The Frontstretch Newsletter: November 23rd, 2009
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THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
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November 23th, 2009
Volume III, Edition CCXXVIII
By Tom Bowles
Hamlin Wins While Johnson Makes History In Homestead
Jimmie Johnson spent his Sunday making history.
Denny Hamlin spent his making a statement.
Charging from his 38th starting spot, the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota led by Lap 158, pacing the field for 71 of the final 109 laps in scoring the season-ending victory at Homestead. It was an important milestone to reach for Joe Gibbs Racing's lone driver in the Chase, whose eighth career win was also his first ever on a track 1.5 miles in length -- the same intermediates where he'd scored two of his three DNFs during the playoffs.
"I think everyone kind of puts us in a box and they name off Martinsville, Richmond, Pocono, those racetracks, and say that, yeah, we can win those races," he said. "But they don't put us in that category at other racetracks [because we hadn't won there]."
"But once you're successful one time, it helps out a lot, because then you search for that feel at every different racetrack that's similar, And I think it just shows that we're starting to come into our own as a race team and perform well everywhere."
Hamlin's victory was hard-fought during a race that changed complexion several times and was marked by the resurgence of Richard Childress Racing. At one point, RCR put three cars in the top 4, with Kevin Harvick giving way to Jeff Burton's car up front over a long run. Hoping to score the team's first victory of the year, Burton led 19 laps until a caution flew with 44 to go for debris. During the final round of stops, Kurt Busch used a two-tire strategy to get out front, with Burton dropping to fourth and sixth, respectively, behind Hamlin and Kyle Busch. That loss of track position proved critical, as by the time Burton's Chevy cut through "Busch" traffic he was 1.5 seconds behind Hamlin -- who dispoased of Busch on the first lap of green. With Hamlin out in clean air, he was soon forced to settled for his second straight runner-up finish to close the year.
"We just got a little bit off on that last run and I think that is me just not knowing what to tell [new crew chief] Todd [Berrier] just yet," Burton said. "He gave me a car fast enough to win the race."
"I needed to be screaming a little bit more about what I thought I needed. That will come."
Kevin Harvick was third, his second top 5 finish in the last three races of the season. Kurt Busch's pit strategy left him fourth, while polesitter and 2009 Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson wound up fifth.
As expected, Johnson's championship-clinching race was rather anti-climactic. Second-place point man Mark Martin never challenged up front, spending most of the race outside the top 10 when he needed to finish 7th or better to even have a mathematical shot if Johnson had a problem. That didn't make it any less stressful for the four-time champ, who got rattled by Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Sam Hornish, Jr. racing near him during the event.
"I don't think he was trying to be a pain in the butt, he was just racing for every inch that he could," Johnson said of Bowyer in particular. "I definitely was a little revved up tonight. I just felt so good in the car, and really knew that I had a shot at winning the race tonight and wanted to take advantage of it."
In the end, he fell short of the victory, but the 141-point margin leaves him the lone man in NASCAR history to win fourth straight championships. It was also the ninth owner championship for Rick Hendrick, tying another Cup Series record while setting another with the first 1-2-3 points finish in season history. Unfortunately, the celebration became a bit subdued as Hendrick had to leave the track Sunday, flying to North Carolina while his 29-year-old niece, Alesha Gainey, underwent emergency surgery for a liver transplant. She remains in critical condition at press time.
"I know what Rick would say is that he has been blessed with the opportunity to work with some amazing people," said Hendrick GM Marshall Carlson in his place. "There's 500 teammates back at Hendrick Motorsports who have built that place - but every single one of us owes an incredible debt of gratitude to Rick for his leadership, for his commitment, and dedication for giving us the resources to have these opportunities. It is an accomplishment tonight."
Jeff Gordon was sixth in the race, followed by Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex, Jr., and A.J. Allmendinger to round out the top 10.
Sunday Notes
Stewart, Montoya Tangle: Two of the sport's greats feuded on the race track Sunday, as Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya played high-speed bumper cars not once but twice. With Montoya racing more aggressively early on, he made contact with Stewart's No. 14 on Lap 116. Stewart retaliated by slamming into the No. 42 down the backstretch, messing up Montoya's line and sending him crashing into Turn 3.
But the two weren't finished. After going behind the wall for repairs, Montoya charged back onto the race track, 28 laps down, found Stewart and spun him out of turn 4. It was a move similar to the one Denny Hamlin pulled on Brad Keselowski one day earlier -- a blatant retaliation that led to a two-lap penalty for rough driving. But Montoya accomplished his goal, as Stewart -- who led 43 laps -- had a wounded car and was no better than 22nd the rest of the day.
Logano Clinches Rookie of the Year: With a 24th place finish, the first-year Joe Gibbs Racing driver easily clinched the Rookie of the Year title over 27th place Scott Speed.
Point Standings (Top 12)
By Phil Allaway
Jimmie Johnson's fifth place finish on Sunday wrapped up his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship. His final margin was 141 points over Mark Martin. Martin started well, but lost the handle on his Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet as the sun set, quickly dropping out of the top 10. After a midrace stop to fix the car, he eventually brought his No. 5 home in 12th. Jeff Gordon finished in third place in points, 179 behind Johnson and 38 behind Martin. Gordon had a fairly good run on Sunday, moving up from 20th starting spot to finish in the sixth position.
Kurt Busch will finish the season in fourth spot, 206 behind the champion. On Sunday, Kurt had a great run, leading 43 laps on the way to a third place finish. Kurt's No. 2 team gambled on a two tire pit stop during the seventh and final caution. This put him very briefly in the lead, but he dropped out of the top 5 like a stone on the restart. However, once everyone's tires gave up, Busch actually moved back up the order to a fourth place finish. Behind him, Denny Hamlin gained three big places to move into the top 5 as a result of his victory on Sunday. Hamlin's three DNFs were the difference in the Chase, leaving him 317 behind Johnson despite challenging him consistently week in, week out.
Tony Stewart dropped one place to sixth after finishing 22nd on Sunday. Stewart ran well until he got in a bumping match with Juan Pablo Montoya. After Montoya ran in the back of him exiting turn 4 on lap 116, Stewart moved down the track on the backstretch and rubbed Montoya. This resulted in Montoya's right front tire going flat and him smacking the wall. After a stint in the garage, he returned and retaliated against Stewart, spinning him into the inside wall on the frontstretch. This incident, for which Montoya was docked two laps by NASCAR, resulted in Stewart dropping to 35th, one lap down. From that point on, Stewart dealt with a less than ideal car for the rest of the race, eventually earning a "Free Pass" back onto the lead lap and slowly moving up the order.
Greg Biffle will finish in the seventh spot in points after a quiet final race of the season. Biffle started eighth and had an uneventful day on the way to a 14th place finish, officially ending his streak of winning a Cup race once each year since 2003. Behind him lies Montoya, who was in contention for a top 5 finish in both the race and in points before the Stewart incident dropped him well over 25 laps down. After serving the two lap penalty for enacting his revenge on Stewart, Montoya ran around at the back of the pack for the rest of the race, finishing 32 laps down in 38th place.
Finishing ninth in points was Ryan Newman. He had a good beginning of the race on Sunday, running as high as fifth at one point, but handling difficulties saw him slide back to 23rd by the finish -- one place behind his car owner Stewart.
Kasey Kahne had an OK run on Sunday, but he ended up being an unintended victim of the Stewart-Montoya dustup on lap 115. After Montoya hit the wall, a piece of the right front brake off of the No. 42 car hit Kasey's No. 9, opening a five inch gash in his roof. Yet even with the damage, Kahne ran very well until he dropped back in the last segment to his 17th place finishing position.
Ten points behind Kahne was Carl Edwards in 11th place, going winless one year after leading the circuit with nine victories. Edwards put together a good run, coming up from a 24th place starting spot to a seventh place finish, but it wasn't enough to close the 44 point gap on Kahne entering the race.
Brian Vickers rounded out the top 12, capping off a arduous Chase with a 20th place finish. It was pretty clear that the Red Bull team completely depleted itself just getting Vickers in the Chase because once the Chase began, it was like the team downshifted gears. The team wound up with the lowest point total in the six-year history of the Chase (5,929).
Further back, Nationwide Series Champion Kyle Busch has "Best of the Rest" status by finishing 13th in points. His advantage over Matt Kenseth was 68. Other notables include Clint Bowyer in 14th, David Reutimann in 16th and Marcos Ambrose in 18th. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished a career-worst 25th in points.
Tracking the Top 35
The Ford 400 was the last chance for the Red Bull Racing Team's No. 82, driven by Scott Speed, to vanquish the No. 34 for Front Row Motorsports and move into the Top 35 in owner points. On Friday, Speed got off to a great start. For the second consecutive year, he qualified on the outside pole (Speed accomplished this feat last year driving the No. 83), while John Andretti qualified the No. 34 in a lowly 40th.
Unfortunately, Speed's one lap speed did not translate into race pace, as the team struggled in practice on Saturday, posting the 33rd quickest time. At the beginning of the race, Speed began dropping through the field immediately, while Andretti slowly ascended the order.
Secret Star Of The Weekend: The Best Run You Never Saw
The Wood Brothers have had an outstanding year with driver Bill Elliott, making the most of their limited schedule with five top 20 runs in their first dozen starts. After this weekend, those numbers improved to six in thirteen, respectively, with an effort where they dug deeper than at anytime this season. After qualifying 9th, Elliott fell a lap down early after a pit road penalty for removing equipment out of the box. But when a move to get the wavearound worked in their favor, the team was back in business during the race's second half as they made a late charge to 16th place."Man, I just wasn't good on short runs," said the 1988 Cup champion. "The longer I ran, the better that thing got. It was awesome there at the end. But, we gave up too much track position, so we just need to get better on those short runs."
Taking a look back on the year, the driver couldn't be prouder of a team he'll return to for another limited schedule of events in 2010.
"Absolutely [this was a successful season]," he said. "Last year we couldn't finish in the 30s, and this year we were consistently in the top-20s. I mean, we're out-running teams that are mega-bucks, and that's what we need to continue to do." - Tom Bowles
STAT OF THE WEEK: 55. That's the number of top 10 finishes out of 60 Chase races Johnson has under this playoff format, a stat slipped to me and researched by Mike Harris of RacinToday.com (and formerly the Associated Press). That translates into a 92% success rate, an astounding figure that easily explains four straight titles and coming eight points short of a fifth during the last six years under this system. - Tom Bowles
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them Matt Taliaferro's way at matt.ta...@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Fanning The Flames returns Thursday with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
Big Six: Ford 400
By Amy Henderson
Who…gets my shoutout of the race?
After his Richard Petty Motorsports teammates suffered damage (Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson were involved in a domino effect pit road accordion mashup, and Kasey Kahne got a hole in the roof of his machine from an errant brake rotor), A.J. Allmendinger was left to carry the RPM torch... and boy, did he ever. A 10th place finish gave him top 10s to bookend the year, and three straight top 15s behind the wheel of his new Ford Fusions confirm the team made the right choice to keep him around in 2010.
What…was THAT?
When Juan Pablo Montoya took a skirmish with Tony Stewart a little too far, NASCAR parked him for two laps for overaggressive driving. Yet in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, the powers that be only sat Denny Hamlin for one lap - despite the fact that Hamlin said before the race that he was planning to wreck Brad Keselowski and confirmed on his team radio that he had intentionally wrecked him. Not only that, but NASCAR then allowed him to get his lap back with the free pass on a subsequent caution. And let's not forget this is also the same NASCAR that parked Kevin Harvick for threatening to wreck Greg Biffle a few years ago. Talk about a lack of consistency ... but then again, Keselowski is only a Nationwide Series driver, and NASCAR is obviously going to allow the Cup guys to run rampant in that series in more ways than one.
Where…did the polesitter wind up?
On a whole new page in the history books. Jimmie Johnson finished fifth in the race, easily enough to clinch his fourth straight Sprint Cup title. He’s not the youngest driver with four championships - Jeff Gordon was younger - but Johnson’s fourth comes in just his eighth full season on the tour. In comparison, Gordon’s came in his ninth, while Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt won their fourth titles in their 14th and 12th seasons, respectively. Many fans dislike Johnson, but his peers have little else but respect for him, as evidenced by the many visitors to Victory Lane as Johnson pulled in to receive his trophy - Mark Martin, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, and Jeff Gordon were among those who came to wish him well. One final note: Several years ago, before Johnson won a title, Johnson, Vickers, and a few other mutual friends took to calling Gordon “Four-time” in honor of his four championships. Kinda doesn’t have the same ring now, does it?
When…will I be loved?
It honestly looked like it started as a racing incident. When Tony Stewart pulled a slide job on Juan Pablo Montoya, he lost a little momentum, and Montoya ran into Stewart’s back bumper. There was no damage to Stewart’s car, but Stewart took umbrage with Montoya a straightaway later. He turned into him, cutting a tire and sending the Colombian hard into the outside wall. Montoya, not one to let things slide, sent Stewart sailing through the grass a little while later, at which point NASCAR put a stop to things with the black flag for Montoya. So Montoya and Stewart can split the final Unloved Award for 2009.
Why…wasn’t Rick Hendrick in Homestead to celebrate his ninth championship?
He was in North Carolina, at the side of his family, while his 29-year-old niece underwent emergency surgery (see update above). Hendrick flew home when the situation turned critical, but his team did their car owner proud in his absence, locking up the top three spots in the final point standings.
How…long until the Daytona 500?
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Homestead Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Appreciating History Rewritten
by Jay Pennell
Five Points To Ponder: Chase Race #10 Edition
by Mike Lovecchio
Bubble Breakdown: Andretti, Front Row Overcome Wreck To Lock Into Top 35 For 2010
by Mike Ravesi
Logano Captures 2009 Rookie of the Year Award Despite Rocky Finish
by Tony Lumbis
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Ford 300
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tracking The Trucks: Ford 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Q: Currently, there are no drivers that have declared themselves eligible for the 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. This is quite rare, but not unprecedented. When was the last time that this happened, and who was crowned Rookie of the Year that year?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: When the Winston Cup Series first came to Homestead-Miami Speedway in 1999, it also marked the first telecast of a Cup race for NBC since 1985 (they had actually never televised a race flag-to-flag up to that point). Who was in the booth for NBC that day?
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Sitting In The Stands: A Fan's View by S.D. Grady
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Homestead marked Ford Championship Weekend for NASCAR's three major touring series. But was the coverage surrounding it championship material? Phil tells all in his final TV Critique of 2009.
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
We'll have another stellar entry from our sophomore columnist as he reviews a weekend's worth of action at Homestead.
Who's Hot / Who's Not In Sprint Cup: Homestead Edition by Doug Turnbull
The season's over now, with no races left until the Daytona 500 in February. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that momentum doesn't matter going into the offseason. Doug will look into the teams that did themselves a favor on Sunday at Homestead, and those who really hurt their confidence out on the track.
Running Their Mouth: Ford 400 by Beth Lunkenheimer
How did Brad Keselowski react to Denny's revenge? Beth has the answer, bringing us the best quotes of the past weekend from Homestead.
Fifth Column TBD
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