Ford 400 News and Notes

A glance at the 12 drivers in the Chase
November 18, 2009

A glance at the 12 drivers competing in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship heading into this weekend's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway (in order of points):

DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson

CHASE POINTS: first, 6,492

CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 8

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 13.6 (best: 2nd in 2004)

LAST WEEK: Drama? What drama? Johnson bounced back from his nightmare at Texas to dominate at Phoenix and move a step closer to history. Needs to finish 25th or better to clinch record fourth straight championship. Now will he finally get some love?

CHASE CHATTER: ``We obviously have one more race to go,'' Johnson said. ``We saw in Texas anything can happen so I'm not going to get too excited just yet.''

DRIVER: Mark Martin

CHASE POINTS: second, -108

CAR: No. 5 Carquest/Kellogg's Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 9

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 12.0 (best: 2nd in 2005)

LAST WEEK: Steady as ever running fourth behind Johnson to stay mathematically alive. Has made up 108 points on Johnson nine times in a single race, but has never won at Miami.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I really thought we could get to Jimmie with 35 to go, and then the car just got too tight,'' Martin said.

DRIVER: Jeff Gordon

CHASE POINTS: third, -169

CAR: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 10

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 9.9 (best: 3rd in 2004)

LAST WEEK: All but assured Hendrick of capturing the top three spots in the championship with a ninth at Phoenix, but the driver nicknamed ``Four Time'' won't be adding to his title collection this year.

CHASE CHATTER: ``(Johnson's team) did what they needed to do,'' Gordon said. ``That's why they're three-time champs.''

DRIVER: Kurt Busch

CHASE POINTS: fourth, -211

CAR: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

TEAM: Penske Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 8

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 21.5 (won in 2002)

LAST WEEK: Continued his strong run through the Chase with a sixth-place finish at Phoenix. Considering the drama surrounding the team when the Chase started, a fourth-place finish would be considered a major boost.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We're gaining points and we're still doing a good job,'' Busch said. ``Gordon is within distance going into Homestead for third place overall.''

DRIVER: Tony Stewart

CHASE POINTS: fifth, -285

CAR: No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet

TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 10

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 11.9 (won twice)

LAST WEEK: First season as an owner/driver won't end with a title, and a 25th-place finish at Phoenix extended an underwhelming Chase for the regular-season champ.

CHASE CHATTER: ``Just by getting two cars in the Chase and winning the races we've won this year exceeded more than what any of you guys could have anticipated, and we could have anticipated,'' Stewart said.

DRIVER: Juan Pablo Montoya

CHASE POINTS: sixth, -289

CAR: No. 42 Target Chevrolet

TEAM: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 3

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 22.0 (best: 15th in 2007)

LAST WEEK: Montoya's solid debut in NASCAR's playoffs continued with an eighth-place finish at Phoenix, his sixth top-10 in nine Chase races.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We've got to try to finish as high as we can, high in points,'' Montoya said. ``It would be nice to try to get a win this year. It's been a great year otherwise.''

DRIVER: Greg Biffle

CHASE POINTS: seventh, -321

CAR: No. 16 3M Scotch Brand Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 7

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 13.4 (won three times)

LAST WEEK: Finished 14th at Phoenix, continuing a trend where he's spent the Chase practically stuck in seventh. Loves Miami, however, and could sneak into the top five with a fourth career win at the 1.5-mile track.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I would still like to finish in the top five in the standings and that will be our goal heading into Homestead,'' Biffle said.

DRIVER: Denny Hamlin

CHASE POINTS: eighth, -352

CAR: No. 11 FedEx Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 4

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 13.0 (best: 3rd, twice)

LAST WEEK: Finished third behind Johnson at Phoenix, but made bigger headlines when his ongoing feud with Brad Keselowski escalated during the Nationwide Race.

CHASE CHATTER: ``No matter what you throw in the car, I'm the best of the worst or the worst of the best, one of the two,'' Hamlin said.

DRIVER: Ryan Newman

CHASE POINTS: ninth, -411

CAR: No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet

TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 7

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 20.3 (best: 6th in 2002)

LAST WEEK: Best news from last week was the addition of a sponsor for his No. 39 Chevy for next season. Finished a forgettable 20th at Phoenix.

CHASE CHATTER: ``It's not that we would ever be disappointed because of all the things that we've achieved,'' he said. ``It's just that we may not be totally satisfied.''

DRIVER: Kasey Kahne

CHASE POINTS: 10th, -476

CAR: No. 9 Budweiser Dodge

TEAM: Richard Petty Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 5

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 17.6 (best: 4th in 2006)

LAST WEEK: Qualified fourth at Phoenix before settling for 15th after developing front-end problems. A solid run at Homestead would give Kahne a boost heading into an offseason full of questions at RPM.

CHASE CHATTER: ``At one point in the race, I felt like I could feel every crack in the race track,'' he said.

DRIVER: Carl Edwards

CHASE POINTS: 11th, -520

CAR: No. 99 Aflac Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 5

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 6.4 (won in 2008)

LAST WEEK: Another ho-hum finish (16th) in a season few imagined this time last year, when Edwards finished second to Johnson. He heads to Miami looking for his first win since taking the checkered flag in the 2008 finale.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We have to get better,'' Edwards said. ``We have to figure out where we are behind and then fix that.''

DRIVER: Brian Vickers

CHASE POINTS: 12th, -666

CAR: No. 83 Red Bull Toyota

TEAM: Red Bull Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAREER HOMESTEAD STARTS: 6

AVERAGE HOMESTEAD FINISH: 31.7 (best: 18th in 2004)

LAST WEEK: The hottest driver entering the Chase is the coldest one ending the season. Got caught up in a 10-car pileup on lap 171 at Phoenix and wound up 38th, his worst finish since the Daytona 500.

CHASE CHATTER: ``It was very difficult to pass out there,'' Vickers said. ``And I think it was so hard to pass that no one was willing to give anything up.''

Ford 400 preview
By Micah Roberts

There is nothing else you can say about Jimmie Johnson other than just masterful. Winning the race last week at Phoenix in such dominant fashion pales in comparison to the board scope of what he’s doing right now, on the cusp of winning his fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.

This has never been done before, it’s uncharted waters, and I for one have a tough time really grasping what a great feat this is. What in NASCAR history can you compare it to? There is nothing. We’re witnessing the greatest stretch of consistent dominance in the sports history.

For all the great drivers battling for the Championship we’ve seen over the years, only one has done it it four times in a row. Only one, Cale Yarbrough, had done it three times in a row prior to Johnson last year. Jeff Gordon never did it, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, or Darrell Waltrip; nobody in the brief history!

When thinking of where it ranks as one of the unachievable in sports history, it’s hard to come up with great individual accomplishments that match what Johnson is about to do this week in Miami for the final race of the 2009 season.

Maybe a Tiger Woods in golf, or Tennis’ Roger Federer can come close, but can we really say that the level of competition is at it’s height in golf or tennis like it is in NASCAR. The multi-team operations have made it so there are so many more competitive cars as a whole in the series week to week than ever before.

To be able to be at your peak for four straight years, better than everyone, and showing bno signs of slowing is a testament to what has made Johnson so great. And to think he could have easily been going for six straight titles if it hadn’t have been for a few mishaps early in the Chase for the Championship in the years before he finally won.

His performance last week under pressure at Phoenix is just another chapter in his book of excellence. After what happened to him the previous week at Texas, he could have just laid up like a golfer and got par with a top-10 finish, but he went all out like Tin-Cup and got the money shot leading nearly start to finish.

This week at Miami, he’ll win the title and only second-place Mark Martin who is 108 points behind has a mathematical shot at catching him. It would be easy to suggest that Johnson will run conservatively in trying to finish 25th or better which will clinch the title, but somehow that doesn’t sound like Johnson’s style.

Johnson has never won at Miami, one of the few tracks he hasn’t won at, but that may be more attributed to Miami being the final race of the year where he does lay up a bit to win clinch the title.

He’s got the cars capable of winning and nothing would be better than to see a Championship clinch the title and win in the same race, but his race will be all about staying within the top-25.

For the conservative approach that is sure to be Johnson’s game plan this week, it opens up the door for the rest of the field to capture a win and quite possibly at some double digit prices.

The top driver to look at this week looks like Kurt Busch who really looks dialed in. Miami isn’t the same configuration as the SMI sister tracks of Atlanta and Texas which Busch has won at this year, but the distance and banking are similar.

If there was one track that could be called similar to Miami, it would be Dover which is a half-mile shorter than Miami, a place where Busch finished fifth in his last run there in late September.

"We feel like there’s a bit more business to take care of this weekend before the ’09 season is completed," said Busch, currently fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings entering Sunday’s race. "It’ll be our last race with Pat (crew chief Tryson) holding the reins for our Miller Lite Dodge Team and we’re definitely looking to see it all conclude on a positive note.

"I think we do have another win in us," said Busch. "We’re bringing back ‘Patriot,’ the car we won with at Texas. It’s a great car. Our team has an upbeat feel. We’ve had a long year. We’ve had a successful year. There’s no better way than put together a 100 percent effort this week and go out with a bang and hopefully a win."

You have to love the confidence Busch speaks about and love the way the race may unfold with Johnson not running too hard in this race. It also helps that they are bringing their winning chassis from Texas.

"I’ve always thought that it was extremely important to end the season on a high note," said Busch. "Your last race out is the one that’s freshest on your mind and you certainly hope it’s memorable for all the right reasons. Closing out your season with a competitive weekend at Homestead is just that important.

"If you come out of there with great results, it gives all the team members, the sponsors, the media – everyone out there – a super calling card to remember you by," Busch added. "It works to instill optimism and grow the level of confidence through all those cold and dreary winter days. When you look at that period in between the closing of one season till the opening of the next, that’s a long time to think about it."

It sounds good enough for me. In Las Vegas, If Busch wins, the entire city of Las Vegas gets a free Miller Lite at the multiple locations of PT’s Pub’s through out the city. I like beer and I also like 14 to 1 odds at the cashier window. Let’s close out the season strong with a Busch win and free beer.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #2 Kurt Busch (14/1)
2) #18 Kyle Busch (10/1)
3) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
4) #29 Kevin Harvick (30/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (12/1)

Driver Handicaps: Homestead-Miami
Racingone.com

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wraps up its season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Sunday's Ford 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 267-lap event.

Who's HOT at Homestead-Miami
• Greg Biffle leads all drivers with three wins.
• Carl Edwards leads all drivers with a 6.4 average finish.
• Matt Kenseth, the 2007 winner, has led 287 laps.
• Kevin Harvick leads all drivers with a 7.7 average finish in the six races on the variable banking.
• Jeff Gordon has finished fourth in his last two starts.
• Martin Truex Jr. has a 6.0 average finish in his last three starts.

Keep an Eye on at Homestead-Miami
• Jimmie Johnson has five top 10s in eight starts at Homestead.
• Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart have second and third best average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.
• Kurt Busch is returning in the same car that won at Texas.
• Kyle Busch has led 482 laps on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.
• Mark Martin will be in the same car that won at Darlington and Chicagoland.
• Denny Hamlin has a 6.3 average finish in his last three starts at HMS.
• David Ragan, who has made two starts at HMS, has the fifth-best driver rating.

Track Performers
Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with a 5.8 average finish on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2009. Gordon, who won at Texas Motor Speedway in April, also ranks fourth in laps led with 274. Kasey Kahne (10.0), Tony Stewart (10.2), David Reutimann (11.4) and Denny Hamlin (13.1) round out the top five in average finish. Kyle Busch leads all drivers in laps led with 482. Jimmie Johnson (330), Kurt Busch (329), Gordon, Greg Biffle (247) and Mark Martin (220) are the only drivers that have led more than 200 laps on 1.5-mile tracks. Based off 1.5-mile tracks in 2009: Las Vegas, Atlanta (1.54-mile), Texas, Lowe's, Chicago and Kansas.

Take it to the Bank
Kevin Harvick leads all drivers in finishing average (7.7) that have competed in all six races on Homestead-Miami's variable banking. Carl Edwards, who won last year's event, actually has the best average finish (6.4) among all drivers, but has only competed in five races. Jeff Gordon (8.2), Greg Biffle (11.5) and Martin Truex Jr. (12.5) also have solid average finishes on the new banking. AJ Allmendinger finished 11th in his Homestead debut last year.

RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kurt Busch
Pete Pistone: Greg Biffle
Rachael West: Mark Martin

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to Homestead-Miami Speedway unless noted)

1. Jimmie Johnson: Last of five top 10s came in 2007 in seventh; Best finish, of second, came in 2004; Has only led nine laps in last five starts; Needs to finish 25th or better to clinch fourth straight championship; Has posted a 15.6 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 553) that won at Indianapolis and Auto Club.

2. Mark Martin: Making first track start with Hendrick Motorsports; Last start came in 2007 when he finished ninth in the No. 01 Chevrolet; Best finish, of second, came in 2005 with Roush Racing; Has posted an average finish of 14.2 and has led 220 laps on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 527) that won at Darlington and Chicagoland.

3. Jeff Gordon: Homestead is only active track he's yet to win at; Has finished fourth in last two races; Leads all drivers with a 5.8 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Has led 274 laps on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

4. Kurt Busch: Best finish in three starts with Penske Racing came in 2007 in second; Won the 2002 race from the pole with Roush Racing; Latest winner on a 1.5-mile track with his win at Texas; Has two wins and average finish of 15.9 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 702) that won at Texas two weeks ago.

5. Tony Stewart: Will make first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing; Finished ninth last year with Joe Gibbs Racing for fifth top 10; Won the first two events on the old configuartion; Has posted an average finish of 10.2 on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 564) that finished sixth at Texas two weeks ago.

6. Juan Pablo Montoya: Will make first track start in a Chevrolet; Posted an average finish of 22.0 in previous three starts; Has recorded an average finish of 18.0 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 910) in the Ford 400.

7. Greg Biffle: Won three straight races from 2004-2006; Has posted an average finish of 15.5 in last two starts; Has the third-best average finish on the new configuration; Has recorded an average finish of 14.7 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

8. Denny Hamlin: Finished third in 2006 and 2007; Has a 13.0 average finish in four starts; Has fifth best average finish (13.1) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 248) that won at Pocono and Martinsville.

9. Ryan Newman: Will make first track start with Stewart-Haas; Posted two top 10s and an average finish of 20.3 in seven starts with Penske Racing; Has the seventh-best average finish (13.1) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

10. Kasey Kahne: Has a 17.6 average finish in five starts; Finished sixth in 2008; Ranks second in average finish (10.0) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Has led 130 laps on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

11. Carl Edwards: Defending race winner; Leads all drivers with a 6.4 average finish on the new configuration; Ranks 19th in average finish (19.2) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 669) that finished sixth at Auto Club last month.

12. Brian Vickers: Has posted a 37.0 average finish in two starts with Team Red Bull; Best finish came in 2004, in 18th, with Hendrick Motorsports; His 16.1 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks ranks 13th among all drivers.

13. Kyle Busch: Homestead is his worst track based on his 29.5 average finish; Is coming off best finish in first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing in 19th; Has led the most laps on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009 with 482; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 254) that finished 13th in its debut at Atlanta in September.

14. Matt Kenseth: Won the 2007 event after leading 214 laps; Win is one of three top 10s; Led 73 laps in this event last year; Has led 102 laps and posted an average finish of 16.6 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

15. Clint Bowyer: Fifth-place finish last year lowered average finish to 18.0 in three starts; Has yet to lead a lap; Ranks 10th among all drivers in 2009 with a 15.3 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 284) that finished 29th at Atlanta in September.

16. David Reutimann: Won the pole for this event last year; Coming off best finish in 20th; Has posted an average finish of 11.4 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

17. Jeff Burton: Has posted an average finish of 24.6 in five starts with Richard Childress Racing; Best finish is a pair of third-place runs with Roush Racing on old configuration; Has posted an average finish of 18.7 on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Coming off three consecutive top 10s in 2009; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 290) in the Ford 400.

18. Marcos Ambrose: Finished 42nd in first track start in 2008; Has posted a 23.3 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

19. Joey Logano: Will be making first track start; Has posted an average finish of 19.3 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 262) in the Ford 400.

20. Casey Mears: Making first track start with Richard Childress Racing; Coming off best finish in eighth; Has posted an average finish of 21.8 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 282) that most recently finished seventh at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

21. Kevin Harvick: Has recorded six top 10s in eight starts; Coming off best finish in second; Has posted an average finish of 16.9 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 288) that finished fifth at Texas two weeks ago.

22. Jamie McMurray: Has posted an average finish of 17.3 in three starts with Roush Fenway Racing; Coming off best finish in third; Has yet to lead a lap on a 1.5-mile track this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 617) that finished 33rd at Lowe's last month.

23. Martin Truex Jr.: Homestead is his second best track on the circuit based on his 12.5 average finish; Has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts; His 71 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009 ranks 11th among all drivers; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 070) that most recently finished 16th at Kansas.

24. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Homestead is his worst track on the schedule based on his 24.7 average finish; Finished 41st last season in first start with Hendrick Motorsports after a wheel problem; Has posted an average finish of 23.6 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 559) that finished 25th at Auto Club after a late-race accident.

25. AJ Allmendinger: Finished 11th in first track start in 2008; Has posted an average finish of 22.1 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

26. Elliott Sadler: Has an average finish of 30.0 in the six races on the new banking; Has yet to post a top-20 finish in that span; His 25.3 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks ranks 28th among all drivers.

27. David Ragan: Has a 17.0 average finish in two starts; His 28.0 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009 ranks 37th among all drivers; Will race the same car (chassis No. 620) that finished 20th at Lowe's last month.

28. Reed Sorenson: Will make first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports; Posted no top 10s and an average finish of 24.2 in four starts with Ganassi Racing; His 30.2 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009 ranks 40th among all drivers.

29. Sam Hornish Jr.: Finished 37th in first start last season; Has posted an average finish of 28.6 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

30. Bobby Labonte: Will make first track start with TRG Motorsports; Won this event in 2003 with Joe Gibbs Racing; Has posted an average finish of 26.8 on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.

Chassis selections for Homestead

#00-David Reutimann The #00 Aaron's Dream Machine for this week is chassis #625. This Aaron's Dream Machine has seen action in four races, including the recent race at Texas, where David ran in the top ten throughout the race. Its best finish was 4th at Las Vegas.

#02-David Gilliland and the JGR team will run chassis: No. 242 (Back-Up Chassis: No. 225), the same chassis ran at Lowe's Motor Speedway in October, where it finished 25th.

#07-Casey Mears team will unload chassis #282 from the Richard Childress Racing stable, which made its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year. After finishing 19th there, this Chevrolet Impala SS was run at Michigan International Speedway in August with a finish of sixth, Dover International Speedway in September finishing 17th and Lowe's Motor Speedway in October finishing seventh.

#1 Martin Truex Jr. The #1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boat team will bring chassis #070 to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. This chassis was last used for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kansas where Truex and team brought home a 16th-place finish. The team also used this chassis earlier this season for the first races at Atlanta (3/09) and Texas (4/09). It was in the Atlanta race with chassis #070 that Truex brought home his first top-10 finish of 2009.

#2-Kurt Busch Kurt, Pat and crew will bring out "Patriot" again this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Formerly known simply as "PRS-702," the team debuted this Miller Lite Dodge Charger two weeks ago in the Dickies 500 at Texas. When Kurt scored the big victory in the first time out for the car, he continued the Penske Racing tradition in naming his winning mount. With the Fort Hood tragedy occurring earlier that week, Kurt wanted to pay tribute to the military in his name selection. The fact that his car was carrying a special Operation Homefront color scheme and the organization's representatives and soldiers helped Kurt celebrate the win "sealed the deal" in naming the car "Patriot."

#5-Mark Martin: crew chief Gustafson has chosen Chassis #5-527 for this weekend's event at Homestead- Miami Speedway. This is the same chassis that Martin drove to Victory Lane at Darlington Raceway in May and Chicagoland Speedway in July.

#6-David Ragan will be unloading chassis RK-620 Last ran Charlotte fall 2009 finished 20th. The Backup: RK-638 Last ran Charlotte spring 2009 finished 24th. Ragan will be running the new FR9 engine in Homestead. It will be the second time the team has run the new engine, the other was Talladega. The Homestead Center (SLIC - 3311) in the South Florida District was selected for the November 22 Ford 400 presented by Pennzoil at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

#11-Denny Hamlin: and JGR team unload JGR 248 this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This car is a two-time winner in 2009, chalking up victories at Pocono and Martinsville. It will attempt to go three for three this weekend. JGR 253 is the back up. The #11 FedEx Express Camry will feature "IND" on the wing caps this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Indianapolis market is being recognized for outstanding commitment to safety and superior customer service. These results are a reflection of the dedication, hard work, and professionalism of the Indianapolis team.

#12-Brad Keselowski and the Penske Racing Dodge team will use chassis PRS-706 during Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series season finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. PRS-706 is a brand new chassis to the #12 Penske Dodge team.

#14-Tony Stewart Chassis #14-564 debuted at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth two races ago, where it delivered a strong performance by qualifying fourth and finishing sixth. Prior to Texas, Chassis #14-564's only action had been in the wind tunnel. The season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway will mark the car's second career start.

#18-Kyle Busch: Sunday's Ford 400 will be the third career start for No. 254. It made its on-track debut in September at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., where Busch started fifth and finished 13th. The #18 team brought this car back in October to Auto Club Speedway. Busch started at the rear of the field due to an engine change and worked his way up to 22nd by lap 40. But Busch was too ill to drive the whole distance and was forced to vacate the seat to relief driver David Gilliland at that time. The combined effort netted a finish of 24th place.

#26-Jamie McMurray and the Crown Royal team will be unloading chassis RK-617 at Homestead, last raced at Charlotte, Oct. finishing 33rd

#29-Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis #288 from RCR's Sprint Cup Series stable. This car was built new for the October race at Auto Club Speedway, where it finished 10th, before being raced to an 18th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway and then fifth at Texas Motor Speedway two races ago.

#31-Jeff Burton will race Chassis #290 from the RCR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new Caterpillar Chevy that will be put through its first paces this weekend.

#33-Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis #284 from RCR's Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for 2009, this Chevrolet debuted at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September, where Bowyer recorded a 29th-place finish.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya and the #42 Target team are bringing chassis #910 to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis for the 2nd race in a row.

#48-Jimmie Johnson has piloted primary chassis number 553 to Victory Lane twice this season, at Indianapolis in July and California in October. Johnson last drove backup chassis number 558 to a win at Lowe's Motor Speedway in October.

#71-Bobby Labonte will close out the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with TaxSlayer.com as the primary sponsor on the hood of his #71 Chevy which is chassis number 227, was last seen on-track in Texas where it qualified in 28th position with Labonte behind the wheel.

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. HMS engineers and crew chief Lance McGrew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis #88-559. Earnhardt last raced this chassis at Auto Club Speedway in October. He spent 70 percent of the race inside the top 15 and was running 11th when he was involved in an accident with five laps remaining. He finished 25th.

#99-Carl Edwards and Aflac Racing team will be unloading chassis RK-669. Edwards last raced this car at Fontana in October and finished sixth and has raced this Ford three times in 2009, at Richmond in May and both New Hampshire races.

Johnson grabs pole at Homestead, Martin qualifies fourth

Homestead, FL (Sports Network) - Jimmie Johnson kicked off his probable championship weekend by winning Friday's qualifying for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Johnson, who placed 21st in the only practice of the day , turned a blistering lap around the 1.5-mile oval at 173.919 m.p.h. (31.049 seconds) for his fourth pole of the season and the 23rd of his Sprint Cup Series career. He also claimed his second pole at Homestead, with his first one here coming in 2007.

"Great effort, obviously," Johnson said. "I'm very proud of what we did today. To bounce back from 21st [in practice], I knew we were going to be better than 21st."

Johnson holds a comfortable 108-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin heading into the season-ending race. If Johnson finishes 25th or better, he will clinch his unprecedented fourth straight Cup championship, regardless of Martin's performance.

"Qualifying trim on Friday is so different than what we will have tomorrow and then moving on to Sunday," Johnson said. "We'll use the momentum for sure, but we don't want to get cocky or too confident in what we did today, because tomorrow is a new day with a new set of challenges."

Earlier in the day, Johnson and team owner Rick Hendrick announced Johnson's contract extension with Hendrick that will keep him with the organization through the 2015 season.

Martin will start in the fourth position. The 50-year-old Martin is attempting to become the oldest driver to win a Cup title. He has finished second in points four times (1990, '94, '98 and 2002).

"It was a great race car, but it wasn't a great lap," said Martin, who went out sixth in qualifying.

Rookie Scott Speed, the last of the 48 drivers to qualify, surprisingly took the outside pole after posting a lap at 172.695 m.p.h. Speed also qualified second in last year's race at Homestead.

"I think more than anything it was just a product of going out when the sun was going down," Speed said. "Nonetheless, it's two years in a row that I sat on the front row here, so eventually I want to be on the pole."

Marcos Ambrose qualified third, and Tony Stewart secured the fifth spot.

Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Bill Elliott and Clint Bowyer completed the top-10.

Joe Nemechek, Dave Blaney, Mike Skinner, Max Papis and David Stremme failed to qualify.

Sunday's 400-mile race is scheduled to begin around 3:15 p.m. (et).

NASCAR in Miami
By Brobury Sports

Jimmie Johnson is out to make history this Sunday from Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is the final race of the NASCAR season.

Johnson only needs to finish 25th or better to become the first driver to win four straight titles. He leads Mark Martin by 108 points and the biggest comeback on the final race was 30 points (under the current point structure).

There is a good chance that Johnson plays it safe this week and thus is overvalued at his +500 odds-to-win.

History shows this race has been dominated by Roush-Fenway since 2004. Greg Biffle had three wins from 2004-2006, with Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards getting the last two. Edwards is still looking for his first win of the season after getting a remarkable nine last year.

Here are the favorites for Sunday’s Ford 400. It will be broadcast on ABC at 3:15 pm EST.

Jimmie Johnson (+500)

Johnson has no wins, two Top 5’s and five Top 10’s in eight Miami starts. His average finish is 13.6.

Mark Martin (+600)

Martin has no wins, four Top 5’s and five Top 10’s in nine Miami starts. His average finish is 12.

Jeff Gordon (+800)

Gordon has no wins, five Top 5’s and eight Top 10’s in 10 Miami starts. His average finish is 9.9.

Tony Stewart (+800)

Stewart has two wins, three Top 5’s and five Top 10’s in 10 Miami starts. Stewart won in both 1999 and 2000. His average finish is 11.9.

More of The Field

Kurt Busch (+800) – One win in Miami
Kyle Busch (+800)
Denny Hamlin (+1200)
Juan Pablo Montoya (+1200)
Carl Edwards (+1500) – One win in Miami, best average finish at 6.4.
Greg Biffle (+1500) – Three wins in Miami
Kasey Kahne (+1500)
Matt Kenseth (+1800) – One win in Miami
Brian Vickers (+2500)
Kevin Harvick (+2500)
Clint Bowyer (+3000)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+3000)
Ryan Newman (+3000)
Jeff Burton (+4000)
Martin Truex Jr. (+5000)
David Reutimann (+6000)
Joey Logano (+6000)

Practice Notes - Homestead
By Micah Roberts

The Chase for the Championship comes to a close Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Jimmie Johnson looking to win an unprecedented fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Johnson currently has a comfortable 108-point lead over second place Mark Martin which equates to the difference from first to 25th place.

During the final preparations for the race in Saturday’s practice sessions, both Martin and Johnson look to be equally up for the task for Sunday’s showdown. Johnson, who won the pole on Friday, was strong in both sessions running third fastest in the early session and seventh fastest during happy Hour.

Martin fared better Saturday having the fastest times in the first practice and third best in Happy hour giving the No. 5 Hendrick some semblance of hope that at least they know they’ll have one of the strongest cars on race day.

Both drivers are coming in with winning chassis’ as well. Johnson has the same car that he won with at Indianapolis and Martin brought his same car that won a Darlington and Chicagoland.

While the main story all week has centered around the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers battling for the Championship, two Richard Childress Racing drivers came out blazing during Happy Hour creating their own story and making them serious contenders to win the race itself.

Jeff Burton led Happy Hour with the fastest lap of 165.736 mph and close behind was teammate Kevin Harvick with the second fastest lap. Both drivers laid down the quick times in the early stages of the session.

Burton is looking continue his current hot streak on the season that has seen him finish in the top-10 in his last three races including a season best second-place last week at Phoenix. In his last 1.5-mile high banked track, run at Texas, Burton finished fifth.

Despite the good run at Texas, Burton’s team opted to bring a brand new chassis for this race and if this an indication to what may be in store for 2010 for RCR, missing the Chase likely will not occur again.

Harvick’s good run in practice shouldn’t come as too much of surprise, even though he did beat out the regular practice bully’s of Johnson and Martin. Harvick has finished in the top-10 in six of his last eight Miami starts, including last season’s best of second-place. This week he has brought the same chassis that finished fifth at Texas two weeks ago.

Both Harvick and Burton also put together the best average lap speeds during happy Hour which means Mark Martin may have a battle on his hands as he attempts to lead the most laps and win the race.

Top Speeds - Saturday’s First Practice Session:

1) Mark Martin 168.177 mph - AVG 30 laps @ 162.027
2) Denny Hamlin 167.884 mph - AVG 32 laps @ 161.119
3) Jimmie Johnson 167.863 mph - AVG 31 laps @ 161.497
4) Ryan Newman 167.822 mph - AVG 28 laps @ 161.046
5) Kyle Busch 167.811 mph - 24 laps @ 161.554

Top Average speed: Kevin Harvick 24 laps @ 163.194 Most laps run: Brian Vickers 39

Top Speeds - Saturday’s Final Practice (Happy Hour)

1) Jeff Burton 165.736 mph - AVG 44 laps @ 161.439
2) Kevin Harvick 165.375 - AVG 42 laps @ 161.293
3) Mark Martin 165.067 mph - AVG 47 laps @ 160.923
4) Martin Truex Jr 165.022 mph - AVG 48 laps @ 160.923
5) Ryan Newman 164.604 mph - AVG 50 laps @ 160.103

Top-10 Rated Drivers do Homestead-Miami based on final practices, recent performances on high banked 1.5-mile tracks, and current state of the team.

1) Mark Martin
2) Kevin Harvick
3) Kurt Busch
4) Jeff Burton
5) Jimmie Johnson
6) Ryan Newman
7) Denny Hamlin
8) Tony Stewart
9) Kyle Busch
10) Juan Pablo Montoya