5 Questions Before ... Homestead

There’s not too much “excitement” going into Homestead but that doesn’t mean your friendly neighborhood Kansas race fan doesn’t have questions!


Are we going to hear “Drive for Five” during the night? … Yes. Whether or not Jimmie Johnson actually wins the championship (most likely, he will), the commentators, and media in general, will be wondering if Jimmie can pull off five in a row next year. The only question on fans’ minds, however, will be, “When will it end?”


Who all is really upset about the offseason? … NASCAR fans usually dread the offseason, and start the countdown to the Budweiser Shootout with about five races to go in the Chase. But right now it just seems like people are so sick and tired of the 48-show that they just want to start a new season fresh. The problem is, who is going to stop the same thing from happening next season? Bonus question: Would fans rather continue watching Jimmie Johnson dominate or endure two months of a NASCAR hiatus?


Will the race be exciting? … Several people have already called this weekend’s race a glorified All-Star race. With only two people really racing for a championship, the 5 and the 48, almost everyone else has nothing else to do but go for the victory! Assuming that Jimmie holds the points lead for the whole race, and there’s no reason to think he won’t, we’ll need something else to pay attention to. With double-file restarts now in effect, we may get to see some aggression from these drivers that we don’t normally get to see.


Will you be paying attention to the race for 10th? … Remember, only the top 10 drivers in points at the end of the race get to go to the banquet in Vegas! 9th through 11th are separated by 109 points in the standings, and Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle are one wreck or engine failure away from free-falling outside the top 10. Right now, it looks like the race for 10th will be more exciting than the championship.


What about the race for 13th? … Though 13th place doesn’t really mean anything in terms of awards, to the drivers outside the Chase it’s very important. There are three drivers that really want that "best of the worst" title. Right now Kyle Busch holds the position with a 45 point advantage over Matt Kenseth and an 86 point lead over Clint Bowyer. Who are you pulling for?


Honorable mentions: Is it really the end of the season? … What will you do during the offseason? … Did anyone get Denny Hamlin a Brad Keselowski voodoo doll for his birthday?




Opinions expressed are solely those of the author.