This Week in Auto Racing November 20 - 22

This Week in Auto Racing November 20 - 22

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - While all three of NASCAR's national touring series will wrap up their 2009 seasons this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jimmie Johnson will attempt to make history by winning his record fourth straight Sprint Cup Series championship.

Sprint Cup Series

Ford 400 - Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL

One thing is for sure in Sunday's Sprint Cup season-finale at Homestead. Hendrick Motorsports will capture its ninth championship in NASCAR's top-tier series. Which driver -- Jimmie Johnson or Mark Martin -- has yet to be decided.

Johnson rebounded from his Texas setback by winning last weekend's race at Phoenix. He now leads second-place Martin by 108 points. Johnson will lock up his unprecedented fourth consecutive title with a 25th-place finish or better at Homestead. Jeff Gordon, currently third in points (-169), officially will be eliminated from championship contention when Johnson starts the 400-mile race in South Florida.

Despite a comfortable points margin right now, Johnson clinching the title at Homestead is not a sure thing. He survived the "wild-card" race at Talladega with a sixth-place run, but after his 38th-place finish at Texas due to an early-race crash, Martin trimmed 111 points from his teammate's lead.

"After Talladega, there was a big relief we made it through and had a good finish," Johnson said. "I'd be lying if I didn't feel some things, relief, wonder if, maybe this is really going to happen. We went to Texas, had the carpet jerked out from underneath our feet and finished 38th. Maybe there was a good lesson in that.

"I'm not one to let my mind wander and think about the possibilities. I've always known I've got to go out and race the race and get it done. Maybe it was a good lesson to myself and the team that this thing isn't over. With that in mind, I'm not thinking about a party, what I'm saying or what I'm doing."

Johnson has finished worse than 25th in 47 of his 290-race Cup career.

Martin has gained more than 108 points on Johnson nine times, including once at Homestead (2005).

If Martin ends the year second in points, it would be the fifth time that has occurred in his career. He was the points runner-up in 1990, '94, '98 and 2002. Richard Petty holds the record for the most second-place finishes in Cup points with six.

"I'm pretty proud of what we've done this season, the 50-year-old Martin said. "That's really all I've got to say about it. I'm proud of what we've accomplished."

Martin , in his first full-season with Hendrick, has five victories and a series-high seven poles so far this year.

Rick Hendrick's guaranteed ninth owner championship will place him in a tie with Petty Enterprises for most all-time in the series. Hendrick also will surpass Richard Childress for most owner titles combined in NASCAR's three national touring series with 12.

"It's an awesome feeling," Hendrick said. "I really have a hard time explaining how proud I am of the organization...just unbelievable. We thought we would be good this year, knowing that one of our cars is going to win it."

Jack Sprague gave Hendrick three championships in the Truck Series (1997, '99 and 2001). Brian Vickers won the 2003 Nationwide driver's title in a Hendrick car, but Childress claimed the owner championship that year.

While Johnson and Martin battle for the title, several drivers who won a Cup race in 2008 have one last chance to score their first victory this year. Perhaps the biggest surprise this season has been Carl Edwards in the winless column. Edwards won a series-high nine races last year, including Homestead.

"It's our last chance to get a win in 2009," Edwards said. "I have real high hopes going in [Homestead]. We're just going to go until the last lap and give it a hundred percent with guns blazing. We're going for the win. Hopefully we'll get a shot at it."

Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr. also won at least one Cup race last year, but have yet to win this season.

Biffle recorded three consecutive victories at Homestead from 2004-06.

Forty-eight teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Ford 400.

Nationwide Series

Ford 300 - Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL

Although Kyle Busch was unable to clinch the Nationwide championship last weekend at Phoenix, he will secure the title once he takes the green flag in Saturday's season-ending race at Homestead.

Carl Edwards postponed Busch's inevitable championship by leading the most laps and winning at Phoenix. Busch, who finished ninth and surprisingly did not lead a lap, left Phoenix with a 190-point lead over Edwards. If Busch would have held an advantage of 195 points or higher, he would have clinched the title there.

Busch is expected to become the eighth different series champion in the last 10 seasons. Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. won twice during that span.

Heading into Homestead, Edwards is 60 points ahead of Brad Keselowski. If Edwards can hold on to the second spot in points, he'll finish runner-up for the second year in a row. Last year, his late-surge came up short when he finished just 21 points behind champion Clint Bowyer.

Edwards, the 2007 Nationwide champion, won last year's race at Homestead.

"Last year's win at Homestead was one of the highlights of my season," Edwards said. "There's still a chance that something could happen and we could win the championship. Even though it's one in a million, there's still a chance. So, until the race starts and Kyle gets those points, we'll go there and do our best to win a championship."

While Busch looks to wrap up the title, Denny Hamlin and Keselowski should make things interesting at Homestead. The latest on-going feud between the two drivers occurred in Phoenix, where Keselowski spun Hamlin while they were battling for position late in the race.

Keselowski claimed that Hamlin got into the back of him and pushed him up the track the lap prior to their incident. Hamlin saw things differently and promised retaliation at Homestead.

Hamlin will drive the No.11 Toyota for CJM Racing. Mike Bliss has driven the car in the last four races, but takes over the wheel of the No.1 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing at Homestead.

Fifty-three teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Ford 300.

Camping World Truck Series

Ford 200 - Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL

The Camping World Truck Series kicks off "championship weekend" at Homestead on Friday. Ron Hornaday clinched the title -- his series-record fourth -- last weekend at Phoenix. Hornaday holds an insurmountable 215-point lead over second-place Matt Crafton.

While Hornaday has wrapped up the title, the owners championship has yet to be decided. Kevin Harvick Inc. currently holds a 60-point lead over Billy Ballew Motorsports.

Hornaday joined KHI at the start of the 2005, and has won two titles with the organization since then.

"It's really amazing," Hornaday said. "I can't believe all that we have accomplished this year, but we aren't done yet. We still have to go out this weekend and run well so we can bring home the owner's championship for Kevin and DeLana [Harvick]."

Hornaday became the oldest NASCAR national touring series champion at age 51. He also joined Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as those drivers who have won four or more NASCAR titles.

Homestead will mark a career milestone for Hornaday, as he will make his 250th career Truck Series start.

Busch has managed to close the gap in owner points by winning five of the last six races he has entered with Ballew. He finished second to Harvick at Phoenix.

"I can't close the gap, I've got to take that gap," said Busch, who leads the series with seven victories. "Hornaday is going to go and try to win the race. They've got the driver's championship locked up, so if they go out there and try to win the race and are successful at that, then we can't catch them. But if they go out there and have problems, whether it's a wreck or engine or a tire, it could be anything. It's going to be hard to do, but hopefully we can battle it out and have a good, strong run and see if we can't beat them."

Busch has driven the No.51 Toyota for Ballew in 13 races so far this year. Aric Almirola, Denny Hamlin, Brian Ickler and Travis Kvapil also have shared driving duties in the No.51 truck.

Thirty-nine teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Ford 200.