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Champs Sports
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Die-Cast Specials
Jimmie Johnson Wins Tums 500 at Martinsville
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.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr Auctions Ride In #88 At Lowes Motor Speedway
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.
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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?
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Greg Biffle Wins 2 In A Row:
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?
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Dale Earnhardt Jr Upset About Tires, More Security Needed:
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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Earnhardt Jr and Busch Mix It Up - Busch Loses Battle
When Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. got together on May 3rd, 2008 in Richmond on a Saturday night, I had a feeling that the incident was not to be forgotten. It was difficult to place blame if you watched the replay over and over (I did since I have a DVR), but simply put, Kyle Busch is wreckless, and drove into the corner to hard. Then as I watched the Kyle Busch / Dale Earnhardt Jr. wreck in slow motion, Kyle Busch was turning right! That's right, Kyle Busch was turning right up into Dale Jr! I could not tell if Kyle got loose and was correcting that, or if he was being his typical wreck anybody to get a win self that he is. If I had to guess, it would be the latter.
At the conclusion of the race, Dale Jr. gave his opinion of the younger, immature Kyle Busch and responded in a classy way. I often wonder if he is really the son of the great Dale Earnhardt Sr. because Dale Sr would said it like it was, the wreck was no accident. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a classier act than his late father The Intimidator was. Dale Sr. was one of the best to ever race the NASCAR series, and I was in the Infield at Daytona when he passed. But, Dale Jr. outranks his father in class.
Fast forward to September 7th, 2008 and the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. I had it in the back of my mind, could there be any payback from Dale Jr. if Kyle Busch got close enough? No way, I thought, Dale Earnhardt Jr is too classy for that. It would be like stooping to Kyle's level of being a wreckless, immature, crybaby driver.
Was I wrong? Dale Jr and Kyle Busch get together on the track, the result is Kyle Busch getting spun out and Dale Jr passing him by. The crowd went CRAZY! They were cheering Dale Jr for knocking NASCAR's biggest baby out of the race.
Upon further review with my remote and my trusty DVR, it was obvious that Dale Earnhardt Jr was smoking the front tires trying to avoid Kyle Busch as Busch came down into Jr. Of course, there were others in the room with me who had a different opinion of what happened.
I will stick to my assessment of the accident, and call it that, an accident.
What do you think? Was it Dale Jr payback, or another case of Kyle Busch being wreckless? Leave a comment to let us know your opinion.
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