It's clear that the fender-rubbing has become just as intense in the media centers as on the race tracks as the Chase comes down to the finish with a tight points race between the three top contenders.

Ford was critical of Johnson's team for replacing the pit crew and said the 48's goal "is more about trying to win a championship for the company and not the team."

He went on to say: "I think our race team is better than their race team, and I'm not going to tiptoe around them."

Said Harvick, "The only good thing that comes from being cocky like that is you better win because if you don't, you're going to have to answer a lot of questions about your comments when you get done. I think when you're trying to intimidate the guy who's won four championships in a row, I think you might need to go rethink your strategy and just go out and worry about racing because it's not really something that was probably necessary."

 

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