| Next stop on the Nextel Cup Schedule is
| |
| | those 5 races, Johnson had opportunities
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| Texas Motor Speedway
| |
| | to challenge for the win, but settled for
|
| Folks, I'm just as giddy as when little
| |
| | a safe top 5 finish.
|
| Johnny stole a kiss from Sally in the
| |
| | You may say this is boring, right? Not
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| back seat of his daddy's car. The action
| |
| | exactly! The point's battle between
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| heading into the final two races of the
| |
| | Johnson and Kenseth is one of the closest
|
| year is nothing short of spectacular.
| |
| | in NASCAR's history with only two races
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| This year's tight competition in the new
| |
| | remaining. Only 17 points separate the
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| Chase for the Championship format has
| |
| | two drivers. Those 17 points will keep
|
| Mike Helton, President of NASCAR, looking
| |
| | both you and I glued to your seat the
|
| like Albert Einstein's illegitimate son.
| |
| | remaining two Sunday's of the 2006 Nextel
|
| Week in and week out, the Chase has taken
| |
| | Cup season.
|
| on a different face. Early on we all
| |
| | Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway Recap
|
| thought Jeff Burton was going to run away
| |
| | Tony Stewart spent most of his afternoon
|
| with it, and the Hendrick drivers were
| |
| | at Texas Motor Speedway staring at the
|
| nothing more than observers. Now, with
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| | rest of the field of drivers through his
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| just two races to go, Jimmie Johnson has
| |
| | rear-view mirror. Stewart, and his car,
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| stormed all the way from 10th place after
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| | were second only to the pace car in the
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| leaving New Hampshire to recapture the
| |
| | Dickies 500. It seems that the former
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| lead that he held for much of the year.
| |
| | champion has decided that since he's a
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| Next week expect Jimmie Johnson to
| |
| | spectator in this year's Chase for the
|
| increase his lead over second place
| |
| | Championship, he may as well watch it
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| driver Matt Kenseth at Phoenix
| |
| | unfold from the best seat in the house,
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| International Raceway. In 6 starts at
| |
| | victory lane.
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| Phoenix, Johnson has an average finish of
| |
| | While Stewart stole the show at Texas,
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| 8th. Also expect the following drivers to
| |
| | the championship contenders, for the most
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| do well next week:
| |
| | part, all fared well. Six of the top ten
|
| Jeff Gordon - Average Finish 9th
| |
| | finishers were Chase drivers. Jimmie
|
| Mark Martin - Average Finish 10th
| |
| | Johnson was the best of those six by
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| Tony Stewart - Average Finish 11th
| |
| | finishing in 2nd place and capturing the
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| Jeff Burton - Average Finish 12th
| |
| | series' points lead.
|
| Next Week's Schedule:
| |
| | The other championship drivers faired as
|
| Nextel Cup: @ Phoenix International
| |
| | follows:
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| Raceway.
| |
| | 1. (Leader) Jimmie Johnson is back in a
|
| 11/10/06 - 03:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup
| |
| | familiar place, 1st, after finishing 2nd
|
| Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by
| |
| | in the Dickies 500. The championship
|
| Pennzoil Qualifying
| |
| | leader had a strong car for much of the
|
| 11/11/06 - 12:05pm NASCAR Nextel Cup
| |
| | day, but not strong enough top Tony
|
| Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by
| |
| | Stewart.
|
| Pennzoil Practice
| |
| | 2. (- 17 points) Matt Kenseth's fought
|
| 11/12/06 - 01:30pm NASCAR Nextel Cup
| |
| | adversity for most of the day. His car
|
| Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by
| |
| | handled poorly all race, and he even spun
|
| Pennzoil
| |
| | out late in the race trying to avoid the
|
| Busch Series: @ Phoenix International
| |
| | Scot Riggs wreck. But, displaying his
|
| Raceway.
| |
| | championship grit, Kenseth battled and
|
| 11/10/06 - 04:00pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck
| |
| | battled to finish 12th and minimize the
|
| Series ARIZONA.TRAVEL 200 Practice
| |
| | amount of points given up to Johnson.
|
| 11/11/06 - 10:05am NASCAR Craftsman Truck
| |
| | 3. (-78 points) Dale Earnhardt Jr showed
|
| Series ARIZONA.TRAVEL 200 Qualifying
| |
| | his toughness yesterday. All day long, Jr
|
| 11/11/06 - 01:40pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck
| |
| | was ill and fought the urge to spew out
|
| Series ARIZONA.TRAVEL 200
| |
| | his side window. But Earnhardt Jr stayed
|
| Craftsman Truck Series: @ Phoenix
| |
| | strong, even after brushing the wall
|
| International Raceway. 11/09/06 - 05:30pm
| |
| | midway through the race, and held on for
|
| NASCAR
| |
| | a 6th place finish.
|
| Craftsman Truck Series Casino Arizona 150
| |
| | 4. (-80 points) Denny Hamlin's is still
|
| Practice
| |
| | in the picture for the championship after
|
| 11/10/06 - 10:15am NASCAR Craftsman Truck
| |
| | finishing 10th at Texas. The rookie is
|
| Series Casino Arizona 150 Qualifying
| |
| | showing a lot of poise, and looks like he
|
| 11/10/06 - 06:15pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck
| |
| | will be a contender for years to come.
|
| Series Casino Arizona 150
| |
| | 5. (-105 points) Kevin Harvick rebounded
|
| Smoke Heats up Texas!
| |
| | from a pour finish last week at Atlanta
|
| There's no disgrace not qualifying for
| |
| | and finished 3rd at Texas. Kevin was
|
| the Chase for the Championship. Well,
| |
| | trying to be the first driver in NASCAR
|
| that is if you win 3 of the final 8 races
| |
| | to sweep the Busch and Cup series at
|
| of the year. And that is exactly what
| |
| | Texas after he won the O'Reilly Challenge
|
| Tony Stewart has done this year.
| |
| | Saturday.
|
| Tony has dominated the past 6 races
| |
| | 6. (-157 points) Jeff Gordon is showing
|
| dating back to Kansas, winning 3 and
| |
| | that a champion never quits. Leaving
|
| posting an average finish of 7th. Since
| |
| | Lowe's Motor Speedway just three weeks
|
| Kansas, Stewart has led more laps than
| |
| | ago, Gordon was in 10th place. Now, he
|
| any other driver, and has the been one of
| |
| | sits in 6th with an outside chance of
|
| the top performing drivers since the
| |
| | winning the championship after finishing
|
| Chase for the Championship has starting
| |
| | 9th at Texas.
|
| despite not being a contender.
| |
| | 7. (-146 points) Jeff Burton's season is
|
| Using the same car he won with in
| |
| | crumbling. The championship contender
|
| Atlanta, Tony smoked the field in Texas.
| |
| | suffered yet another setback after he
|
| Don't expect the #20 team to change too
| |
| | crashed early in the race. The damage
|
| much. Most likely, they will give the
| |
| | incurred from the wreck took his team
|
| same car a wash and a wax and ship it off
| |
| | over 30 minutes to fix. Burton finished
|
| to Phoenix next week to try and make it 3
| |
| | the race in 38th place; his 2nd 38th
|
| in a row. With nothing to lose but pride,
| |
| | place or lower finish of the Chase.
|
| Tony Stewart will continue to hang it out
| |
| | 8. (-233 points) Kyle Busch had his first
|
| there for the final two races at Phoenix
| |
| | bright day of this year's Chase for the
|
| and Homestead. His average finish at both
| |
| | Championship. Busch finished 4th after
|
| tracks is 10th.
| |
| | gambling on taking 2 tires on the last
|
| Jimmie Johnson Recaptures Series Lead
| |
| | pit stop of the day.
|
| Jimmie Johnson has followed the model set
| |
| | 9. (-253 points) Mark Martin's may just
|
| by Matt Kenseth to help him overtake
| |
| | as well go ahead and retire. Not that
|
| Kenseth and lead the Nextel Cup Series
| |
| | Mark doesn't have the talent to compete
|
| point's standings with just 2 races left.
| |
| | anymore, because he does. It's just that
|
| Kenseth earned the label of Mr.
| |
| | it's hard to watch one of NASCAR's most
|
| Consistency by racing just aggressive
| |
| | beloved drivers get beat up week in and
|
| enough to finish in the top 10 in lieu of
| |
| | week out in a series of unfortunate
|
| pushing his car to the limits to win
| |
| | wrecks caused by others. Yesterday,
|
| races (if you want to see that, just
| |
| | Martin finished in 22nd place and earned
|
| watch his teammate Carl Edwards).
| |
| | every bit of it!
|
| This is the same approach Jimmie Johnson
| |
| | 10. (-290 points) Kasey Kahne is doing
|
| has taken over the past 5 races. In each
| |
| | his best to earn the sympathy of all the
|
| race, with the exception of Talladega
| |
| | adoring female fans in NASCAR. Kahne
|
| where Johnson was prepared to settle for
| |
| | clearly had a second place car until he
|
| 2nd place until his teammate Brian
| |
| | blew an engine with just a few laps
|
| Vickers wrecked him on the final lap,
| |
| | remaining. He finished in 33rd.
|
| Johnson has finished in the top 5. During
| |
| |
|
