With two races left in the NASCAR Nextel Cup season, all points leader Jimmie Johnson has to do is keep running at the front and he won't be beat anyway. Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin & Kevin Harvick still have a chance if Johnson stumbles at the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix. That 500 kilometers so that's 312 miles on this one mile race track. Jeff Gordon won the pole.
Jimmie Johnson-#48 Lowe's Chevy started 29th because he was first in qualifying. The other contenders could hope that Johnson would stay back there but why kid yourself? Jeff Gordon-#24 Dupont Chevy & Kevin Harvick-#29 Reese's Cookies Chevy battle for the lead but Harvick gets the lead on lap 4. A debris caution comes out on lap 69. Everyone pits and Johnson moves up to third. There goes that theory.
Jimmie Johnson takes the lead on lap 133. Another debris caution comes out on lap 149. After pit stops, Johnson still has the lead but Harvick passes him on lap 163. A caution comes out when Michael Waltrip-#55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge breaks a rear gear on lap 186. Everyone pits. Harvick still leads. Carl Edwards-#99 Office Depot Ford is second. Johnson drops to 7th when a lug nut gets stuck on his pit stop.
Kevin Harvick is still leading but is having battery problems. Among other things, he turns off his air conditioner. Jimmie Johnson gets past Carl Edwards for second on lap 245. Michael Waltrip's engine failure drops oil on the track on lap 252 to bring out a caution. Everyone makes final pit stops. Mark Martin-#6 AAA Ford takes two tires for the lead. Johnson is second and Harvick is third. Harvick passes Johnson for second on lap 260.
Kevin Harvick takes the lead on lap 282. Johnson moves into second. Martin finished 6th. On lap 298, Jeff Green-#66 Best Buy Chevy crashes to bring out a caution. Carl Edwards misses a gear on the restart and Jeff Gordon almost spins him out. A caution comes out on lap 305 when Casey Mears-#42 Texaco Havoline Dodge crashes. NASCAR throws a red flag to clean the track. Johnson tries to make a move on Harvick but Harvick holds him off for the win.
Congratulations to Kevin Harvick, crew chief Todd Berrier and car owner Richard Childress for the win. Jimmie Johnson was second. Matt Kenseth had a terrible car but finished 13th. Johnson has a 63 point lead going into the final race at Homestead Miami. He wins the Nextel Cup Championship if he finishes 12th. Here's the top ten of the race.
#/Driver/Sponsor/Make/Owner
1.29/Kevin Harvick/Reese's Cookies/Chevy/Richard Childress
2.48/Jimmie Johnson/Lowe's/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
3.11/Denny Hamlin/FedEx Ground/Chevy/Joe Gibbs
4.24/Jeff Gordon/Dupont/Chevy/Rick Hendrick
5.99/Carl Edwards/Office Depot/Ford/Jack Roush
6.6/Mark Martin/AAA/Ford/Jack Roush
7.9/Kasey Kahne/Chrysler Financial/Dodge/Ray Evernham
8.2/Kurt Busch/Miller Lite/Dodge/Roger Penske
9.8/Dale Earnhardt Jr./Budweiser/Chevy/Dale Earnhardt Inc.
10.31/Jeff Burton/Cingular/Chevy/Richard Childress
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