Special year for Gordon
When he won at Talladega to pass Dale Earnhardt on NASCAR’s career victory list, it became clear this would be a special year for Jeff Gordon.
When he took the checkered flag at Darlington despite steam spewing from his engine, it looked as if nothing could possibly go wrong for him.
When the sky opened up at just the right moment at Pocono to ensure Gordon another victory, there seemed to be no doubt that Gordon was on course for a fifth Nextel Cup championship.
And when his precious daughter, Ella, was born in late June, the first-time father realized that 2007 would go down as the greatest year of his life.
He hasn’t changed his mind about that, even as he heads into today’s season finale needing a miracle at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway to steal the title from teammate Jimmie Johnson.
“We don’t want to hang our heads and feel disappointed because it’s been a phenomenal year on and off the racetrack, and we’ll see what happens (today),” Gordon said.
“If this one slips away, we go for it next year.”
But this one wasn’t supposed to slip away, not after the year Gordon and his No. 24 team put together.
He was the most consistent driver all season long, tying a record with 29 top-10s and an average finish of 7.4. He won six races and stormed out to a lead of more than 300 points over second place during the “regular season” and 430-points over Johnson.
If the Chase for the championship had never been invented, and NASCAR still raced under the same system used for Gordon’s first four championships, he would have clinched the title two weeks ago.
Although the Chase erased all of his work, Gordon still turned it up a notch during this 10-race sprint to the finish by winning two races and averaging a near-flawless finishing mark of 5.2.
Problem is, Johnson was better.
His 14th-place finishes at Dover and Charlotte were his only slips, his average finish has been 4.7 and he’s reeled off four consecutive victories to build a cozy 86-point lead that has him poised to repeat as champion and grab this title away from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.
No matter what Gordon does in today’s finale, Johnson, who starts from the pole, needs to finish only 18th or better to win his second consecutive title.
Gordon is OK with that.
“To me, if Jimmie wins it, we’ve both won, because I’ve had something happen to me that means the world to me by becoming a dad,” Gordon said. “And I know how badly he wants that second championship. So either way, I’m not going to be disappointed.”
Burton wins Busch race
Jeff Burton wrapped up the Busch Series car owner’s championship in style Saturday night, winning the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to give Richard Childress his 11th NASCAR title.
Burton, who shared the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with Scott Wimmer this season, took control late in the race after a series of green flag pit stops and pulled away to the win while runner-up Mark Martin and series points champion Carl Edwards battled behind him.
As Burton crossed the finish line half a straightaway ahead of Martin on the 1.5-mile oval, Childress came on the radio and said, “That’s the way to win a championship. Scott Wimmer, Jeff Burton, you guys, you’re champions.”
Edwards, who wrapped up the driver’s title two weeks ago in Texas, lost third place to Matt Kenseth at the end, finishing just ahead of Stephen Leicht.
Greg Biffle, who goes into today’s Nextel Cup finale having won the last three Cup races here, finished sixth.
It was the last race as the Busch Series, with Anheiser-Busch pulling out as sponsor of the development series after a 26-year stay. Nationwide Insurance is stepping in as the title sponsor of the series next season.
Edwards wound up beating runner-up David Reutimann, who finished 15th, by 618 points for the driver’s title, while the Childress tandem took the owner title by 255 points over the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing entry of Denny Hamlin, who was 13th at Homestead.
Kahne under scrutiny
Police are investigating an incident that took place Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway involving NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne and an unidentified security guard.
A spokesman for Kahne said the Nextel Cup star was rushing to his motorhome in a secure lot at the track following Friday’s final practice when he was stopped by the guard, who refused to let Kahne through the entrance without a credential.
Kahne, still in his driving uniform, attempted to walk around the guard and, according to the spokesman, the two bumped and, when Kahne turned around, the guard was on the ground.
Police were called and Kahne spent several minutes in handcuffs before being released. The security guard was checked and released at the infield medical center.