Heading to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the tenth and final race of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, things in the Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson Show changed dramatically since last week's edition. Gordon now trails Johnson by 86 points in the standings. Here's a breakdown of their stats at Homestead and the possibilities that loom within the last Chase race of the season.Homestead Stats: Neither Gordon nor Johnson have a win at Homestead, a track that has seen a myriad of layout changes since it first came on the Nextel Cup tour. Johnson has the best career finish with a 2nd-place in 2004. Gordon's best finish also came in 2004 with a 3rd-place.
A year ago, Gordon finished 24th while Johnson finished ninth to wrap up his first title. A 40th-place finish in 2005 left Johnson with an average finish at HMS of 14.5 while Gordon has average 11.4.
Chase Stats: Phoenix stuck a fork in Jeff Gordon's title hopes after Johnson won his fourth-straight to Gordon's 10th-place finish. The 86-point deficit will be nearly impossible to overcome unless Johnson has serious trouble in the race. If Johnson finishes 18th or better, he automatically looks up the title, even if Gordon leads every lap and wins the race.
In doomsday scenarios for Johnson, if he finishes 40th or worse, Gordon could take the title with a 10th place finish or better. A 43rd-place finish for Johnson would mean Gordon would have to finish 14th or better.
I wouldn't put too much stock in those possibilities this year knowing that he has only failed to finish a race four times. Johnson should have his second NASCAR Nextel Cup title in hand come Sunday evening.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
i am done with nascar. i am a jr fan i also like tony and jeff burton.my kids like gordon and what nascar has done to gordon this year. taking what should have been an easy championship and putting it where someone else even had, a chance to steal it lets me know that nascar has become, like most other sports i enjoyed from my childhood, about the almighty dollar and that is all they are about. jimmy there is no doubt you are a great driver but me personally, i wouldn't want a championship i didn't truely earn it wouldn't have any meaning for me. every time i would look at that trophy i would say to myself that one is tarnished. nascar says its about having a playoff of sorts like the other sports have. can anyone out there tell me a sport where they take points away when there has been no foul or penalty commited. i can't nascar has done this to guarantee them the last 10 races of the season would have full attendance and the dollars that go along with it. before this "chase" if a driver had pretty much won the championship 4 or 5 races from the end of the season, those last few races didn't have nearly the attendance they would, had the championship not been wrapped up.loosing them millions. how may millions do you have to make in a season to be successful. if it has become about taking a ,truely, won championship away from a most deserving driver to guarantee millions of dollars from large attendance the last few races then it has become about money not what is fair and right. i don't want my kids watching something that promotes this type of example. we will not watch nascar anymore unless it gets back to being about fairness and crowning a champion that has truely won and earned it.nascar you owe jeff gordon a big public appology. but then there is no way you will admit you made a big blunder is there.
Jeff and Jimmy are both cheaters its been proven with the suspension of both their crewchiefs.As competitive as nascar is there is no way they can qualify,and run well at every track in the chase.No matter who wins the title it will be tainted just like barry bonds record.
I see your point Joel but the engine that drives Nascar today is not the fan as in the past, but Cooperate America. Nascar is more interested in pleasing Big Business so as to keep them interested in pouring money into this sport than pissing of some fans.
As far as the Chase is concerned I have no problem with it. IMO it's no different than the NFL or baseball for example. If a team wins all or most of it's regular season games it gives them only home field advantage. In Nascar the "winning points" (which most fans wanted to see) is what's used for alignment in the Chase.
Most of the Chase bitching is coming from JG fans for understandable reasons. Had Jeff not had a huge lead or finished under 1st at the end of 26 races there would be a lot less bitching. I have not heard much complaining from drivers or owners about the Chase or the COT so that tells me they are ready to accept it and move on. Some disgruntled fans, such as yourself, may wish to abandon Nascar, but I think true Nascar fans, although upset about this or that will continue to be great fans.
Ron