The Eleventh NASCAR Day of Christmas: 11 Car-a-Spinnin'



The team works on the No. 11 car before the start
of the Ford 400 at Homestead.



In addition to "Jimmie Johnson Wins Fifth Consecutive Title," the headline following Homestead could well have been "The Mighty Denny Has Spun Out."

And though Denny's misstep made for a more dramatic race, it wasn't the cause of his failure to win the Chase crown.

His run for the championship started to sputter the week before Homestead.

Riding high and talking trash, Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford entered the Kobalt Tools 500 with trophy expectations and a car that dominated most of the race.

But as events played out, it became clear that fuel mileage - not a sweet car - would be the key to a strong finish.

Unfortunately for Hamlin, Ford failed to tell his driver to save fuel. And while Hamlin ran wide open, fellow championship rivals Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick conserved enough Sunoco to make it 'til the end.

Result? Hamlin had to pit, while Johnson and Harvick had the staying power to finish - cutting Hamlin's points lead to just 15.

Hamlin was visibly discouraged after the checkers.

"It's pretty disappointing. We were in a good position going into next week," Hamlin said. "Good cars and all that, we had that today. It's tough to say what we've got to do. We had everything today. We had bad strategy at the end and it let those guys back in there."

So instead of a confident, swaggering Chase leader rolling into Homestead, Hamlin entered the Miami track a bundle of nerves.

His poor qualifying run didn't help - and the team couldn't get their mojo back all day long.

So while Hamlin's little spin didn't help his championship hopes - it wasn't the cause of the Fed Ex team's troubles.

Those can be blamed on a failure to communicate at Phoenix.

Johnson Has Nothing Left to Prove ... Almost

 Jimmie Johnson hoists the Sprint Cup Championship trophy
after claiming his fifth consecutive title at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Love him or hate him, Jimmie Johnson is the man.

He can win the Cup title when he dominates the Chase.  He can win the Cup title when he's trailing.

And what he doesn't do in the clutch may be even more important than what he does do.

Namely, he doesn't beat himself.

Johnson needed to qualify well to gain maximum points.  He did - in sixth.

Johnson needed to lead a lap to get five bonus points. Yup, he did that too.

Johnson needed to run toward the front and stay out of trouble.  Did it.  All race long.

In contrast, pre-race points leader Denny Hamlin took a spin early on from which his team never fully recovered.  Kevin Harvick was caught speeding on pit road, which forced him to forfeit track position and drive through race traffic.  And neither Hamlin nor Harvick laid down a solid qualifying run which put them at a disadvantage in the first place.

But Johnson made it all look easy  - again.

And now "Easy Rider" has a fifth consecutive Sprint Cup championship to his credit and nothing left to prove - unless he wants to be considered the greatest NASCAR driver ever.

After the Ford 400, Johnson hinted that he now has his eye on besting the record seven championships won by Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.

"I spent the majority of my career as a "C" class driver, I never experienced stuff like this," Johnson said.

"Why would I even think of those kind of goals? I don't know if it's in reach, but we are a hell of a lot closer now than when the day started. Now I'm looking at the marks that the greats have put out there and am hopeful to get up there to them.''

Five down ... and just two to go.

'Twas the Night Before Homestead ...

'Twas the night before Homestead and all 'round the track,
Palm trees were swaying in the tropical black.

The drivers were tucked in their RVs with care,
in the hopes that a trophy would tomorrow be theirs.

Mike Ford in his kerchief, lay nervous in bed,
Where visions of fuel mileage danced through his head.

Denny Hamlin paced wildly 'cross his motorhome floor,
saying "I have to catch Jimmie tomorrow for sure."

Chad Knaus knelt praying that his crew swap would win it.
Gaining spots on pit road could keep his driver in it.

And meanwhile ol' Johnson was cool and collected
saying "I'll win number five if I wheel and don't wreck it."

And then there was Harvick who refused to be idle.
He was scheming and plotting to win his first title.

With a light in his eye and a mischeivous grin,
He stroked the short hairs on his quite stubbly chin.

"I may be starting in p28,
but Denny is further behind, which is great."

"I've brought the best motor, the best pit crew," he said.
"The best chassis, best power - that'll get in their heads."

"I'll zoom through the field like a bat outta hell
in my last race for Pennzoil and the team they call Shell.

"I'll drive 29 to the front of the pack
and if I have to spin Johnson, I'll never look back."

Then he smiled to himself as he thought of the fans
who would holler and cheer from the Homestead grandstands.

And he vowed he would do just whatever it took
to cement his first place in the championship book.

So on Harvick, on Johnson, on Hamlin and Gordon
On Edwards, on Bowyer on Busches and Burton.

And if you boys have at it, well you've got good reason.
Happy Homestead to all - thank you for a great season!

Score One for Johnson

Don't look now, but Jimmie Johnson has brought his "A" game to Homestead.

In one of the most important qualifying runs of the year, the defending champ threw down a dynamite lap time to cement a top 10 start - sixth to be exact.

The best part for Johnson? His fellow championship contenders didn't fare nearly as well.

He'll begin the race 22 spots ahead of his nearest title rival - Kevin Harvick.  Meanwhile, Chase leader Denny Hamlin will have to make an unenviable run from the rear if he wants to keep his points lead. He qualified 38th.

Sure, a good qualifying run doesn't necessarily mean a winning race. And starting in the back of the pack doesn't mean you'll stay there. Just last year at Homestead, Hamlin rocketed from the same starting spot to bring home the checkers.

However, when the points spread is slim, an up-front starting spot should be cause for at least a little relief. It'll take a while for Harvick and Hamlin to catch Johnson on Sunday.  And, if he can gain just a few spots, the No. 48 will be able to lead a lap early and snag those five coveted bonus points.

So the qualifying battle goes to Johnson.

A few hours will tell if he can also win the war.

Congrats to Our No. 29 Prize Pack Winners!

The driver of the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet could well pull off an upset at Homestead Miami Speedway this weekend.

A mere 46 points behind Chase leader Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick seems to relish his underdog status. And fans are loving it as well.  Judging from online chatter, many a race fan is rooting for the Richard Childress Racing team to dethrone Jimmie Johnson and outrun Hamlin.

To celebrate their driver being in championship contention, the folks at Shell-Pennzoil were kind enough to give us some cool No. 29 swag to give away. 

Congrats to Lori N., Laurie, Bryant W., Susie H. and Tom D.  Each of these folks will receive a special prize pack, which includes a No. 29 Shell diecast car, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Christmas ornaments, No. 29 decals, Harley Davidson koozies and microfiber clean cloths.

Remember, Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines act as a barrier to shield and protect critical engine parts against performance-robbing gunk.

Congrats again to our contest winners - enjoy!

A Few "Poison-ous" Thoughts About Homestead

Poison frontman Bret Michaels will perform
the National Anthem and give the start command
before the Ford 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Now that Phoenix is in the rear view, Homestead looms large. And boy does it hold promise.

The last race of the season is bound to be a hard rockin', fender-knockin' finale that's will go down in the record books - or at the very least, the collective memory of NASCAR fans.

In fact, there's so much to say about the upcoming Ford 400 that it's hard to put it into words.

But when I heard today's news that Poison glam-man Bret Michaels will sing the National Anthem and give the start command Sunday, I experienced a jolt of rock-inspired creativity.

So here are a few of my thoughts about the upcoming season finale - all inspired by the song titles of Poison.

Rock out and read on!

Talk Dirty to Me - there's nothing like a little pre-race smack to get the fans riled up. And, if Twitter is any indication, the trash talk is only going to escalate between now and Sunday. Just look up @kevinharvick and @dennyhamlin if you don't believe me ...

Nothin' But a Good Time - a fan-tastic celebration is what folks could experience if Carl Edwards wins Homestead and climbs into the grandstand like he did at Phoenix. My opinion? This new post-race tradition may be Edwards' best PR move yet.

Look What the Cat Dragged In - This could be the reaction Kevin Harvick gets if he steals the title from the No. 48 and the No. 11 teams. Think it's impossible? Then you haven't seen the recent F1 championship ...

Every Rose Has Its Thorn - I feel bad in advance for anyone but the top three Chasers who wins Sunday's race. Such a victory will be HUGELY overshadowed by the three-team championship drama.

Life Goes On - After his disappointing finish at Phoenix, the dejected Denny Hamlin needs to clear his head and adopt this song title as his mantra - lest he arrive in South Florida off his game.

I Want Action - what race fan isn't thinking this as the countdown to Homestead begins? The race will be "have-at-it" drama at its finest. So bring it on!

Fuel Mileage at Phoenix Means Drama at Homestead

Jimmie Johnson (above) hacked into Denny Hamlin's
points lead in a fuel-mileage showdown at
Phoenix International Raceway

Folks who don't like fuel mileage races might want to reconsider their disdain.

Thanks to today's gas-saving drama at Phoenix International Raceway, the season finale at Homestead is going to be one heckuva show.

With one race to go, reigning champ Jimmie Johnson trails Denny Hamlin by a mere 15 points.  And third place driver Kevin Harvick? He's still in striking distance at only 46 points back.

It's the closest margin in Chase history.  And it's bound to make Sunday's championship race the most exciting in recent memory.

Hamlin dominated Phoenix, leading the most laps (190 of 312) by far.  But his 12th place result is proof that "points as they run" graphics are about as worthless as the plastic wrap on your peanuts. 

The outcome boiled down to the have and have nots: namely, two teams that actually had a Sunoco-saving strategy - and one team that didn't have seem to have a gas mileage plan at all.

After the race, Hamlin admitted that fuel savings didn't even enter into his team's calculations - at least as far as he was aware. "I was never alerted to save fuel, so I assumed that everyone was going to have to pit. I didn't think it was a question," Hamlin said. "Like I said, I did my job."

This failure to plan is somewhat ironic. Just one week ago, No. 11 crew chief Mike Ford called out Chad Knaus and the No. 48 team for coming up with a new game-changing strategy - the infamous "Pit Crew Swap". Ford said Knaus' move just proved that the No. 11 is the better team.

"They removed their team,” Ford said following Hamlin's win at Texas. “Their team got them to this point and they pulled them out. So this is more about trying to win a championship for the company and not the team."

Ford's comments were likely nothing more than a volley of psychological warfare. But he clearly missed his mark.

Said Johnson today after climbing out of his car, ""I hope the pressure of us being on their heels works on him mentally this week. Those guys better be on their toes."

Touché.

Hey Bruton -- Leave Homestead Alone!

Bruton Smith is at it again. And this time, he has probably ticked off every race fan in Florida.

According to a story on NASCAR.com, Smith is calling for NASCAR to move the Cup season finale from the Homestead Miami Speedway to some bigger, flashier track (like Atlanta or Vegas--which Smith's company just happens to own).

His exact words were, "Why have the last race of the season at some Godforsaken area just north of Cuba?"

Well, let this fourth generation Floridian be blunt: why the hell not?

Homestead may not be a slick SMI mega-track, but I doubt race fans are griping about having to travel to an exotic locale like South Florida to spend one of the most exciting weekends on the circuit. Oh, I forgot, who would willingly visit the The Sunshine State? I mean there's nothing here but beautiful weather, outdoor recreation and miles of sparkling water, sand and wetlands.

Next thing you know, Smith will be saying we should abandon Daytona.