2008 Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway

2008 Ford Championship Weekend:

Once again Jimmie Johnson can make history this weekend in Homestead. If Johnson can finish 36th or better he will guarantee himself his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. This will tie the record set by Cale Yarborough from 1976 - 1978. What is it that makes Jimmie Johnson this much better than the rest?

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 won last week in Phoenix and extended his lead even further. Jimmie is now 141 points ahead of Carl Edwards. Jimmie Johnson only needs to finish 36th or better in Homestead to clinch the 2008 Championship.

1. Jimmie Johnson -0
2. Carl Edwards -141
3. Greg Biffle -203
4. Jeff Burton -269
5. Kevin Harvick -328
6. Clint Bowyer -335
7. Jeff Gordon -410
8. Matt Kenseth -471
9. Denny Hamlin -474
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -476
11. Kyle Busch -481
12. Tony Stewart -505

Storylines:

This Sunday will likely see Jimmie Johnson win his third NASCAR Sprint Cup title in a row. What is it that makes one driver and team so much stronger than the rest?

Clearly Jimmie is talented and has one of the best funded teams in the sport. These factors account for a lot.

Jimmie and crew chief Chad Knaus have excellent communication. When Jimmie says the car is loose Chad makes just the right change; never too much and never too little.

I also wonder if they have found something special that gives them an advantage? I find it remarkable that one team can dominate in such a competitive series.

Media Coverage:

TV: ABC Sunday, November 16th, 3:00PM Eastern.

Radio: MRN and SIRIUS Satellite

Actual Race: 3:45 p.m. Eastern

Recent Events:

2007 Winner: Matt Kenseth

2007 Polesitter: Jimmie Johnson

Previously...:

In 2007 Jimmie Johnson lead the first lap and then played it conservative all day long. After leading that lap Johnson needed to finish 19th or better to clinch the Championship. He spent most of the day safely in the top ten and cruised safely home to clinch the title.

Matt Kenseth dominated the race and survived a late race restart to beat Kurt Busch to the checkered flag.

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 the 2008 Sprint Cup title.

Roush-Fenway Racing has been unstoppable at Homestead-Miami Speedway in recent years. They have won the last four in a row and five of the last six Sprint Cup races in Homestead. Clearly they have found something in the setup that works well on that track.

The 2008 Championship is out of Carl Edwards' hands at the moment. Jimmie Johnson is in control and only needs to stay in contention to clinch. I think that Carl Edwards will pull out all the stops and win this season finale in order to apply what little pressure is available.

For my backup I am staying in the Roush-Fenway camp. Greg Biffle has three of those five team victories. In fact Biffle won three in a row from 2004-2006. Biffle started the 2008 Chase with back-to-back wins. I would not be surprised to see him end the Chase with another.