NASCAR SCS (HOMESTEAD) - SERIES NOTES

Hendrick Motorsports To Capture Seventh Title
Johnson’s Season Reminiscent Of Gordon In ‘98
Is Johnson NASCAR’s “Mr. October”?
Blaney Close To Locking In No. 22 Toyota For Next Year
Championship Contenders Meet With Media At Doral

Johnson Has Edge Over Gordon For Hendrick’s Seventh Championship

Heading into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, one thing is clear – Hendrick Motorsports will win its seventh NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship. What is yet to be decided is which driver will win the title – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) or Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet).

The Hendrick Motorsports teammates are the only two of the 12 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers mathematically eligible to win the 2007 title. Johnson holds an 86-point lead over Gordon after rattling off four consecutive victories.

While the deficit is not ideal for Gordon, the margin is not insurmountable. Four times this season, Gordon has “out-pointed” Johnson by 87 points or more – Daytona 500 (88 points), Texas in April (121), Pocono in June (153) and Indianapolis (119).

Johnson needs an 18th-place finish or higher, regardless of where Gordon finishes, to clinch the title. If he leads a lap, he needs a 19th-place finish and if he leads the most laps, he can finish 21st. On the other end of the spectrum, if Gordon finishes 15th or worse, Johnson clinches.

Gordon has had limited success at Homestead. In eight races he has three top fives and six top 10s. However, Homestead is one of two active tracks at which Gordon has yet to win. Johnson has two top fives and four top 10s in six Homestead races. He has finished below 18th in his two other starts.

Johnson Putting Together Season For The Ages

In just his sixth season in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson is hitting milestones not seen since Jeff Gordon in 1998. Ironically, 1998 also was Gordon’s sixth fulltime season.

Johnson’s win at Phoenix was his fourth in a row, and 10th this year – both marks unseen since Gordon’s ’98 season. Gordon won 13 races that year en route to his second consecutive title, and third overall.

If Johnson wins the championship this year, he’ll be the first driver since then to win back-to-back titles.

His current four-race win streak ties a modern era record last achieved by Gordon in ’98 (Pocono, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen and Michigan). The feat has been accomplished seven times since 1972, when the schedule was shortened from 48 to 31 races. If Johnson wins the Ford 400 on Sunday, he would be the first driver to win five straight races since Richard Petty in 1971.

Most Wins In A Season In Last 20 Years Driver Wins Year Jeff Gordon 13 1998 Jimmie Johnson 10 2007 Jeff Gordon 10 1997 Jeff Gordon 10 1996 Rusty Wallace 10 1993 Dale Earnhardt 9 1990

Chase Notebook Week 10: Johnson Is Epitome Of Clutch Performer

Recently dubbed “Mr. Martinsville” by teammate Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson has shown he is more like NASCAR’s version of “Mr. October.”

In each of the four years of the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team have repeatedly stepped up their performance, in spite of the additional pressure and scrutiny. In 39 Chase races, Johnson has 11 wins – a 28% winning percentage. In the other 179 races Johnson has started in his career, he has won only 12% (22). Johnson has also been the runner-up in six Chase races, meaning that he has finished in the top two in a resounding 44% of all Chase races.

Nobody else comes close to matching Johnson’s Chase dominance. Greg Biffle (No. 16 Dish Network Ford) is second with four Chase wins in 39 races. Johnson has four Chase wins in his last four Chase starts. Biffle, however, has the advantage heading into Homestead. He has won the past three races at the track, averaging a Driver Rating of 126.1. Biffle has momentum heading into this weekend after finishing second to Johnson at Phoenix.

Other notes of interest:

• Although 10 of the 12 Chase drivers are out of title contention, all will have something to race for this weekend – each of the top 12 positions can change hands following Sunday’s race. Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet) has the most to gain. Hamlin is currently 12th, but can climb as high as seventh. The top 10 drivers will participate in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Awards Ceremony at the Waldorf=Astoria on Nov. 30.

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) will be making his 291st – and final – start for Dale Earnhardt Inc. this Sunday. Earnhardt Jr. is moving to Hendrick Motorsports after eight full-time seasons with the team his father built. Earnhardt Jr. has won 17 races for DEI.

On The Line: Knaus, Letarte Fuel Hendrick Motorsports’ Dominant Performance

Championship contending crew chiefs Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson) and Steve Letarte (Jeff Gordon) were the guests on this week’s NASCAR teleconference. Here are some highlights:

Knaus on winning a second championship:

“I would love to win a second championship. When that happens, kind of like what you said, that definitely elevates your status a little bit. I would love to have that. When I was younger, I did want to be a championship-winning crew chief. I can remember thinking about it and dreaming of it. So it's something that I've always wanted.”

Knaus on Johnson:

“I think Jimmie's a fantastic driver. He's definitely one of the best drivers in our industry right now if not forever.”

Letarte on what it takes to win the Chase:

“You need to shoot to win 10 races because at the rate some of these cars are running, and as good as these cars are running, its going to take an impressive average finish to win.”

Letarte on what information is shared between the teams:

“We share everything, it’s a complete open book. It is the way the company is set up, it’s the way the engineering is set up and it’s the way Chad and I work.”

For the complete transcript visit www.nascarmedia.com.

Locked In: No. 22 Toyota Close To Securing Spot To Start 2008

Dave Blaney (No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota) is on the cusp of locking his Bill Davis Racing entry into the first five races of the 2008 season. The No. 22 Toyota, owned by Bill Davis, is currently 35th in the owner’s point standings and holds the final guaranteed spot in the field.

If Blaney finishes 34th or better in the Ford 400 on Sunday, he will guarantee at least a 35th-place finish for the season in the owner’s points.

The top 35 teams in owner’s points get automatic starting spots each week. The top 35 cars at the end of the 2007 season have guaranteed spots in the first five races of the 2008 season. After five races, the locked-in positions revert to 2008 points.

The No. 21 Motorcraft Genuine Parts Ford, owned by Glen Wood looks to be on the short end of the stick. Driver Bill Elliott has to finish second at Homestead to have a chance of moving into the top 35.

2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Owner Points – After 35 Races

Pos. Points Team Owner Driver

30th 2,905 No. 88 Ford Robert Yates Ricky Rudd 31st 2,890 No. 66 Chevrolet Joe Custer Jeremy Mayfield 32nd 2,857 No. 38 Ford Robert Yates David Gilliland 33rd 2,854 No. 70 Chevrolet Joe Custer Johnny Sauter 34th 2,819 No. 45 Dodge Kyle Petty Kyle Petty

35th 2,724 No. 22 Toyota Bill Davis Dave Blaney

36th 2,588 No. 21 Ford Glen Wood Ken Schrader 37th 2,454 No. 10 Dodge James Rocco Scott Riggs 38th 2,314 No. 83 Toyota Dietrich Mateschitz Brian Vickers 39th 2,199 No. 00 Toyota Cal Wells David Reutimann 40th 1,815 No. 55 Toyota Buffy Waltrip Michael Waltrip

Keys To Victory

Homestead-Miami Speedway

“The key to Homestead is to have a car that will run well in the middle and on top. It seems like the grooves move up with the extra banking, as the track gets older it will keep moving higher and higher. So you have to have a car that will still roll around the middle and be able to get under people and finish the pass.” - Matt Kenseth

“Homestead is a unique track on its own because it’s got its own combination in the banking. You can run high and you can run low there also, as much as you can run all over the race track. It’s also been a fuel-mileage race the past couple years. Those are the key things you have to look at when you go there.” - Robbie Reiser

In The Loop: Gordon Has Pre-Race Edge Over Johnson at Homestead

If Jeff Gordon were to make a monumental charge past points leader Jimmie Johnson, Homestead might be the place to do it – so says the pre-race Loop Data statistics.

In the last three races this season – all wins by Johnson – Johnson held the advantage in pre-race Driver Rating. Obviously the trend continued, as Johnson finished ahead of Gordon in each race.

But this time, Gordon holds the edge.

The statistical tale of the tape favors Gordon in almost every key category over the last two Homestead races:

• Driver Rating: Gordon leads Johnson, 83.7 to 75.5 • Average Running Position: Gordon lead Johnson, 15.9 to 20.8 • Fastest Laps Run: Gordon leads Johnson, 33 to six • Laps in the Top 15: Johnson leads Gordon, 294 to 275 • Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green): Gordon leads Johnson, 64 to 58

While all eyes will most likely be trained fully on the Hendrick Motorsports teammates, drivers such as Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) and Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) could pose “spoiler” threats.

Biffle, winner of three consecutive Homestead races, is the most obvious threat. Over the last two Homestead races (NASCAR began using scoring loops embedded in the track for statistical purposes in 2005), Biffle has the top Homestead Driver Rating (126.1), the second-best Average Running Position (5.4), the most Fastest Laps Run (79) and the second-most Laps in the Top 15 (512 of 535).

As for Kahne, Homestead seems like a good place to snap a slump. Kahne, who has not won a race this season after winning six last season, has a Homestead Driver Rating of 114.1 (second-best), a series-best Average Running Position of 5.0, 62 Fastest Laps Run (second-best) and a series-high 521 Laps in the Top 15.

Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup contender Martin Truex Jr. finished second last year, notching a Driver Rating of 114.6, an Average Running Position of 7.2 and ran 98.1% of the Laps in the Top 15.

NNCS, Etc.

Doral Hosts Contenders Press Conference

For the third season, the championship contenders will gather for a special press conference on Thursday heading into Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup leader Jimmie Johnson, second-place Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick will be available at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami on Thursday, November 15 at 1 p.m.

The events kick off at 11:30 a.m. with a media luncheon sponsored by Ford and a special announcement by Homestead-Miami Speedway President Curtis Gray.

At 1 p.m., the press conference will commence. Media not attending the event are encouraged to participate through a listen-only teleconference. A complete transcript will be made available following the event. Following the open Q&A session, there will be breakout interview sessions at the Doral from 1:50 until 2:25 p.m. A media work room is available on-site following the event and throughout the weekend.

For more information about Thursday’s events, visit www.nascarmedia.com.

Montoya Looks To Wrap Up Top Rookie Honors

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge) holds a 21-point lead over David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Ford) with one race left in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season.

Montoya has led the standings a majority of the season. His win at Infineon Raceway helped give him a lead that Ragan has been unable to catch. Ragan had pulled within 14 points following the LifeLock 400 at Kansas Speedway, but Montoya was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in four of the following six races to secure his lead. Montoya has been the top rookie in 16 of the 35 races this season.

Paul Menard (No. 15 Menards Chevrolet) is third, 45 points behind Montoya, David Reutimann (No. 00 Burger King Toyota) is fourth, 64 points back and AJ Allmendinger (No. 84 Red Bull Toyota) is fifth, 74 points out of first.

Speediatrics Unveils Homestead Location

Betty Jane France, chairwoman of the NASCAR Foundation, will unveil a new Speediatrics unit at Homestead Hospital on Friday, November 16. Homestead will join Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach as the only two locations with the racing-themed children’s emergency room.

France will be joined by Darrell Waltrip and Francisco Medina, M.D., medical director of children’s emergency services at Homestead Hospital, for Friday’s unveiling. The eight-bed Children’s Emergency Room at Homestead Hospital is decorated with checkered flags, race cars and cartoon characters to help ease the hospital experience for thousands of children. More than 13,000 patients are treated in the emergency room each year.

Chevrolet Sets Modern Era Record With 26th Win

The dominance of Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon has helped lead Chevrolet to a Modern Era record for wins in a season. Johnson’s Phoenix win gave Chevrolet its 26th win in 2007, breaking the tie it held with Buick, which had 25 wins in 1982.

Chevrolet has already locked up its record 31st Manufacturers’ Championship. Ford is second with 15 championships. Ford has the edge at Homestead-Miami Speedway with four wins, including Biffle’s three in a row. Dodge and Chevrolet each have one. Pontiac won the first two races at the track.

Hampton Continues Chase Tracker Climb

A year after winning the inaugural NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Celebrity Chase Tracker, Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Hampton has slowly crept back into contention for this year’s title thanks to his friend Jimmie Johnson.

Hampton picked Johnson to lead the point standings each of the past two weeks and has picked up 17 points. He will earn 20 points if Johnson repeats as champion, as Hampton predicted.

Hampton is currently in seventh place in the Chase Tracker standings with 90 points behind NASCAR artist Sam Bass (118 points), John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting (99), Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark (95), Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch (95), Country music artist Brandon Kinney (94) and Professional bowler Danny Wiseman (93).

In addition to predicting Johnson as the 2007, Hampton predicted Gordon as the runner-up. If the top two stay as they are in the standings, Hampton stands to pick up 30 points.

Hampton won last year’s Chase Tracker thanks in part to Johnson’s championship. Hampton was in Homestead to celebrate Johnson’s title him. The two became friends through former Braves infielder Marcus Giles, with whom Johnson went to school.

The Race: Ford 400 The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway The Date: Sunday, Nov. 18 The Time: 3:30 p.m. (ET) TV: ABC, 3 p.m. (ET) Radio: MRN; SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Channel 128 The Track: 1.5-mile oval The Distance: 400 miles, 267 laps The Purse: $5,310,336 2006 Winner: Greg Biffle 2006 Pole: Kasey Kahne Series Standings Pos. Driver Pts. 1 Johnson 6,572 2 Gordon 6,486 3 Bowyer 6,331 4 Ky. Busch 6,185 5 Stewart 6,169 6 Kenseth 6,103 7 Harvick 6,093 8 Burton 6,089 9 Edwards 6,067 10 Ku. Busch 6,056 11 Truex Jr. 6,009 12 Hamlin 5,973 Pre-Race Schedule (local/ET time) Friday—Practice, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Qualifying, 3:10 p.m. Saturday—Practice, 11-11:50 a.m. and 2:50-3:50 p.m.