Johnson, Edwards learn from championship battles
By MIKE HARRIS
Associated Press
Saturday, November 15, 2008 10:36 PM PST
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| Wilfredo Lee | Associated Press
NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson (left) and Carl Edwards pose with Johnson’s 2007 championship trophy Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 during a news conference in Coral Gables, Fla. The two will race in Sunday’s Ford 400 auto race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. |
Miami—There is an old saying in racing that you have to lose a championship before you can win one.
Heading into Sunday’s season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jimmie Johnson was on the cusp of winning his record-tying third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, needing only to finish 36th or better to relegate Carl Edwards to second place.
But before Johnson became a title-winning machine, he did lose championships in 2003 and 2004, finishing second both years.
Matt Kenseth ran away with the title in 2003, winning by 90 points over Johnson despite finishing dead last with an engine failure at Homestead. But, in 2004, Johnson finished just eight points behind Kurt Busch in the closest championship ever.
Two years later, Johnson came from behind to beat Kenseth for his first title by 56 points.
Now, on the brink of making history — joining Cale Yarborough (1976-78) as the only drivers to win three straight titles — Johnson understands exactly what it takes to win.
And he’s still nervous.
‘‘I know in the past, we’ve been here and we’ve had a decent points lead, and you’re still worried about every move you make ... the track bar adjustment, is it the right one, this and that,’’ Johnson said earlier this week. ‘‘There’s a lot of pressure on us and what we hope to do this weekend.
‘‘And then, really, we’ve got to go out and run 400 miles.’’
Besides understanding what his No. 48 Chevrolet team needs to do, Johnson knows exactly what he needs to do to stay calm and prepared. He has kept very busy all week, including running on the beach to wear himself out.
‘‘I’ve found that the more energy I use up during the day, the easier it is to sleep at night,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘So I’ve been working out a lot more in this Chase than others.’’
Edwards, on the other hand, says he has been completely relaxed this week, knowing he really has nothing to lose.
Since he’s unlikely to score a miracle comeback Sunday, Edwards is hoping that the racing saying is true, that losing this one may mean a championship is in his near future.
In 2005, when Tony Stewart dominated the Chase for the championship, Edwards tied with Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle for second, 35 points behind. But he was listed as third because Biffle won the tiebreaker with more victories.
Edwards said there’s no question that this year’s Chase has taught him a lot more about what it’s going to take.
‘‘I think that through this season or this Chase, I’ve learned a lot about the value of every point,’’ Edwards said. ‘‘I thought I really understood that well, but I think I understand it maybe just a little better now.
‘‘It hasn’t really been difficult to focus on it, but we have been focused on every lap because of how well these guys are running, and you know if you give anything up, it’s hard to make it back up.’’
Edwards is even trying to think like a front-runner.
‘‘I did try to take a moment and think about how I would feel if I were in Jimmie’s position and to understand that that could be where we’re at next year or the year after, hopefully, or hopefully someday. And it made me take a moment and respect the stress level and what that might be like.
‘‘But, definitely (it’s) an easy week for me. We’re in a fortunate position where we’ve got everything to gain.’’
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SPONSORSHIP HUNT: There isn’t much question that the nation’s economic woes are already affecting NASCAR.
Sponsorship has become considerably harder to find and some teams are feeling the crunch more than others.
Furniture Row Racing, which has run full-time this season with Joe Nemechek, announced this week it is planning a limited 2009 schedule.
‘‘This has nothing to do with our on-track performance,’’ said team president Joe Garone. ‘‘This is simply a business decision by Furniture Row of balancing priorities in a tough economy and, from all appearances, looks to be getting even tougher.’’
In its third year as a Cup team, Furniture Row Racing is coming off its best year, with Nemechek 37th in the season points.
Bill Davis Racing, which has had to layoff personnel, said Friday it is ‘‘fully committed to preparing to participate in the full season’’ while continuing its search for sponsorship.
‘‘We have a busy winter ahead of us,’’ said BDR competition director Tommy Baldwin. ‘‘We have wind tunnel and ... and as much track testing as we can get in before the first of the year due to the new testing policy NASCAR just announced.
‘‘No doubt these are tough economic times and we’ve had to make adjustments to our work force like every other team out there, but it’s still full-steam ahead for our Bill Davis Racing Cup team. I know everyone is working hard to make sure we show up in Daytona with everything we need, and I’m confident we’re on our way to getting all the pieces put into place to make our program even stronger in the future.’’
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FINISHING UP: Casey Mears, who will move to Richard Childress Racing in 2009, will make his 72nd and final start for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday.
While being a lame duck driver could have made the last part of this season difficult for everyone on the No. 5 Chevrolet, Mears said it has been a great experience.
‘‘The last nine races of this season have been the high note of the season for (this) team,’’ Mears said. ‘‘We got our intermediate package figured out and really improved there. And our short track racing has really been our best of any track this year.
‘‘I really want to win for the 5 team, and Miami is the last chance to do that. It’s been a good track for me in the past and, hopefully, we can make the best of our last opportunity on Sunday.’’
Despite limited success, Mears said he will carry good memories away from his time with Hendrick.
‘‘I earned my first Cup win with Hendrick Motorsports, and that will always be very important to me,’’ he said. ‘‘There were good moments, but there were also times of frustration. I appreciate the opportunity that Rick (Hendrick) gave me to race for him.’’
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STAT OF THE WEEK: Roush Fenway Racing is the team to beat at Homestead, having won five of the last six Cup races on the 1.5-mile Florida oval.
Kurt Busch, who now drives for Penske Racing, started the Roush dominance in 2002. After Joe Gibbs Racing’s Tony Stewart won in 2003, Greg Biffle won the next three Homestead races and Matt Kenseth added a victory for Roush Fenway last year.
