Chase Coverage: Homestead Wrap-Up Report

After 10 races, the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup came to a thrilling conclusion at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

What started as a three-man battle for the title between Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick gave way to one of the most exciting season finales in memory, if not the most exciting race of the year. All three contenders had problems during the race, keeping fans on the edge of their seats wondering who would come out on top.

In the end, one man was left standing: Jimmie Johnson came from behind in the points to hoist his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup championship, a first in the history of NASCAR.

Skirts and Scuffs congratulates Johnson on his historic achievement.

There's also the matter of who won the last race of 2010. That would be Carl Edwards, who dominated at Homestead to finish out the season with back-to-back wins. Will Edwards be a possible contender for the 2011 championship? Read on to find out his thoughts.

Here's what our contributors had to say about how the Chase drivers did during the final race of the 2010 season.

1. Jimmie Johnson - Champion - 6622 points - Rebecca Kivak

Jimmie Johnson went into Homestead second in the points standings and emerged as the first consecutive five-time champion in the history of NASCAR. Faced with racing for the title in the season finale, a situation he hadn't found himself in in five years, the driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet delivered on the track to the very last lap, finishing second in Sunday's Ford 400. But the road to a fifth title wasn't easy. Johnson overcame three slow pit stops by his crew and made the fewest mistakes of the top 3 title contenders in a race that kept fans guessing until the very end.

Johnson's 6th-place starting position in the Ford 400 gave him an edge over points leader Denny Hamlin, who started 37th, and third-place Kevin Harvick, who started 28th. Within the opening laps Johnson had moved up to third. He continued to run in the top 5 for the first 70 laps and was the only title contender to lead a lap, which he did on lap 72.

During the race Johnson worked to stay ahead of Hamlin, who had his own problems after spinning out early in the race and later a confusing pit call, and Harvick, who had the speed until a late-race speeding penalty set him back.

The biggest obstacle to Johnson's historic fifth title ended up being his pit crew. The former over-the-wall crew for the No. 24 team, who had performed flawlessly at Texas and Phoenix, stumbled at Homestead. When Johnson pitted on lap 73, the crew had trouble with the right rear tire. The 15.6-second stop caused Johnson to restart 9th. Johnson had worked his way to 7th when he came into the pits on lap 99 for tires and fuel. The 13.7-second pit stop lost him three spots and he restarted 10th. When Johnson came in for fuel only on lap 135, the crew's fast work allowed him to gain four spots and he restarted fourth. But a stop on lap 165 brought more trouble for Johnson when the crew had a problem with the lug nuts on the right front. The 15.4-second stop saw Johnson lose five spots, relegating him back to 12th.

After the third problematic pit stop, Johnson asked his crew kindly and calmly on the scanner to be there for him. And for the remainder of the race they were. Within 15 laps he had climbed back into the top 10. After another caution on lap 187, the pit crew's 12.7-second stop enabled Johnson to gain one spot, restarting 8th.

The adjustments made by crew chief Chad Knaus helped Johnson gain speed throughout the race. By lap 220 he was up to 2nd, behind race leader Carl Edwards. From then on out Johnson never looked back. When he crossed the finish line and Knaus told him he was the 2010 champion, Johnson pumped his fist and exclaimed, "It's unbelievable, it's unbelievable!" It was a nice display of emotion for the usually cool and collected Johnson.

Johnson became the first driver in Chase history and the first since 1992 to come from behind to win the championship. And it was this championship - the one that almost wasn't - that has been the sweetest for Johnson.

“I’ve always (said) that the first championship, first win, that stuff meant the most to me,” Johnson said. "This one, I think this takes the lead. Just the circumstances, it’s not that the other Chases weren’t competitive. We were stronger I think in the previous two Chases at least. Maybe all four. We have had the highs and lows of the Chase, but to have it all come around, and to look every single one of my crew guys in the eyes on that stage tonight, there’s a different feeling about it.” 

With his five titles, Johnson now follows Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, with seven each, into the history books.

On a personal note, I just wanted to say I've enjoyed covering Jimmie Johnson for the Skirts and Scuffs Chase coverage! It's incredible to see one of my favorite drivers reach this amazing achievement. Thanks for joining me in watching it unfold.

2. Denny Hamlin - (-39) - Holly Machuga

The 2010 season came to a disappointing end for Denny Hamlin on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He finished 14th with 39 points behind Jimmie Johnson.

This season has been the best by far of Hamlin’s career with eight wins, 14 top 5s, 18 top 10s and two poles.

When asked about the race itself, Denny answered, “Well, I mean, it was a fight. You know, you can kind of maybe contribute it to bad qualifying, but 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.”
      
Afterward, he addressed the incident with Greg Biffle just a few laps into the race, “We just tried to patch it and work on it the best we could but just wasn't the car that it was at the beginning.”
          
And, next year? “We'll just keep fighting and get 'em next year.”

3. Kevin Harvick - (-41) - Amber Arnold

As the laps wound down and the checkered flag flew, a season in which Harvick called “a 180,” ended up falling a little short in the title hopes. Forty-one points short to be exact.

Homestead was an eventful race for the 29 team. An on-track dust-up with Kyle Busch ended with Busch going down in flames at the hands of Harvick’s front bumper. Harvick later told the media Busch raced him “like a clown” all day and even joked after the race with Busch’s teammate Denny Hamlin that Harvick “parked” Hamlin’s teammate.

While Harvick didn’t receive any detrimental damage after the on-track altercation, he may have sunk himself after one on pit road. Harvick was caught speeding in a controversial call made by NASCAR. Gil Martin, crew chief for the 29, disputed the call and in the end NASCAR won and Harvick paid the price. Some say this was the demise of the championship for Harvick and his team. Harvick later said the speeding call will “(n)ever settle in my stomach.”

At the end of the 2010 season, the 29 team should look back on it with nothing but positive thoughts. While they didn’t take home the trophy, they did take away proof they could contend while overcoming adversity.

4. Carl Edwards - (-229) - Amanda Ebersole

The season is d-o-n-e - done - and Jimmie Johnson is still king of the mountain. All the drama during the race was over who would win the Sprint Cup, but did anyone notice who won the race? That’s right … for the second week in a row it was Carl Edwards! And if I do say so myself, Carl spanked the field in Homestead by leading 190 of the 267 laps for the Ford 400 championship finale. It was very fitting to have a Ford in victory lane.

Carl started in second, next to pole sitter Kasey Kahne, and quickly showed his dominance. Five laps into the race, Carl took the lead and from that point on there was only one car that seemed to match up to Carl, the 56 of Martin Truex Jr. Truex was the only other driver to lead a large quantity of laps. Carl and crew chief Bob Osborne made great calls in the race to improve the handling of the Aflac Ford Fusion. The 99 team also was stellar in the pit stops, and if you have ever followed Carl and his team, that was an issue at one point. The pit crew was also awarded the Tissot Pit Crew Award for being the fastest in Homestead. Carl won the race with a 1.608-second margin over Jimmie Johnson and the third-place car of Kevin Harvick.

"This is unreal,” Edwards said in victory lane. “This is a great way to finish the season. I’m just so proud for Ford, Aflac, Scotts, Subway, Vitamin Water, Kellogg’s, Valvoline – everybody that’s been behind us all year. To win back-to-back is a product of these guys not giving up. We don’t give up. My guys are unreal and we just had an unbelievable run toward the end of this season. I’m truly blessed and I’m so excited."

And please don’t name Carl as a threat to Jimmie in 2011. In his post-race press conference, he was asked about being the favorite in 2008 and his reply was comical: “Please don't do that again. That didn't work worth a damn.”

Looking toward 2011, I expect great things from the 99 team. I am so sad to see 2010 end, but for Carl it ended on a high note.

Thank you for reading my coverage of Carl Edwards throughout the Chase … it has been a blast to cover him!

5. Matt Kenseth - (-328) - Whitney Richards

Last Sunday’s race was a milestone in Matt Kenseth’s NASCAR career. It was his 400th Sprint Cup Series start, and the team wanted to bring home the win. After an up-and-down year, Kenseth was hungry for a win to end the season, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. For the second time in three years, Kenseth went winless, finishing 9th in the season finale.

Kenseth took the green flag from the 13th position, and within the opening run, had cracked the top 10. Under the first caution of the day on lap 17, Kenseth informed crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford was tight in the center of the turns, loose off. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. Kenseth’s crew gained him three positions on pit road, which had him restarting sixth.

The following run had Kenseth battling a car that had become looser than it had been in the beginning of the race. The crew continued to make adjustments when they could, but the loose-handling condition remained.  A caution for debris around lap 188 gave the team a chance to make more adjustments. The No. 17 crew gained three positions on pit road again, and Kenseth restarted 4th. Following the restart, Kenseth informed Fennig that the car had tightened up and that he could finally challenge for position. A few laps later, he was up to second. Kenseth challenged teammate Carl Edwards for the lead, and was able to lead lap 207, but soon afterward, he began to drop back. The No. 17 Ford was beginning to get loose again. Kenseth dropped to third and told his crew that the car was lacking rear grip.

On lap 240, Fennig called Kenseth to pit road for a green-flag stop for four tires, fuel, and track bar and air pressure adjustments. A caution came out just a few laps after Kenseth pitted, and the team opted to stay out. Kenseth restarted third, but dropped back as the race began to wind down. In the end, he took the checkered flag from the 9th position. Kenseth ended the season 5th in the standings.

While Kenseth might have gone winless, his pit crew didn’t. Congratulations to the No. 17 crew, who won the 2010 Tissot Pit Crew of the Year award! 

6. Greg Biffle - (-375) - Stacie Ball

That’s a wrap! The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is officially over and in the books. Greg Biffle and his team, in my eyes, had one of the best comebacks ever by finishing sixth in the standings. The naysayers definitely were wrong about him not having what it takes to get back into the game after his engine failure earlier in the Chase. For me, I had to look at it from a positive perspective, not giving up hope. Yes, I know other cars had some mishaps, which brought him back into the top 10, and which I think is pretty darn good after being in 10th a few weeks back.

By the time the first caution flag flew on lap 17 of the Ford 400, Biffle had made his way up to the 22nd position. The Pit Bulls picked up four spots in the pits after giving him four fresh tires and fuel. The next caution came out on lap 24 as he was running in the 16th position, and he opted to stay out to retain his track position. The field restarted on lap 27 and he continued his climb toward the top 10.

A round of green-flag stops began on lap 67. Biffle made his way into the 12th position and he pitted three laps later for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment as the car had become a little tight. Over the course of the next 100 laps, the Pit Bulls made several wedge and air pressure adjustments during three pit stops under caution to try to fine-tune the car.

Following a pit stop on lap 201, Biffle reported that the car was the best it had been all day. He was running 12th at the time and drove all the way up to ninth before a round of green-flag stops began on lap 238. Erwin instructed Biffle to pit on lap 240 for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment and a caution came out five laps later before the cycle was complete.

Biffle stayed out and restarted seventh on lap 250, but some of the drivers behind him with fresher tires initially got by him. He dropped back to 13th, but was able to get by three cars in the closing laps for a 10th-place finish.

“It was a pretty good day,” Biffle said. “We were off just a little bit with this car. I think our other car was faster. We had to go to a backup car. It was a good day for us, but I just wish we could have finished up there a little higher. That last caution hurt us because I thought we were better than that and guys got to start behind us with new tires. I’m happy Carl won two in a row at the end of the year and we’ve got our program turned around. It’s good for us.”

I have to say earlier in the season I never thought Ford would bounce back, which they did once the win for Biffle came in July. I actually liked being proven wrong. Thank you to Greg Biffle, Greg Erwin and the Pit Bulls for an amazing Chase, along with making me believe in the sport of NASCAR again by not giving up. It was an honor to follow you the last 10 weeks for Skirts and Scuffs. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what comes next year for the team!

7. Tony Stewart - (-401) - Unique Hiram

The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season has officially ended and Tony Stewart ended it on a high note at the conclusion of the Ford 400. He started the race in the 31st position and ended up finishing in the eighth position when the checkered flag waved. Upon entering this final race, Smoke was seeded ninth in the Sprint Cup Chase points standings; however, due to his great finish it moved him up to seventh in the final standings. This is a great testament about how persistence and hard work can pay off dividends when you have that fighting can-do spirit.

“We worked really hard today for an eighth-place finish,” said Stewart after completing his 12th full season in the elite Sprint Cup Series. “I think it sort of mirrors our season. We worked hard all year long – everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing did. We really had a phenomenal year last year, and we knew it would be hard to maintain that this year. Sure enough, we faced more adversity this year than we did last year, but no one ever gave up, no one ever quit. We all just kept digging. We did that all day today. We went a lap down twice, worked our way back onto the lead lap both times, and ended the day with a top-10. Nothing spectacular, but a solid result nonetheless.”

Additionally, Smoke had this to say about the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson - “He’s the best that’s ever been and five straight championships, in this era, that proves it.”

Although Tony Stewart and the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice team had their share of challenges this season, they have proven that they are tough contenders who will keep fighting until the final checkered flag waves for the season. The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season should prove to be even more exciting for this team because they are like the Energizer Bunny who keeps "going and going."

8. Kyle Busch - (-440) - Lindi Bess

Photo Credited to Tracey Ziolkowski

With the 2010 NASCAR season ending and his upcoming nuptials Dec. 31, Kyle Busch’s year is far from over. In fact, you could say it's just the beginning. But before we say goodbye to the 2010 season, let's look back on Kyle’s very exciting year and what I’m calling ‘Kyle’s Miles.’

Homestead-Miami Speedway was the setting for the 2010 NASCAR season finale. The 2010 Sprint Cup Championship race was one of the most exciting it had been in recent years. It actually got down to the final laps before it was known who was going to walk away with the coveted Sprint Cup Championship.

Kyle went into the 2010 Chase fourth in the points standings. After not making the Chase in 2009, Kyle was ready to show what he was made of in 2010. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H. marked race #1 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. It was here that Kyle began his trek for the championship.

When asked his thoughts about this season and the Chase, Busch said, “I’m looking forward to it. We have a good opportunity to come out here and run strong. I don’t think we are going to shock the world, but hopefully we will steal one out of the bag.”

Kyle Busch remained a strong contender in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Then his visions of winning the 2010 Championship disappeared from his sight during the NSCS Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway. The #00 of David Reutimann admittedly chose to retaliate for an earlier incident and purposely slammed into #18 Toyota Camry and caused very serious damage to his car.

They repaired the car and got him back on the track, but not before he went from his 4th place position in the Chase to 7th in the standings. Both he and his team deserve to be commended on their ability to get the car back on the track and finally finishing on the lead lap, but in 21st position.

Photo Credited to Tracey Ziolkowski

Kyle’s 2010 Sprint Cup statistics were nothing to be ashamed of. With 3 wins, 10 top 5s and 18 top 10s, 3 DNFs, an average finish of 14 and average start was 15.8. His total winnings for the Sprint Cup Series were $6,088,001.


Kyle’s 2010 NNS statistics were above and beyond what anyone would have thought possible: 13 wins, 21 top 5s and 24 top 10s, an average finish of 5.1 and start of 4.2. His winnings totaled $1,277,890.


Kyle’s NCWTS stats were awesome. With eight wins, 13 top 5s and 14 top 10s. Average start: 4.3, Average finish: 4.0, 1 DNF and Total Winnings: $616,110 (+ bonuses).

Photo Credited to Tracey Ziolkowski

Kyle had an extremely exciting year, sweeping Bristol in August in all three of NASCAR’s top series. He broke many records and seasonwise his stats were incomparable. When it came down to Homestead, he actually went into Sunday's Ford 400 with the chance to sweep the weekend as Busch had won Friday’s Ford 200 CWTS Race and then took Saturday's NNS Ford 300, his second race of the weekend.


The #18 Toyota Camry was racing smart Sunday and slowly but stealthlike, Kyle moved forward, actually having led 57 laps for the race. It was lap 243 when Busch’s hopes for another sweep where shot down in flames.
Kevin Harvick, while carrying a grudge against NASCAR for an earlier violation, took out the #18. Kyle’s car was engulfed in flames and he had to be pulled from the wreckage by track personnel. This incident ended the race for Kyle Busch. You can bet he’ll come back next year with a few crosses to bare.


He also won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owners' championship with his own No. 18 Toyota. Busch also secured the NNS owners' championship at Saturday's Ford 300 for Joe Gibbs Racing.

After following Kyle this year, I have definitely become a fan. While I am still a Jimmie Johnson fan second, only to NASCAR, Busch comes in a strong third. Here’s to a great off-season and we’ll see you next year with more excitement and intrigue than you can stand.

9. Jeff Gordon - (-446) - Genevieve Cadorette

Jeff Gordon didn’t finish the race at the Ford 400 on Sunday in Homestead, Fla.

He started in 11th position and moved ahead to the seventh spot. He had been heard saying that his car was tight through the center and loose getting in and was unable to run to the top. On lap 59, he reported, “"Up top now, just a little too tight when I pick up the throttle."

On lap 98, there was a caution. He fell back to 31st position and was a lap down; he pitted with the leaders.

With 67 laps to go to the finish, the 24 car’s engine blew up, ending his season. He finished ninth in points and told reporters, "Heck of an effort boys. This is just the way things have been this year, things just haven't gone our way. We'll work hard to fix these things and come back strong next year."

10. Clint Bowyer - (-467) - Amy McHargue

Coming into Homestead, Clint Bowyer had plans to run strong and gain a few spots in the Chase if at all possible. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be for Clint and his team this year. After qualifying in the 17th position, Clint just could not gain much ground on Sunday. The team needed a spectacular day in Homestead that just didn't happen. After the first pit stops on lap 22, Bowyer was posted on the board in 12th position, but by lap 47 he was back to 16th. As lap 137 was completed on the track, Bowyer was shown in 21st.

In a quiet race for Clint, he was as low in the field as 21st place and never cracked the top 10. This #33 Cheerios team just didn't seem to have the car under them to make anything big happen. Fortunately, Clint kept the car out of trouble and salvaged what he could out of a mediocre racecar. He had moved up to 12th by lap 156 but after pit stops on lap 180 Bowyer came back to the green flag in the 19th position again. By the end of the race, Clint had moved up to 12th place; it was enough to move Clint Bowyer up one spot in the Chase to the Championship. Clint finishes the year 10th in the standings.

11. Kurt Busch - (-480) - Rebecca Kivak

Kurt Busch has struggled throughout the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup, and the season finale at Homestead was no different. After an early-race incident impeded his progress, Busch finished 18th in his final race in the legendary Blue Deuce. Busch, who had been ranked 10th in the points standing prior to the race, fell to 11th, missing his last chance to represent sponsor Millier Lite at next week's annual Sprint Cup banquet.

Busch started Sunday's Ford 400 in the 15th position, but wasted little time in moving up, reaching 8th in the opening laps. But on lap 17, David Reutimann hit the wall. Busch, running the high line, was unable to avoid the 00 and struck the rear of the car. After the incident, the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge was unable to be competitive and Busch even went a lap down. With 100 laps left, Busch took the wave-around to get back on the lead lap. After a caution for debris on lap 186, Busch pitted and the crew was able to finish straightening out the tow-in. As a result, the Blue Deuce gained its competitive form back and Busch was able to break into the top 15. But his troubles weren't over.

"The 9 car checked up and the 98 blocked us and we were in the wall again. We caught a break when the caution came out for Kyle’s (Busch’s) crash and the leaders had pitted (and he hadn’t), but it was too little too late," Busch said. "We really wanted to have a great run here in our final race in the 'Blue Deuce,' but it just wasn’t meant to be."

Busch lost ground in the final points standings to Clint Bowyer, whose 12-place finish shot him ahead of Busch for the 10th spot - and a seat at the banquet.

After bringing his 180-race stretch in the Blue Deuce to a close, Busch will take on the familiar red and yellow colors of Pennzoil/Shell when he steps into the No. 22 Penske Dodge for the 2011 season.

12. Jeff Burton - (-589) - Genna Short

Jeff Burton didn’t make any big splashes during the final weeks of the Chase. That is, if you don’t count the wrecks and fights he was involved in.

What began as a weekend and race with a lot of potential ended in a disappointing 31st-place finish - a full 29 spots behind where he finished in the same race one year ago.

While he managed a respectable 14th place in qualifying, he was fast in practice. He led final practice with a speed of 169.545 mph, 0.039 ahead of eventual pole winner Kasey Kahne. In the first two practices, he was 33rd and second. While the car appeared to get progressively better over the course of the day, it just wasn’t enough to hold up during Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead.

Early in the race, Burton broke the top five and was challenging Jimmie Johnson for fourth place by lap 68. However, during green-flag pit stops, he had a poor spot and lost the lead lap by lap 73. He fell to 34th place but got back his lap after he gained the free pass on lap 135.

Bad only became worse. On lap 183, he smacked the wall and began to fall back even more. He was never able to pick up the pace again.

He is ready to move on to next season, though.

“We collectively have got to find a way to bring the speed to all the weekends that we have on some of the weekends. These are big factors, but those are the things that jump out to me that we need to be better at,” he stated on Friday.

“I really think that we can go fast enough to win the championship next year, but we've got to find the little speed that we lost through the summer. We showed it at Phoenix, we showed it at Martinsville, but we haven't shown it on the big tracks as of late and we've got to get that back.”

A note from Genna:
Recaps, previews, stats, numbers - they aren’t really my thing. When I took on Jeff Burton race coverage for Katy, 10 races ago, I never thought I would have so much fun doing this. Thanks for reading everyone and on to 2011!

And that's a wrap! Skirts and Scuffs would like to thank all our readers who have followed our Chase coverage. Here's looking forward to what the 2011 season holds!

__________
Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media, Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing

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Chase Coverage: Phoenix Wrap-Up Report

Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

With every race the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup becomes more exciting. At Phoenix, it was the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. One Chaser's winless streak ended in the desert, while the dominant car - and championship contender behind it - lost the race as well as ground in the standings. 

Points leader Denny Hamlin seemed all but certain to run way with Sunday's race in the desert. Then everything changed as it all came down to fuel mileage.

The nearly 70-point lead Hamlin had built up during the race was nearly wiped out as the fuel-mileage gamble worked against him and in Jimmie Johnson's and Kevin Harvick's favor. We now have the closest points battle in the history of the Chase with one race to go. This sets up a final blowout for the title at Homestead, which could come down to the last lap.

A delighted Carl Edwards couldn't wait to "flip" after a 70-race winless stretch, the end of a rare perfect weekend for the driver 4th in the standings.

How did you favorite Chase driver come out in the fuel-mileage game at Phoenix? Our 12 contributors bring you the story on each of the top 12 after the Kobalt Tools 500.

1. Denny Hamlin - Holly Machuga

Denny Hamlin continues to lead the points standings with 15 points over Jimmie Johnson after a 12th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway.

The team had a great run Sunday and led the majority of the race. What ruined their day was being 12 laps short on fuel. Unfortunately, Hamlin was forced to conserve fuel and fell to the 12th position. This opened the rest of the race up for anyone else to win.

Post race, Denny was asked what he needs to do to win this Chase come Homestead. He answered, "For me I guess as soon as I leave Phoenix, I have to leave Phoenix in Phoenix."

To clinch that championship spot, Hamlin has a few options. One, he can lead the most laps and come in second. Or, two, he can win the race.

If it comes to a tie with Jimmie Johnson, the driver with the most wins will be the champion. Denny would overrule Johnson with eight wins.

With one more race to go, the Chase has become extremely interesting. We'll all be watching the FedEx team during the final race in the 2010 Sprint Cup season.

2. Jimmie Johnson - Rebecca Kivak

Jimmie Johnson's dream of a fifth Sprint Cup title looked like it was fading into the rear-view mirror while points leader Denny Hamlin dominated Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500. The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet battled a loose racecar off and on and simply lacked the speed to keep up with the No. 11. But in the end, it was fuel mileage - something that had bitten the No. 48 team in the past - that would keep Johnson's title hopes alive.

Johnson started Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 from the 21st position. For the first half of the race, the four-time Cup champion reported a lose condition in the center and tight in the corners. It took Johnson until lap 70 to break into the top 10. When some shade fell upon the track in turns 3 and 4, the car tightened up, improving the handling and allowing Johnson to pick up positions. By lap 120 he was running in the top 5. Once the sun came back out, however, Johnson once again found himself struggling with a loose condition, but continued to run steadily in the top 5.

Benefiting Johnson was his new No. 48 pit crew. The former over-the-wall team for the No. 24 nailed their stops in roughly 13 seconds or less, allowing Johnson to maintain or gain positions on pit road. Despite the improvements in the pits, though, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus couldn't get the speed they wanted from the No. 48 car. In an atypical Phoenix race for Johnson, he never led a lap or emerged as a contender for the win.

The game-changing moment in the 312-lap event turned out to be a yellow-flag pit stop on lap 224. Johnson and Hamlin both pitted on this stop. In his post-race comments, Johnson said he had started conserving fuel early in the last long green-flag run. Then with 25 laps to go, Knaus started coaxing Johnson to save fuel, and he went into ultra conservation mode. Hamlin, however, didn't have enough fuel and pitted with 14 to go.

Johnson was able to stretch the gas in his tank over the last 88 laps. For a team that has struggled with fuel mileage, the all-or-nothing gamble for the No. 48 paid off Sunday as Johnson crossed the finish line fifth. He gained 18 points on Hamlin and trails him by 15 going into the season finale at Homestead. Johnson's hunt for a fifth title is very much alive, setting up an exciting showdown for the championship.

3. Kevin Harvick - Amber Arnold

Who knew that forgetting a lug nut on a pit stop could actually end up being a good thing? This was the case for Harvick and the 29 team in Phoenix. 

Harvick ended up having to come back down pit road to fix it when Gil Martin, Harvick’s crew chief, made the call for fuel. After a long green flag run, Harvick managed to work himself up to the 6th position when the checkered flag flew. 

Phoenix was also a race that moved Harvick a little closer to possibly claiming the championship trophy in Homestead. Denny Hamlin finishing behind Harvick has brought him just 46 points out of first and 31 points our of 2nd. Going into Homestead the objective is clear for the Shell/Penzoil team. Win the race and win their first Sprint Cup championship!

4. Carl Edwards - Amanda Ebersole

After a two-year drought, Carl Edwards and the 99 Aflac team made it back to Victory Lane. This weekend could not have been any better for Edwards. He won the Nationwide race (after starting from second) then claimed the pole for the Cup race, setting a new track record, and also won every single practice that was held this weekend.

Carl and crew chief Bob Osborne made great calls that had him in contention throughout the entire race. Carl was battling a loose condition for a while, but Bob made the appropriate changes and Carl regained his track position. He, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch battled for first, second and third throughout the race. Then the race came down to fuel mileage, something everyone dreads. But Carl has always been great at saving fuel, so I knew this was his moment …barring any fluke, he could do it!

With 12 laps to go, Denny Hamlin had to pit. That left Carl in a good position over the second-place car of Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya then ran out of fuel .... and Carl sailed to the checkered flag with a 4.77-second margin over second-place Ryan Newman.

Carl snapped a 70-race winless streak, his last victory coming at Homestead in 2008, and has now earned his way into the All-Star Race next May. I guess you can say that this is one drought that ended in the desert.

Carl celebrated his victory with his now trademark backflip and added to that a run through the crowd with the fans. Victory Lane also saw the markings of the Aflac duck - white feathers were thrown by the crew in celebration.

Post race, Carl made sure to thank his sponsors, team and fans who have not given up on him these past two years. “I think it’s something that we needed for our confidence,” Carl said. “We needed it as a payoff for all the hard work the guys have put in at the shop, the engine department. It would be nice to get another one at Homestead. But to go into the off-season knowing that we’re getting better, looks like we have a legitimate shot to finish fourth in the points, to be in the All-Star Race next season, to have that energy going forward, all those things are good.”

As a devoted Carl fan, this was the best race weekend in a long time for me! Sure, I have loved the Nationwide wins, but everyone always says to me, “When is he going to get a Cup win?” Now I can say he did!

I never thought I would be one of those fans to get all emotional over sports of any type, but when Carl took that checkered flag Sunday night, I got all misty-eyed and as I recount this now I also am. I have never given up hope on Carl and the 99 team and am so proud as a fan to see them back in Victory Lane, where they belong!

5. Matt Kenseth - Whitney Richards

After their second-place finish at Texas last weekend, Matt Kenseth and his crew came to Phoenix International Raceway looking to be contenders for the win again. With a decent starting position, Kenseth looked strong as the No. 17 Valvoline Ford cracked the top 10 within the opening laps of the race. However, an uncharacteristic pit road mistake from the No. 17 crew had Kenseth off sequence with the leaders late in the race. The team was able to battle back and finish seventh.

Kenseth took the green flag from the 15th position on Sunday for the Kobalt Tools 500. Just 10 laps later, he was up to ninth. He remained in that position, and didn’t report much about his car’s handling other than the No. 17 Ford was tight in the middle of the turns. A caution on lap 60 gave Kenseth the chance to inform crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the car was still tight in the middle of the turns and also very aero-sensitive. Kenseth pitted under the caution for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. His pit crew was able to help him gain two positions to restart seventh. He was able to maintain track position until around lap 95 when he reported the car was lacking rear grip. The tight-handling issue was still there too.

Another caution gave Kenseth the chance to pit for four tires, fuel and more air pressure adjustments on lap 102. He restarted 11th, and worked his way back inside the top 10 when green-flag stops began to cycle through. After staying out to lead lap 173, he pitted and the team made more air pressure adjustments as well as a trackbar adjustment. The changes helped, but eventually the No. 17 Ford became loose. Under caution on lap 235, Fennig called Kenseth down pit road for a two-tire stop in an attempt to gain track position. Unfortunately, a loose lug nut forced Kenseth to come back down pit road, resulting in him restarting 18th.

The race came down to basically who had the fuel to finish among the leaders. Before the race was over, Kenseth had to make a stop for fuel, but he battled back to take the checkered flag from the seventh position. He is fifth in the standings, 311 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

6. Jeff Gordon - Genevieve Cadorette

Jeff Gordon started the race in 22nd position in Sunday’s Kolbalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona. He believes that a "tightening" in the track is what prevented the team from getting a better finish.

By the time he pitted around lap 59, he was in 17th position; after pitting for four tires and an air pressure adjustment, he continued to move ahead until he was in 11th. He was heard on his radio telling his crew, “I’m a little bit too tight getting the center of the corner.” An issue during the lap 102 pit stop had dropped him back to 16th.

He was later heard saying that his car was “not bad by myself, but plowing tight as soon as I get near someone.” His crew chief Steve Letarte called for major changes to the chassis during the lap 224 pit stop.

He returned to pit road 13 laps later for more adjustments and four new tires. He restarted 15th and moved ahead to 11th in time to finish the race.

"[The setup] at the end of the race was close to how we had it at the beginning," Gordon said after the race. "We adjusted on it and adjusted on it, and then we brought it back close to what we started with when those changes didn't work.

"It was fast at the start, but I guess the track just tightened up too much and we couldn't get a hold of it.”

Gordon is sixth in points for next week's final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Ford 400 season finale and the Cup championship.

7. Kyle Busch - Lindi Bess

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series found itself in Phoenix this past weekend. A race that should have been about strategy came down to fuel mileage in the end. Kyle and the #18 Toyota Camry have 12 starts at the Phoenix track, six of which were in the JGR Toyota. Of these six races, including Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500, Kyle has zero top 5s, three top 10s, an average start of 6, and average finish now a 11.33.

In Sunday's race, Kyle started in the seventh position. The race began with its first caution within the first two laps. Once back out on the track, Kyle was able to move up to the fourth position, behind brother Kurt. Lap 60 brought out the second caution, in which Kyle Busch pits and took four tires and a track bar adjustment. By lap 164, Kyle took second from Carl Edwards. Soon Kyle got his five extra points by taking the lead from his teammate, Denny Hamlin.

The field went through green flag pit stops and Kyle joins them after securing his extra points. When the field reset, Kyle was in third, right in front of four-time champion Jimmie Johnson, and Hamlin had regained the lead. After caution number 4, the field reset after pitting and Kyle took the lead, bringing the field past the green flag. Kyle led a total of six laps. In my opinion, the race had been extremely slow. It wasn’t until the end when drivers began to worry about fuel - and whether or not they had enough - when things began to pick up a bit. The #18 finished in 13th behind points leader and teammate Hamlin.

Next weekend is a first for many of us NASCAR fans. By now in recent years, it was pretty much decided on who would drive away with the Sprint Cup championship. Not this year - we still have three who are in the running. I for one can’t wait until Homestead.

8. Greg Biffle - Stacie Ball

For me, the second to last race in the Chase was a complete nail-biter. I am shocked I have any nails left over after watching the race from Phoenix International Raceway. After Biffle’s amazing finish in Texas, I really had no idea what to expect these last two races. I was so happy to see that he was driving for the win, even if it was not totally in the cards for him.

The Pit Bulls sent Biffle out 13th for the restart on lap 65, but the car still seemed to be lacking grip. He was back in 15th when the next caution came out on lap 100. The team made another round of adjustments and sent Biffle out in the 12th position. A few laps later, however, he was back in the 16th position with a loose racecar when a round of green-flag pit stops began on lap 168.

The team picked up three positions in the pits and Biffle was 13th on the board when the round of green-flag stops was complete on lap 176. During the next run, he reported that the Scotch Brand Ford was still too loose but a caution on lap 222 allowed him to pit for further adjustments. Those adjustments, however, made the car too tight so he pitted during the next caution on lap 235 for further changes while some of the frontrunners opted to stay out.

That pit stop would prove to be pivotal for the 3M team as the race went green to the checkered flag from that point. He restarted 14th on lap 239 and drove up to seventh before informing the team that the car had lost grip again. He dropped back to ninth, which is where he was running when some of the cars in front of him began to run out of fuel. Biffle was able to capitalize and drive to a fourth-place finish.

“We weren’t that good but the fuel mileage worked out for us at the end,” said Biffle. “We had a top-10 car but we want to be better than that so we’ll keep working on it. Hopefully, we’ll run a little better in the spring. We’ll take this top 5 and get ready to try to win next weekend in Homestead.”

Biffle and the 3M team moved up to eighth in the point standings. They are 349 points behind the points leader and only 38 points out of fifth. A few weeks back, I did not think this was going to be possible; I hoped, though.

I am really excited to see what is going to happen next week in Miami! All I know is that this has been the best Chase in the last five years. I have been enjoying each and every race for the different challenges in which they have brought, the good, the bad and the ugly. Thanks for a great Chase, boys!

9. Tony Stewart - Unique Hiram

Fuel mileage was the name of the game at Phoenix International Raceway and it was also the reason that Tony Stewart ended up crossing the finish line in the 17th position (three positions up from where he originally began the race). The Kobalt Tools 500 proved to be another thorn in this race team's side when they decided to take the chance to stay out versus coming in for fuel on lap 235.  Unfortunately, everyone behind him hit pit road for service in order to have an opportunity at a great finish when the checkered flag waved.

There is one more race left in the Sprint Cup Chase (Homestead-Miami) and this team will rally as they always have to complete the season on a high note. Although most eyes will be on the top three contenders
(Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick), it will present the opportunity for one of the other Chase drivers to capture the win. You can bet that Stewart and the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet team will be fighting to the finish.

10. Kurt Busch - Rebecca Kivak

Phoenix proved to be the high point so far in the 2010 Chase for Kurt Busch. The Penske driver swapped the lead with Carl Edwards early on in the Kobalt Tools 500 and came out on the right side of the fuel-mileage game, finishing ninth. Busch's finish was his second top 10 in the Chase and allowed him to climb back into the top 10 in points.

With a top-3 starting spot, Busch led 20 laps in the beginning of Sunday's race. But his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge started to fade in the middle of the event as Busch reported a tight condition that was loose in the center. As he battled the ill-handling car, Busch fell back as far as 15th.

Busch was one of a group of drivers who pitted on lap 224 after the fourth caution of the race, but he also pitted again on lap 235 after the fifth yellow flag. The stop ensured Busch had enough fuel to make it through the end of the race. The adjustments the No. 2 crew made on that last stop helped free up the car, working in Busch's favor over the final green-flag run.

"We’ll take the top-10 finish. Our Miller Lite Dodge was a little temperamental today. We did our job on Friday (in qualifying) to get a solid starting position and we just weren’t able to capitalize on the early track position that we had," Busch said. "It was a solid day, but we need to get a better balance on the car.  For us, it comes down to working on getting the front end to work better in the center of the corner.”

Busch now sits 10th in points, but is only 5 ahead of Clint Bowyer in 11th place.

11. Clint Bowyer - Amy McHargue

Clint Bowyer began Sunday's race in the seventh position on the track and the 11th position in the Chase standings. Bowyer began slipping back through the field early and was in the wrong place at the wrong time on lap 20 when the #6 and #77 got into one another, catching Clint in the middle. There was some right rear damage; by lap 35 Bowyer was calling back to his crew saying “I don't even know how to tell you to fix it.” By lap 50 the #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was in the 32nd position.

First pit stops found Clint taking four tires, a trackbar adjustment, and two rubbers into the right rear. Bowyer improved his track position by five, coming out of the pits in 27th position. By lap 200 Bowyer had fought his way back up to the 19th position. The car was just mediocre and no matter the adjustments made in the pits handling was not improving. Then, word came down from the pit box late that the Cheerios car would run out of fuel without a late-race stop. With two laps to go, Bowyer headed to the pits. His day would end with him posting the 21st finishing position.

The Cheerios #33 slipped back one position in the standings due to Bowyer's mid-pack finish and is now back to 11th in the Chase. Now 123 points out of fifth, it looks like Clint Bowyer will experience his first year of making the Chase but finishing outside of the top five. It is interesting to note that without the 150-point penalty assessed after Clint's car failed post-race inspection after the first Chase race, he would be in the fifth position, 284 point back instead of being 434 points behind Chase leaders. Bowyer needs to perform strongly at the season-ender in Homestead; he will have to salvage what he can out of his 2010 season.

12. Jeff Burton - Genna Short

For a day that didn’t start off very promising for the 31 team, Jeff Burton certainly proved just what he was made of in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. He started in 40th position but was a quick mover, landing in 12th by lap 125 and had snuck into the top 10 by lap 177.

He’s always been a contender at Phoenix and on Sunday, he showed the competition that he can’t be counted out yet. While he hasn’t had a win since Charlotte in 2008, he seems to be edging closer to that elusive victory.

While his day ended in a disappointing finish, Burton still seem pleased with the run.

“It's disappointing in the fact that we finished 19th but I can't complain about where we were running and how well the No. 31 ran today,” he said after Sunday’s race.

After a fast stop, Burton found himself restarting in the fifth position on lap 228. He slipped to sixth and had to give up that spot when he was forced to pit for fuel on lap 303. He also took two tires and he fell back to eventually finish 19th.

"We really had high expectations coming into the race and the Caterpillar Chevrolet ran well, too. We, obviously, ran better than what our finish shows but, along with some other teams, we were short on fuel and a caution that we were looking for never came so we had to pit.”

While the day didn’t end as well as they had hoped, there is one final shot for the 31 team to gain that coveted victory and break a winless streak longer than Carl Edwards’. And that is just what Burton plans to do.

“We have one more chance to win a race this season and that's what we're going to set out to do."

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Roush Rewind: Kobalt Tools 500

Last weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway marked the 9th race in the 2010 Chase. While the on-track drama from Texas the week before didn’t really carry over to the Kobalt Tools 500, Phoenix created its own brand of drama in the form of the tightest Chase battle heading into the final race of the season, with Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick all within reach of becoming the 2010 champion.

For Roush Fenway Racing, last weekend was one of their best of the season. David Ragan had a strong car for Sunday’s race, but following a bad restart, he lost positions he just couldn’t make up. Ragan finished 25th, two laps down. Matt Kenseth came to Phoenix riding the wave of momentum from his 2nd place finish at Texas the weekend before, but he had to battle handling issues to finish 7th. Greg Biffle fought an ill-handling racecar, but held on to finish 4th. After winning Saturday’s Nationwide race, Carl Edwards was looking to win on Sunday to sweep the weekend at Phoenix, and he successfully did just that.
David Ragan: Start-12th. Finish-25th.

Ragan and his crew have been steadily improving over these last few races. They came to Phoenix in hopes of continuing the trend. After qualifying inside the top fifteen, Ragan’s day went downhill after a restart early in the race saw him making contact with the No. 77 of Sam Hornish, Jr. and the No. 33 of Clint Bowyer. He dropped back, lost a lap, fought an ill-handling No. 6 UPS Ford, went another lap down, and eventually finished two laps down in the 25th position.

He took the green flag from the 12th position on Sunday. Three laps into the race, the first caution of the day came out for the No. 71 of Brendan Gaughan making contact with the wall. The field restarted on lap 7. Ragan was battling Hornish, Jr. for position when Bowyer got loose in front of him. Ragan made contact with Hornish, Jr. when he checked up, and made slight contact with Bowyer too. He dropped from 15th to 28th in just a few short seconds. Shortly afterward, Ragan told crew chief Drew Blickensderfer that the No. 6 Ford was loose off the turns and tight through the center. The caution came out again on lap 60 for the No. 12 of Brad Keselowski and gave Ragan the opportunity to pit for adjustments. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment in the right-front. The changes helped with the tightness through the center of the turns, but the car was still loose off the turns.

Under his next pit stop, Ragan’s crew made a track bar adjustment as well as another air pressure adjustment. Around lap 168, Ragan went a lap down to the leader. His biggest issue was the loose-handling condition of his car, which he had to fight for the remainder of the race. Ragan battled hard to be in the Lucky Dog position in case the caution flag waved again, but he was never able to get his lap back. Eventually, he was passed by the leader again to lose another lap. He ultimately finished 25th, two laps down. He is 24th in the standings.

Matt Kenseth: Start-15th. Finish-7th.

After their second place finish at Texas last weekend, Matt Kenseth and his crew came to Phoenix International Raceway looking to be contenders for the win again. With a decent starting position, Kenseth looked strong as the No. 17 Valvoline Ford cracked the top ten within the opening laps of the race. However, an uncharacteristic pit road mistake from the No. 17 crew had Kenseth off sequence with the leaders late in the race. The team was able to battle back and finish 7th.


Kenseth took the green flag from the 15th position on Sunday for the Kobalt Tools 500. Just ten laps later, he was up to 9th. He remained in that position, and didn’t report much about his car’s handling other than the No. 17 Ford was tight in the middle of the turns. A caution on lap 60 gave Kenseth the chance to inform crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the car was still tight in the middle of the turns and also very aero-sensitive. Kenseth pitted under the caution for four tires, fuel, and air pressure adjustments. His pit crew was able to help him gain two positions to restart 7th. He was able to maintain track position until around lap 95 when he reported the car was lacking rear grip. The tight-handling issue was still there too.

Another caution gave Kenseth the chance to pit for four tires, fuel, and more air pressure adjustments on lap 102. He restarted 11th, and worked his way back inside the top ten when green-flag stops began to cycle through. After staying out to lead lap 173, he pitted and the team made more air pressure adjustments as well as a track bar adjustment. The changes helped, but eventually the No. 17 Ford became loose. Under caution on lap 235, Fennig called Kenseth down pit road for a two-tire stop in an attempt to gain track position. Unfortunately, a loose lug nut forced Kenseth to come back down pit road, resulting in him restarting 18th.

The race came down to basically who had the fuel to finish among the leaders. Before the race was over, Kenseth had to make a stop for fuel, but he battled back to take the checkered flag from the 7th position. He is 5th in the standings, 311 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

Greg Biffle: Start-4th. Finish-4th.

Just like his teammates, Greg Biffle also had to deal with an ill-handling racecar on Sunday. His crew made adjustments to the No. 16 3M Scotch Brand Ford any chance they got. However, in the end, it all came down to fuel mileage. Biffle was able to gain positions in the closing laps when some of the front-runners were forced to pit for fuel. He finished 4th, earning his 9th top-5 finish of the season.

Biffle started the race from the 4th position, and soon after the green flag waved, he reported that the car was tight through the center of the turns and loose off. When the yellow flag waved for the second time of the day on lap 60, Biffle had slipped to 14th. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and track bar adjustments. After restarting 13th, he still battled handling issues. The No. 16 Ford was lacking grip, and when the next caution came out on lap 100 for debris, Biffle was back to 15th. The No. 16 crew made more adjustments, and were able to help Biffle gain three positions to 12th for the restart. The changes seemed to help as Biffle worked his way back inside the top ten, but loose-handling conditions had him dropping back once more.

He was running in the 16th position when green-flag stops began on lap 168. Biffle’s crew gained three positions on pit road, and he was 13th once the stops cycled through. Over the next few laps, Biffle informed crew chief Greg Erwin that the car was too loose. The caution came out again on lap 222, and Biffle made a pit stop for more adjustments. The changes were a bit much, resulting in the car becoming too tight. The caution came out again shortly afterward, which allowed Biffle to pit again for more adjustments. Under that caution, many of the front runners stayed out, and Biffle opting to pit would be a big break for the No. 16 team.

The race was caution free from that point on. The drivers who stayed out during the caution on lap 235 found themselves making stops for fuel late in the race. As those drivers hit pit road, Biffle slowly worked his way through the field to finish 4th. The finish moved him to 8th in the standings, 349 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

Race Winner--Carl Edwards: Start 1st. Finish 1st.

Carl Edwards was truly the top dog at Phoenix this past weekend. The No. 99 Aflac Ford He was fastest in all three Cup practice sessions, and won the Nationwide Series race on Saturday night before winning the race on Sunday, earning his 17th career Cup Series win.

Edwards broke the track record on Friday to earn his third pole of the season. He led the first six laps on Sunday before the No. 2 of Kurt Busch got around him. The No. 99 Ford was just a little loose, but Edwards reclaimed the lead on lap 27. He pitted under the caution that came on lap 60, and his crew made a flawless, 12.9-second stop that allowed Edwards to maintain the lead. Shortly after the restart, he fell to third as the loose-handling conditions continued, and he remained there until the next caution came out on lap 100. Edwards pitted, and his crew was able to help him reclaim the lead on pit road.

He led the field back to green, but almost immediately lost the lead to the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin. He slipped back to third again, as he reported to crew chief Bob Osborne that the car was lacking rear grip. Edwards made his final pit stop on lap 224 for tires, fuel, and air pressure and wedge adjustments. Those adjustments were just what he needed to make his move to the front. He took over the 2nd position and went into fuel conservation mode as Hamlin continued to lead. Around lap 250, Osborne radioed to Edwards that it was time to get the lead and worry about saving fuel later. On lap 266, Edwards charged past Hamlin and never looked back.

Hamlin was forced to pit for fuel with many others, but Edwards, who is known for his exceptional efforts at saving fuel during races, just set sail and brought home the win to sweep the weekend at Phoenix. Edwards remains 4th in the standings, 264 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

It was a great weekend for Edwards and his crew. They dominated the entire weekend, and broke a 70-race winless streak. Congratulations to Carl Edwards and the No. 99 team on their victory!

Just one race remains in the 2010 season. It seems like yesterday we were all watching Jamie McMurray take the checkered flag for the Daytona 500. What a season it has been! Can Denny Hamlin hold on to win his first championship? Will Jimmie Johnson earn his 5th consecutive championship? Can Kevin Harvick end up being the one who comes out on top? With the tightest Chase battle ever, anything can happen! One thing’s for sure…every fan will be on the edge of their seat, anxiously waiting to see who will be the 2010 champion once the checkered flag waves at Homestead.

The Chase continues…

Next up: Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, November 21, 2010.
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I apologize for this column not being posted the last two weeks. It's that time of the semester when all my teachers have decided to assign a huge amount of homework. As much as I love writing this, I do have to put my schoolwork first.

On another note, I'm open to suggestions/comments on this column. Are there any changes to it you think I should make? What did you like about it? What didn't you like about it? Post a comment below and let me know! Thanks.

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Chase Coverage: Texas Wrap-Up Report

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

Texas Motor Speedway played host to the eighth race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and for all that happened it may have been the best race of the year!

We saw a shakeup in the points standings: Denny Hamlin is the new leader with Jimmie Johnson falling out of the top spot. Johnson had his own problems during the race, as his pit crew appeared to fall apart and Chad Knaus decided to switch crews mid-race, possibly a first in the history of the sport. Kyle Busch incurred NASCAR's anger by giving the middle finger to a NASCAR official - oh, did we mention his in-car camera captured it too? And Sunday was apparently a night for fighting - it was shades of Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison when Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton went at it!

Twelve of our contributors run through how the Chase drivers fared at Sunday's exciting race at Texas.

1. Denny Hamlin (Leader) - Holly Machuga

After not qualifying well for the race at Texas Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin won the AAA Texas 500 on Sunday night. Hamlin started in the 30th position and struggled with the car in the beginning, but soon brought the car up into the top 10 for the remainder of the race. Denny also won the previous race this year at Texas.

This marks No. 11 team’s eighth win of the season, and his 16th career win. He has also led a total of 994 laps this season.

This race also put Denny Hamlin 33 points over four-time champion Jimmie Johnson. In the past four years, Johnson has had a cushion over second place, but this year, Denny Hamlin has surpassed him.

When asked about the last restart, Hamlin answered, “It was exciting. I figured I had been pretty good on the top on restarts once we got our car tightened up enough that I was pretty confident I would be OK. But restarts have been my Achilles heel all Chase long, all year long. I just can't seem to get it together.”

The Chase has been exciting before, but never has it been this exciting with two races remaining in the season.

2. Jimmie Johnson (-33) - Rebecca Kivak

For the first time in four years, Jimmie Johnson left the eighth race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup without the points lead. Johnson went into the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a 14-point buffer at the top of the standings. After a grueling race that included an unusual pit crew swap halfway through, Johnson finished ninth but lost ground to race winner Denny Hamlin in the standings. The four-time Sprint Cup champion now sits 33 points back in second place.

The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet started 17^th in Sunday’s race. Johnson reported a loose racecar but was climbing through the field, breaking into the top 5 on lap 42, when his run was marred by a series of slow pit stops. Johnson lost multiple positions on pit road in four of seven stops, including two where the No. 48 crew had trouble changing the right front tire. Before the stop on lap 113, Johnson had made his way up to second and led lap 110 during green flag stops. After the tire issue, the 16.5-second stop relegated Johnson all the way back to 12th. Johnson worked to get back into the top 5 before pitting on lap 153, but after problems with the right front again, the lengthy stop dropped him back to 13^th.

As I’ve been covering the No. 48 throughout the Chase, I’ve noticed that the crew has been having slow stops in nearly every race, but usually they were able to recover. On Sunday, they didn’t, and progressively got worse. The lack of performance lead to the call heard ‘round NASCAR: in the middle of the race, crew chief Chad Knaus made the daring decision to swap out the No. 48 crew for the No. 24 crew, who were available after Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton wrecked during a caution on lap 191.

After the switch was made, Johnson restarted in 14^th and climbed up to 6^th by lap 250, when he came in for the first stop with the 24 crew. The stop went off seamlessly at 12.6 seconds. The next stop on lap 188 was even faster, clocking in at 12.3 seconds. After all three stops performed by the 24 crew, Johnson did not lose positions on pit road. The 24 crew shaved off valuable time from the 48 crew’s stops.

When the last caution came out on lap 330, Johnson stayed out. At the final green flag, Johnson restarted sixth but was held up by Greg Biffle, who had been reporting gear problems. As a result, Johnson crossed the finish line ninth at Texas, bringing home his seventh top-10 finish of the eight Chase races but losing the points lead.

Knaus’ call to bring in the 24 crew was successful in getting Johnson back up front on restarts and put him in position for a top-5 finish if not for Biffle and his gear issues. On Monday, it was announced that the No. 48 and 24 teams would switch crews for the final two Chase races. Though many are already counting out Johnson as the title race closes in, the No. 48 team is known for pulling out the stops when adversity strikes. I have no idea how this call will play out in the last two races, but past history has shown not to count out Johnson and the 48 team when the going gets rough.

3. Kevin Harvick (-59) - Amber Arnold

When the dust settled on Texas, not only did we have a new points leader, but we had a physical battle between two unlikely drivers, a penalty call more suitable for a football game, and a switch of players on a championship team in the middle of the race.

Despite all of these things, luckily, Kevin Harvick was able to keep his eye on the prize. In a race where the most controversial decision for the 29 team was Gil Martin making the call for four tires when other guys took two, Harvick managed for the most part to keep the car in contention all day. The 29 team ended up in 6^th place when the checkers flew after rolling off from the 26^th position. 

The 29 team is still third in points, 59 points out of first and 26 points out of second. When the Chase for the Cup rolls into Phoenix, Harvick and Denny Hamlin have their work cut out for them. Phoenix is a track the 48 does very well at and could easily seal the deal on.

4. Carl Edwards (-317) - Amanda Ebersole

Pack up the boots and cowboys hats, Texas is now over and in the books! And WOW what a race it was … fights, finger flipping and a new leader in the Chase to the Sprint Cup.

Before I recap the Cup race, I would be amiss to not mention Carl Edwards’ win in the Nationwide race on Saturday afternoon. This means we got to see Carl do his celebratory back flip, this time with a new twist where we got to see Carl run into the stands to be with the fans. (The backflip was in perfect form.) Although he won the race, Brad Keselowski did claim the Nationwide Series title. 

For the Cup race I was hoping for a sweep … so bad!! Carl and the team have not won since 2008 in Homestead, so it's been almost two full years. But signs are there that he and the team are so close to a win.  Carl is qualifying better; he started at Texas in the third position. Handling was the issue that plagued Carl, loose off the corners but tight in the center. Pit road was also an issue, but not the stop itself: it was getting out of the stall which was directly behind Jamie McMurray, and there were problems getting around him, which caused track position to be lost.

At the halfway point, Carl was in 10th but positions were again lost during a green flag pit cycle leaving him in 16th, although the adjustments that crew chief Bob Osborne made were helping with the handling and now the car was just free off of the corners. On the final caution, the debate between Carl and Bob was two tires or four, but the call was made for two and Carl would restart in 12th place. We ended the race with a green-white-checkered flag, and Carl got shuffled back to 19th and couldn’t regain those positions. He finished the race in 19th but due to the misfortunes of fellow Chase drivers Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon, Carl gained points and is now fourth in the standings. He is 317 behind our new points leader Denny Hamlin. 

5. Matt Kenseth (-325) - Whitney Richards

Matt Kenseth came to Texas Motor Speedway tied for the most top-five finishes of any other active Cup Series driver at that track. On Sunday, he showed once again why Texas is one of his strong tracks. Despite qualifying 19^th and dealing with high water temperatures on the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford, he fought his way to the front and became a factor for the win. However, in the end, Kenseth crossed the line as the runner-up.

Kenseth took the green flag from the 19^th position for the AAA Texas 500 on Sunday. Within the first 10 laps, he had cracked the top 15. When the first caution of the day came out, Kenseth reported that the No.17 Ford was free entering the turns and lacking grip. He pitted for two tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.  After restarting 17^th, he got up to the 12^th position, but told crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the car was loose and still lacking grip. Over the next few green-flag stops, Kenseth’s pit crew made more adjustments, but the car continued to lack the grip Kenseth needed to be competitive.

A pit stop under caution on lap 60 had Kenseth’s crew making a track bar adjustment. On the following restart, Kenseth said the car was turning better but had gotten looser. He worked his way up to 8^th before he had to give the team bad news. The water temperature had become too high, forcing Kenseth make an unscheduled pit stop under green. The crew checked the grille and found that some paper debris was blocking the air intake. The stop sent Kenseth to the back of the field. He was 38^th, one lap down once he returned to the track.

The team knew that there was still plenty of time to get things turned around. While the loose-handling conditions still plagued him, Kenseth fought to get back on the lead lap. His big break came in the form of a caution on lap 152, during which he had been in the Lucky Dog position. After he was back on the lead lap, Kenseth began his charge to the front and never looked back. Kenseth had fought his way up to 2^nd before the final caution of the day. The race restarted with just three laps remaining, and Kenseth took the lead following the restart. Just when it looked like Kenseth was going to keep the lead, he got loose off the turn, which allowed the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin to get around him. Hamlin went on to win the race, and Kenseth finished 2^nd. The great finish helped Kenseth move up three positions in the standings to 5^th.

6. Jeff Gordon (-331) - Genevieve Cadorette

Jeff Gordon started in 15^th position at the Texas Motor Speedway but never got a chance to finish the race. At lap 192, he was put into the wall hard by Jeff Burton; the 24 car was totaled.

After a long walk to the apron, still upset with what happened, Gordon started to shove Burton and the two exchanged heated words; their altercation was mediated by NASCAR officials. Once they calmed down, they were both taken to the medical center in the same ambulance.

Burton took the blame for the crash, saying the sun got in his eyes and insisted that the he inadvertently plowed into Gordon. The incident had started a half a lap earlier when Gordon tried to pass him from underneath but knowingly cut him off. After the caution flag came out, Burton said he pulled up next to Gordon to acknowledge him but the sun got in his eyes and caused the wreck.

Gordon didn’t buy it and he was unapologetic. "He was trying to talk to me, to explain what happened," Gordon said. "He thought I came up on him and he didn't mean to wreck me. But I'm sorry. I will never believe that. I've been driving a race car long enough to know what your intentions are and I know what they were right there."

Frustrations have been high since Gordon fell out of contention in the Chase after Kurt Busch appeared to have deliberately wrecked him, forcing a 20^th position finish in Martinsville; things haven’t been so hot for the 24 DuPont team. "I don't know. The last few weeks just have not gone our way," Gordon said.

After the Jeff versus Jeff incident, the DuPont pit crew was then recruited to the 48 car. We found out Monday that the DuPont team will now be Jimmie Johnson's pit crew and Gordon now will use the 48 pit crew.

On Tuesday, a NASCAR spokesman said no penalties would be issued to either Jeff.

7. Kyle Busch (-339) - Rebecca Kivak 

(Note: Lindi Bess was wrapped up in a Women in NASCAR interview)
Kyle Busch's weekend at Texas Motor Speedway started out on a high note but quickly spiraled downward for the talented and passionate driver. By the time the checkered flag waved at Sunday's AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race, Busch's temper got the better of him, capturing the wrath of NASCAR and afterward hitting his pocketbook.

Busch won Friday's Truck Series race and was aiming to pull off a trifecta of victories in NASCAR's three top series. That ended Saturday in the Nationwide Series, when Carl Edwards thwarted the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's attempt to make history by winning his sixth consecutive series race at Texas. However, Busch's anger was roused when he claimed Edwards jumped the final restart, passing Busch to go on and win the race. Busch let his frustration known by dropping a profanity during his post-race interview in the media center.

When the green flag dropped at Sunday's AAA Texas 500, Busch knew he would have work to do, starting back in the 29th position. He wasted no time in piloting the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Camera to the front and was running as high as third in the first 75 laps before a piece of debris flapping on his front bumper affected the handling of his car, causing him to fall back but remain in the top 10. On lap 159 Busch said he received a bump from the No. 9 car and spun out, but he kept the No. 18 Toyota off the wall. He pitted for repairs, but upon leaving pit road he tried to beat the pace car to the line to remain on the lead lap and was caught speeding. NASCAR called him in to serve a one-lap speeding penalty.

While sitting in his car, Busch uttered a string of obscenities on the scanner and then flipped off the NASCAR official in the pits who called the infraction. The in-car camera caught the gesture and it was broadcast live briefly on ESPN. NASCAR wasn't pleased and parked Busch for two more laps for what they deemed "unsportsmanlike conduct" after his "inappropriate gestures." Busch argued with crew chief Dave Rogers about NASCAR trying to deny his right to free speech, but Rogers begged the driver to shut up and serve the penalty. Busch apologized to his crew publicly after the race.

Busch went from having a car to contend with to finishing 32nd, two laps down, falling from fifth to seventh in the points standings and 339 behind new leader and teammate Denny Hamlin.

The penalties for Busch didn't end on the track. NASCAR announced Tuesday that Busch would be fined $25,000 for the obscene gesture and put on probation until Dec. 31.

"I accept NASCAR's penalty and realize what I did during Sunday's race at Texas was inappropriate," Busch said in a statement after the fine was announced Tuesday. "Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it's pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it's made me cross the line. Sunday at Texas was one of those days. I lost my cool, plain and simple. It's not acceptable, and I know that. I apologize to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a race car that's capable of winning races every week. All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check."

8. Tony Stewart (-363) - Unique Hiram

The AAA Texas 500 turned out to be a break even point in regards to start/finish positions for Tony Stewart; however, he dropped to 8th in the Sprint Cup Chase points standings. A big gamble was taken by this
team during the final caution of the race on lap 328 when they decided to give up running in second place behind race leader Greg Biffle in order to get four fresh tires. As a result, Smoke restarted in the 16th position and he was only able to make up five spots, which resulted in him finishing the race in the 11th position.

“Hindsight being 20-20, I probably should’ve stayed out, but we took a gamble and, really, what do we have to lose?” said Stewart, who now has 12 top-12 finishes in 18 career Sprint Cup appearances at the Texas track. “We really don’t have anything to lose. We’re eighth in points, so who cares? I’d rather take a chance on doing something to go forward than worry about losing spots and going backward.  I know there are lots of teams that are grateful to run eighth in points, but we’re not one of them. It doesn’t mean anything to me at this point. I want to do everything we can to try to go forward and gain everything we can get. If that means taking a chance, knowing that we can lose points and lose spots, so be it. I thought that was the right thing to do, but it obviously wasn’t. We’d already stayed out once on those tires and it worked out then, but I don’t know that I was good enough to stay out again. I might’ve finished a couple of spots better, but I’d rather take a chance on finishing better than finishing worse.”

There will definitely be a lot of gambles taken in the next two final races by this #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy race team and its driver. It is quite evident that is has become the mission to either win one or possibly both of the final two Cup races for this determined team.

9. Greg Biffle (-372) - Stacie Ball

How about that Greg Biffle? Wow, is all I can say. I was pulling for him all race long at Texas Motor Speedway and in no way was I thinking I would see what I saw. Next to the race at Kansas Speedway a month ago, this probably was my favorite race of the 2010 Chase so far. I think everyone knew the Texas AAA 500 would be dramatic, yet for the different Chasers we had no idea until we saw it being played out by the 43 different racers on the track. 

Before the field had even completed one lap, Biffle had taken the lead from Sadler and was able to maintain it until the first caution on lap 11. He reported that the car was a little too loose and the Pit Bulls adjusted accordingly. They sent him right back out in the lead for the restart on lap 16. Biffle again maintained the lead until the next caution but would exit the pits in the third position as more significant adjustments were made to tighten the loose racecar.
 
Biffle was quickly back at the front of the field and remained there through another yellow-flag stop for further adjustments on lap 60. During the long green-flag run that followed, Biffle informed the team that the car kept getting looser. He lost the lead to Mark Martin on lap 97 and then fell back to fifth during a round of green-flag stops that began on lap 103. 
 
On Lap 138 he reclaimed the lead and maintained it until a caution came out on lap 150. He pitted for two tires and fuel and restarted second behind Joey Logano. He took the lead from Logano on lap 201 and never looked back. Leading most of the next 98 laps other than a few during two green-flag pit cycles as the next caution flag did not fly until lap 299.
 
At that point Biffle informed Erwin that he believed he had lost first and second gear after the last green-flag stop. The crew prepared to give fresh right-side tires and push him out of the pit box. The delay put the No. 16 in the eighth position for the restart on lap 304. While he lost a few positions by having to restart in third gear, he quickly gained them back and drove up to the fourth position. 
 
A final caution came out on lap 327 and the frontrunners all stayed out. Biffle again restarted with a disadvantage in the fourth position. He lost one spot to Logano but was able to hold on for a fifth-place finish.
 
"We need to continue to work on our drive train to be better each week,” said Biffle. “We had the fastest car all day and we have to be happy about that but you hate to have a win slip through your fingers like that. We had great pit stops and Greg Erwin made great calls. It's just unfortunate that it ended the way it did." 

Biffle and the 3M team moved up to ninth in the point standings. They are 372 points behind the new points leader and nine points out of eighth.
 
After being in the lead with the best hand of cards at the table most of the race, I would say Greg Biffle and the rest of the 3M team are ready for the last two of the season along with the Chase. 
 
I have never been so excited for the last two races in the season like I have been this year. I thank each and every Chaser by making this year's way more interesting than the last few years!

10. Clint Bowyer (-397) - Amy McHargue

Clint Bowyer came into Texas hoping for another big win; he didn't get the day the he wanted but the weekend was a good one for the team. Clint restarted 6th after the first caution on lap four. Bowyer had a quietly solid race up through the last section of the race, generally hanging in the teens among top drivers on the track.

With 51 to go Bowyer was calling his team on the radio, saying “It's stupid loose...I gotta come in before I hit something.” The team said he would close to making it on fuel. After the pit cycle Clint found himself in 17th position, looking for the front of the pack. Caution after caution came out, however, and finally with three laps to go Bowyer found himself in the seventh spot on the track.

Bowyer finished the race in Texas in the 7th position and moved up in Chase standings. Clint earned 146 points on Sunday. With two races to go, Bowyer has made his way into the 10th spot in the Chase to the Championship. The RCR #33 team is now just 72 points away from claiming the fifth spot in points standings. Another good week and we could see Clint Bowyer finish the season in the top five by the end of the season.

11. Kurt Busch (-435) - Katy Lindamood
(Katy has been having Internet connectivity issues and will post when she is able)

12. Jeff Burton (-473) - Genna Short

What began as a rather promising day for the 31 team quickly turned violent. Jeff Burton started mid-pack in 16th and had moved up to 11th by lap nine.

On lap 54, the 31 pitted with a mysterious issue. He lost a lap but just five laps later, a caution brought out by Sam Hornish gave Burton the free pass back onto the lead lap. He hung back for a while but muscled back up after another round of pit stops. He landed in 10th on the restart at lap 163.

That wouldn’t be the last anyone would hear of Burton.

On lap 191, the 31 and 24 were involved in a wreck. According to Gordon, Burton had done it intentionally. And he was not pleased. Burton did later admit it was his fault.

“We were coming off of turn four and he (Jeff Gordon) drove underneath me. I should have let him go and I didn't.”

The confession did not come before the pair found themselves in a fight which easily turned out to be the biggest story out of Texas.

Says Jeff:

“The caution came out and he pulled up next to me to tell me he was upset at me and he went on. Then, I went to pull up to acknowledge him, to say he was right. I turned left and he was turning left and we just hung up. When we hung, off we went.”

They then went to NASCAR therapy: riding together in the ambulance to the infield care center. Burton still admits that he was entirely at fault.

“I, honestly, don't know what happened. It was 100 percent my fault. It was like once we got together, I couldn't get off of him. I didn't mean to hit him. I meant to pull up to him and tell him he was right because he was upset with me for what happened off of turn four. I should have let him go. I don't blame him for being for mad. I would have been mad, too."

As they say, though, boys will be boys.

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