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Jimmie Johnson Wins Tums 500 at Martinsville

By: Keith Bloemendaal

Jimmie Johnson won again at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, padding his lead in his bid for a third straight title with four races to go.

The two-time defending series champion led 339 laps as he and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates dominated once more on the oldest, smallest and trickiest circuit in the Sprint Cup Series.

Johnson won the fall race at this track for the third consecutive time. It was his fifth career victory on the 0.526-mile oval and fourth in the last five races.

“It’s just been good to me,” he said.

Teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second, followed by Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon, giving Hendrick three of the top four spots. The 1-2 finish was the 23rd for the multicar team and third at Martinsville.

“I didn’t have anything for Jimmie,” Earnhardt said. “That car was so awesome.”

Johnson increased his lead from 69 points over Jeff Burton to 149 over Greg Biffle. Burton started second and finished 17th.

As they had in the spring, when they combined to lead 371 laps, Johnson and Gordon set the pace all day with Gordon leading 57 laps. Earnhardt made it a three-car Hendrick party near the front and, unlike in the spring, Johnson this time managed to close the deal.

In March, Denny Hamlin won on pit strategy.

Johnson led seven times in all, passing Gordon for the top spot with 209 laps to go. He then made quick work of Matt Kenseth, who stayed out on the track under caution with 38 to go.

Johnson heads to Atlanta with the largest points lead in the history of the Chase at this point. He’s not ready, however, to start thinking about another title.

“It’s getting closer,” he said. “It’s still not time.”

The day was shaping up as a great one for Jamie McMurray, who started 20th and climbed into contention quickly. He was running fourth with about 100 laps to go when his car suddenly slowed on the backstretch. He drove it directly to his garage and wound up 38th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Auctions Ride In #88 At Lowes Motor Speedway

By: Keith Bloemendaal

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, is collaborating with Wrangler in a charity auction bid on ebay.com. The winner of the bid will get to ride with Earnhardt, Jr. for three laps around Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. The winner will also receive free lessons from the Richard Petty Driving Experience. The proceeds from the auction will benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp.
Other items available for bid include the door panel from the No. 88 car that was driven in the Auto Club Speedway race in Fontana earlier this year, and a pair of jeans worn and autographed by the driver. The door panel is scratched since Earnhardt, Jr. was involved in a crash in that race.

Anyone interested can bid for any of the prizes at this link.

FavoriteTeamWear asks: Would the Points Race Be Different Without Chase Points?

After watching Kyle Busch fall to 12th in Sprint Cup Chase points over the last 2 weeks, I can't help but wonder where the chasers would be without the Chase setup. I did some research on this, and found that the points race would be different.

Chase Points After Dover:

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind Leader
1	Carl Edwards	5390	-------
2	Jimmie Johnson	5380	-10
3	Greg Biffle	5380	-10
4	Jeff Burton	5308	-82
5	Kevin Harvick	5289	-101
6	Clint Bowyer	5284	-106
7	Tony Stewart	5277	-113
8	Jeff Gordon	5272	-118
9	Dale Earnhardt Jr	5261	-129
10	Matt Kenseth	5123	-167
11	Denny Hamlin	5197	-193
12	Kyle Busch	5180	-210

While I believe everyone in the Chase still has a chance to win the Championship, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin really need to get their acts together to get there.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has fallen significantly, but still has a chance if he can win Talledega and Texas, which he historically runs well at for both.

All in all, the Sprint Chase For The Cup is still up for grabs, and any of the teams still have a chance to win it, or to throw it away.

In contrast, let us look at the points if there was no Chase Points:

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind Leader
1	Carl Edwards	4011	----
2	Kyle Busch	3978	-33
3	Jimmie Johnson	3916	-95
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr	3739	-272
5	Jeff Burton	3682	-329
6	Greg Biffle	3660	-351
7	Kevin Harvick	3572	-439
8	Tony Stewart	3562	-449
9	Jeff Gordon	3493	-518
10	Denny Hamlin	3422	-589
11	Clint Bowyer	3390	-621
12	Matt Kenseth	3355	-656

As you can see, this would be a much different chase, had the points not been realigned with 10 races to go. It would only be a 3 car race at this point, a Ford, a Toyota, and a Chevrolet. Also, three teams: Rousch, Gibbs, and Hendrick.

Kyle Busch would obviously be in better shape.

Looking at the top three, Jimmie Johnson would have more work to do to win a historical Championship for him (3 in a row). Kyle Busch would only be 33 points behind leader Carl Edwards, showing the benefits of having such a strong season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, and everyone behind him could almost be counted out, making it a three car race.

I can't help but wonder, is the Chase For The Cup really more exciting, or is it unfair to those having raced so well all season, only to fall back from 1st to 12th after 2 races.

What do you think? Is the Chase setup better?

Greg Biffle Wins 2 In A Row:

By: Keith Bloemendaal

While Greg Biffle wins his second in a row, Kyle Busch is falling further away.

I was traveling this weekend and was forced to listen to the race on MRN radio. I actually forgot how much fun this can be. I used to listen to the race on the radio more often when traveling. Now that I have young children, I don't travel as often. We spent the weekend at the beach to finish summer officially.

I can only imagine at this point, how exciting it was to be watching the finish to this race! As it was coming down to the finishing laps, the radio announcers' voices were cracking and high pitched with excitement, and I found myself turning the volume up louder and louder. So, if you find yourself in a position where you are on the road during the race, try listening to it on MRN or PRN radio networks. You will probably enjoy it.

Jack Rousch must of been sitting on the edge of his seat as well. With Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, and Greg Biffle all trading paint for the win at the Monster Mile, I wonder who Rousch was rooting for. Maybe he simply rooted for the three NOT to wreck each other. I can't help but wonder, though, could he be rooting for Biffle in the 3M car?

At the very least, the last two weeks have changed who people may think can win the Chase for the Cup. Or has it? Could it be Greg Biffle wins his first championship? Carl Edwards or Jimmie Johnson? And you can't count Dale Earnhardt Jr out yet, two of his best tracts, Talledega and Texas, are coming up. Also, Jeff Burton could be a sleeper in this Chase.

Personally, I think any predictions at this point would be foolish, who can predict the Chase when it is this close?

NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon Spins The Fastest Lap For The Dover Race

By Keith Bloemendaal

Jeff Gordon spins the fast lap in qualifying today at Dover International Speedway for the Camping World RV 400 with a time of 22.921 and a speed of 157.061mph.

Earlier this year, Gordon started 7th at the Monster and finished 5th. Over the last 2 years he has finished in the top 12 at Dover for every race. Over Jeff Gordon's career, he has 4 wins, and 14 top 5's at the Monster Mile.

Coming into this race Jeff Gordon is 11th in Chase points, 99 points behind leaders Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. Interesting facts to ponder:

no winner of the Dover Chase race has gone on to win the Cup Series championship during the Chase era,

and perhaps even more importantly, no Chase leader has entered Dover with the points lead and held it after the checkered flag.

The rest of the top 10 Qualifiers (bold indicates chase drivers):

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Mark Martin
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Kurt Busch
5. Greg Biffle
6. Clint Bowyer
7. David Gilliland
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Jamie McMurray
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr

Other Chase Drivers Qualified:

• Kyle Busch 11th
• Jimmie Johnson 20th
• Jeff Burton 21st
• Carl Edwards 22nd
• Kevin Harvick 24th
• Tony Stewart 33rd

Looking at these qualifying positions, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards will be working hard to get to the front if they want to protect the shared lead they have now.

In June of this year, Kyle Busch won the Best Buy 400 with Carl Edwards and who else but, GREG BIFFLE running 3rd! Make sure you watch this race, I am sure there will be some action, points position changes, and who knows, maybe Kyle Busch will end up in the wall or put someone in the wall!

Dale Earnhardt Jr Upset About Tires, More Security Needed:

By: Keith Bloemendaal

Dale Jr lead 79 Laps at Louden, New Hampshire during the 1st Race in the chase for the Sprint Cup on Sunday. It wasn't enough to get his National Guard/Amp Energy Chevy to Victory Lane. The Culprit: Tires.

Earnhardt was heard on the radio demanding more security for the tires. Saying he needed to "find a series that runs half distance races".

We have witnessed this phenomenon of Jr leading a good amount of laps, then just loosing the handle on the Hendrick owned Chevy towards the end. Usually falling back out of contention.

One such incident actually caused Kyle Busch to run into him during the Richmond race, and the tires couldn't hold up to keep Dale from spinning out!

Rick Hendrick came over the radio to try and calm the situation, and now the rest of the media are saying Jr had a hissy fit. Yes, I did join the chastising of Tony Stewart last week for his comments over the radio. The difference here, I believe, is that Dale Earhardt Jr praised his team for speedy pit stops and making passes in the pits. Obviously, the two incidents are completely different.

I think Dale Jr has a point, and should address the problem with why this phenomenon happens late in the race for the National Guard/Amp Energy Hendrick Motorsports team.

It is well known to most fans that Jr can get testy on the radio, as many drivers do. He simply blamed the tires, in his own way. Maybe some bodyguards are needed in the garage area, maybe Kyle Busch is paying someone to sabotage Dale's tires! Maybe not.

Either way, action is needed to figure out the problem, and getting to victory lane during this chase (maybe multiple times) will be necessary for any driver wishing to have a chance for the Sprint Cup Championship.

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