Edwards wins Ford 400; Johnson wins third straight Cup title |
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 By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(November 16, 2008)
HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Carl Edwards did everything he could, but Jimmie Johnson made sure Edwards’ best wasn’t good enough.
Edwards led the most laps and won Sunday’s Ford 400 Sprint Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to score his series-best ninth victory of the season, but Johnson claimed the big prize -- his record-tying third straight Cup title -- with a 15th-place finish that gave him a 69-point advantage over Edwards in the final standings.
Saving every drop of fuel he could, Edwards coasted across the finish line 7.548 seconds ahead of Kevin Harvick, who also conserved fuel after his final pit stop on Lap 201 of the 267-lap race. Jamie McMurray was third, followed by Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer.
Though Johnson’s accomplishment comes in a different era and under a different scoring system from that used in Cale Yarborough’s 1976-1978 run, the dominance of No. 48 team has been arguably more difficult to achieve, given the heightened level of competition in today’s Cup series.
Johnson solidified his legacy in typical fashion, with a huge assist from crew chief Chad Knaus, who got the No. 48 Chevy out front under caution on Lap 201 with a two-tire call in the pits. With Edwards and others trying to stretch fuel mileage to the limit, Knaus called Johnson to the pits for a splash of gas on Lap 254 -- just for security.
Johnson ended the season with seven victories -- 22 total in his three championship seasons -- and finished the year with 40 career wins, good for 15th on the all-time list.
“From the first lap on track I knew we had a car that was in the ballpark and a car that I could drive to the front with,” Johnson said. “I felt very, very good once the race started. There were a couple of points where it was dicey at times, but all in all, I really felt like I was in control of where this car was on the track.
“It’s the ultimate reward. We worked so hard to put ourselves in this position. It is such a team sport. I can’t thank Chad Knaus enough. I guess he’s the first crew chief to win three in a row. It’s total teamwork and dedication. I’ve got to commend Carl Edwards and the effort he and his team put forth. Those guys put a lot of pressure on us this year, and they’re going to be a championship threat for years to come.”
Edwards, who also won seven Nationwide Series races this season and finished second to Clint Bowyer in that series championship, was equally gracious in congratulating Johnson.
“I don’t know what to say,” Edwards said. “Second place in the championship isn’t what we came here for, but Jimmie’s a great guy, and he deserved to win. We got beat by a true champion.”
And even though the 2009 season-opening Daytona 500 is three months away, Edwards already is hungry for the season to start.
“I wish Daytona was starting in 20 minutes,” he said. “I want to race so bad. Nines races this season, seven in the Nationwide and real close in two championships. I can’t wait to go.”
Tony Stewart ended his 10-year association with Joe Gibbs Racing and crew chief Greg Zipadelli with a ninth-place finish at Homestead. In a career that began with three victories during his 1999 rookie season, Stewart accumulated 33 wins and two championships, in 2002 and 2005.
As of Monday, he will turn his attention exclusively to his new role as owner/driver of Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chevrolets.
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images |
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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 15 at Homestead |
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 1- #99 Carl Edwards 2- #29 Kevin Harvick
3- #26 Jamie McMurray
4- #24 Jeff Gordon
5- #07 Clint Bowyer
6- # 9 Kasey Kahne
7- #28 Travis Kvapil
8- # 5 Kasey Mears
9- #20 Tony Stewart
10-# 1 Martin Truex Jr.
11-#10 A.J. Allmendinger
12-#21 Bill Elliot
13-#11 Denny Hamlin
14-#66 Scott Riggs
15-#48 Jimmie Johnson
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images |
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Nationwide News: Edwards wins at Homestead; Bowyer takes title |
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By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 15, 2008) -- Carl Edwards won the battle, but Clint Bowyer won the war.
Edwards took the checkered flag in the Ford 300 Nationwide Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, depriving runner-up Kyle Busch of a record 11th victory in a single season.
But Edwards couldn't put enough distance between his No. 60 Ford and the No. 2 Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer, who claimed his first Nationwide championship with a fifth-place finish. Bowyer entered the race with a 56-point lead over Edwards and won the title by 21 points.
"We've raced each other for a long time," Bowyer said of Edwards, who won the Nationwide championship last year. "He's from the Midwest (Columbia, Mo.). He's last year's champion, and it feels great to be able to beat him."
Edwards, who won his seventh race of the season and the 20th of his career, beat Busch to the finish line by .639 seconds.
"That's a great win, to hold off the 18 (Busch), as strong as he's been all season," said Edwards, who congratulated Bowyer on his championship. "If I've got to get beat by somebody, a dirt racer from Emporia, Kansas (Bowyer's hometown) is one of the best.
"But we'll be back next year, and I hope Clint will, too. There's no shame in giving 100 percent and finishing second. That's all we could do."
Brad Keselowski ran third and claimed third in the final series standings. Jason Leffler finished fourth in Saturday's race, followed by Bowyer, Scott Wimmer, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelly Bires and Joey Logano.
Logano's 10th-place result was enough to secure the owners' championship for Joe Gibbs Racing, which used four different drivers in the No. 20 Toyota this year. Logano, Busch, Hamlin and Tony Stewart combined for nine wins in the car, with Stewart accounting for five. The No. 20 car finished 12 points ahead of the No. 2 Chevrolet, driven exclusively by Bowyer. |
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David Sims Jr. Meets Jimmie Johnson |
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 After his win in California Jimmie Johnson took some out of his celebration to meet up and coming karting racer David Sims Jr. Sims is a 7 year-old racer from Rialto, CA that competes in the IKF Series. Johnson even took time to give the young racer some valuable advice.
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Spotlight
| Dion "Rocco" Williams |
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| Dion “Rocco” Williams is the spotlight this week on Racing For Change. Williams is a member of the Hendrick Motorsport #24 Dupont Chevy, driven by 4-time NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon. Williams in no stranger to fast paced competition. Williams was a standout linebacker for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This is William’s first year with Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 24 team, but he has been around racing a few years, serving as a tire carrier and jackman for teams like the Petty Enterprises and Chip Ganassi racing with Felix Sabates.
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