Backstretch Motorsports

Jimmie Johnson would just about have to NOT be able to roll off the starting grid Sunday at Homestead to not win a third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

It’s simply his.. to lose

Here’s what he must do to clinch his third consecutive series title — finish 36th or better on Sunday. Additionally, Johnson can clinch by finishing 37th and leading at least one lap or 39th and leading the most laps.

Relax. Just race the track.

“I really think where we are in points is going to allow me to go to Homestead and take a little pressure off my brain this week,” Johnson said. “We can just go down and relax and get in the car and set it up, just do what we know how to do.”

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Qualifying Fast Facts
Phoenix International Raceway
Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil

Coors Light Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson
Age: 33
Team : No. 48 - Lowe’s Chevrolet
Owner: Jeff Gordon
Crew Chief: Chad Knaus

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Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race No. 9: Phoenix International Raceway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Carl Edwards keeps chipping away at leader Jimmie Johnson’s point lead.
The deficit is now 106 points. An Edwards comeback with two races remaining would be the largest since the current points system was implemented in 1975.
But it’s not far off, which should keep Edwards optimistic. In 1992, Alan Kulwicki overcame an 85-point deficit over Bill Elliott with two races remaining to win the championship.
Edwards has beaten Johnson by 106 points in consecutive races five times this year.

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FORT WORTH, TX. — “It ain’t over til it’s over,” baseball legend Yogi Berra once said.

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards is a believer. First at last weekend’s Atlanta Motor Speedway battle and today at Ft. Worth.

The Missouri native, who cut his racing teeth on dirt tracks throughout the Midwest, dominated the field Sunday to win the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

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MARTINSVILLE, Va. — At the same track where he started his phenomenal run to the title last year, Jimmie Johnson distanced himself from his closest pursuers on Sunday, winning the Tums QuikPak 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

Johnson won in a cakewalk, leading 339 of 504 laps. His No. 48 Chevrolet was so good on short runs, and so strong off the corners, runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t mount a charge during the green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race four laps past its scheduled length.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ( – Jimmie Johnson’s 69-point lead over second-place Jeff Burton may look secure, but recent history indicates otherwise.
The points leader with five races remaining has failed to win the championship in each of the last two seasons.
In 2006, Johnson was in seventh place and 146 points behind leader Jeff Burton with five races remaining. He won the championship by 56 points, a swing of 202 points.

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CONCORD, N.C.—Despite Jimmie Johnson’s fast start to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Jeff Burton hasn’t been willing to concede the trophy to the two-time defending champion.

On Saturday night, Burton gave more than lip service to that notion, holding off Kasey Kahne to win the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The victory, Burton’s second of the season and the 21st of his career, vaulted the driver of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet into second place in the standings, 69 points behind Johnson with five races left in the Chase.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 6, 2008) – Because he shares a sponsor with the track, and because of his immense success there, Jimmie Johnson is the story when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Here are some LMS-specific Johnson numbers:
1 – Johnson’s current points position. It’s the first time in his career he has held the top spot going into the second LMS race.
1 – Johnson’s starting position in the 2004 Coca-Cola 600. Johnson is one of 13 LMS winners to start from the pole position.
2 – Season sweeps of LMS by Johnson (2004 and 2005), the only driver to do it twice. Other sweeps at LMS were done by Fred Lorenzen (1965), Bobby Allison (1971), David Pearson (1974), Richard Petty (1975), Dale Earnhardt (1986) and Kasey Kahne (2006).
5 – Wins at LMS for Johnson. He and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon are the active leaders there. Another win, and Johnson will be tied for all-time wins at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

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Qualifying Fast Facts
Talladega Superspeedway
AMP Energy 500

Coors Light Pole Winner: Travis Kvapil
Age: 32
Team : No. 28 - Academy Sports & Outdoors Ford
Owner: Doug Yates
Crew Chief: Todd Parrott

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2008) – Talladega Superspeedway is dubbed the “wild card” in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for a reason. Standings shuffling – and championship hopes shattering – races have been staged at Talladega:
2004: Jeff Gordon came into Talladega as the points leader. He finished 19th in the race, and was bounced from atop the standings by eventual series champion Kurt Busch. Gordon finished the year in third.

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