2006 Ford Championship Weekend:
Jimmie Johnson can make history this weekend in Homestead. While it seems likely that he will win his second consecutive NEXTEL Cup Championship he can do so in historic style if he also becomes the first driver to ever win five consecutive NEXTEL Cup races. All eyes are on Johnson this weekend as the Ford Championship Weekend wraps up the 2007 Chase for the Cup.
Tickets:
Speedway ticket office (305) 230-RACE
Buy online from TicketsNow (direct link)
The Track:
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a one and a half mile oval that features computer-designed progressive banking in the turns. This race track easily supports side-by-side racing all the way around the track which makes for a great show all day long. There are multiple grooves to choose from and the fast, wide race track is a fitting tribute to motorsports. This is a fabulous place to decide the Championships.
Race Distance:
267 Laps = 400.5 Miles
The Big Picture:
Jimmie Johnson holds a 86 point lead over teammate Jeff Gordon. Johnson needs only to finish eighteenth or better to guarantee himself the 2007 NEXTEL Cup Championship. If he leads one lap he only needs to finish nineteenth or better.
On the flip side, if Jeff Gordon finishes fifteenth or worse then Johnson wins the title regardless of where he finishes.
The Top Twelve
- Jimmie Johnson
- Jeff Gordon -86
- Clint Bowyer -241
- Kyle Busch -387
- Tony Stewart -403
- Matt Kenseth -469
- Kevin Harvick -479
- Jeff Burton -483
- Carl Edwards -505
- Kurt Busch -516
- Martin Truex Jr. -563
- Denny Hamlin -599
Storylines:
This Sunday's Ford 400 is Jimmie Johnson's Victory Lap. Johnson has had such great success in 2007 that some statistical comparisons with his mentor and teammate are bound to come up.
This is Jimmie Johnson's sixth NEXTEL Cup season.
- The last driver to win four races in a row: Jeff Gordon
- The last driver to win ten or more races in a season: Jeff Gordon
- The last driver to win back-to-back Championships: Jeff Gordon
All of these records were set by Jeff Gordon in 1998, his sixth full season in NASCAR's top series.
Media Coverage:
TV: ABC Sunday, November 18th, 3:00PM Eastern.
Radio: MRN and SIRIUS Satellite
Actual Race: 3:30 p.m. Eastern
Posted Awards:
$5,310,336
Previously...:
In 2006 Jimmie Johnson needed to finish twelfth or better to clinch the title. He raced with the lead pack all day long and shut Matt Kenseth out of the title with a solid, and safe, ninth place finish.
Greg Biffle picked up his the race win. This was Biffle's third consecutive NEXTEL Cup win at Homestead.
Predictions:
First off, let me get the Championship prediction out of the way. I think that Jimmie Johnson will ride all day safely in the top ten and will close out his fantastic season with the 2007 NEXTEL Cup title.
No one has been able to beat Greg Biffle at Homestead since 2003 when Greg Biffle crashed on lap 197. Since then Biffle has ripped of three straight wins in Homestead. Biffle had a strong second place run last week in Phoenix. I think Biffle is a good bet to extend his Homestead winning streak.
For my backup this week I am going with Martin Truex Jr. Truex ran second here in 2006 and has been running near the front in recent weeks. 2008 will be the year that Truex finally slips out of Dale Earnhardt Jr's shadow to be the lead driver at DEI. What better way to start your off-season than with a big win in Homestead?
