DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will be the centerpiece of next week's annual Champions Week celebration in New York City — a busy and joyful five days that marks the traditional end of each season.
Johnson, who captured his third consecutive title two weeks ago in the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, is the first driver in 30 years to win three consecutive series titles. He joins NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough as the only two drivers to accomplish that feat. Yarborough won his titles in 1976-78.
Next week's festivities mark the 28th consecutive year that NASCAR has crowned its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion in New York. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel has served as the sport's host for each of those years, with its historic Grand Ballroom the site of the Dec. 5 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony.
Johnson, however, will have much to do before Champions Week culminates on that Friday night.
Monday — Johnson and wife Chandra arrive in New York. That evening, he and Chandra will participate in the annual Champion's Welcome Dinner in the Waldorf-Astoria Executive Kitchen, a gathering attended by NASCAR and champion team representatives and overseen by Executive Chef John Doherty.
Tuesday — Johnson will participate in another Champions Week tradition — photo shoots at New York landmarks. Later that evening, he'll be a guest on Motor Racing Network's NASCAR Live.
Wednesday — Johnson begins his day by ringing the New York Stock Exchange's Opening Bell. He'll also attend the Tissot Countdown Clock event at the Marquee of the Hard Rock Café, a March of Dimes luncheon, a media luncheon at Foley's and the Sprint Media Celebration at the Sports Museum of America.
Thursday — Johnson's major event this day is the annual NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Media Luncheon at Cipriani. He'll be joined by the rest of the top 12 drivers in the 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, plus Raybestos Rookie of the Year Regan Smith and other annual award winners. Following the awards luncheon, Johnson will participate in the traditional Times Square photo shoot outside the Hard Rock Café, then attend the annual Stewies Awards, orchestrated by fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, at Sirius/XM Satellite Radio studios.
Friday — The Big Day. Johnson, his family and his Hendrick Motorsports team will participate in traditional photos during the afternoon, before attending the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony that evening in the Waldorf-Astoria's Grand Ballroom.
2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Champion: Jimmie Johnson
2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Owner Champion: Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports
Final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12: 1. Jimmie Johnson, 6,684; 2. Carl Edwards, 6,615; 3. Greg Biffle, 6,467; 4. Kevin Harvick, 6,408; 5. Clint Bowyer, 6,381; 6. Jeff Burton, 6,335; 7. Jeff Gordon, 6,316; 8. Denny Hamlin, 6,214; 9. Tony Stewart, 6,202; 10. Kyle Busch, 6,186; 11. Matt Kenseth, 6,184 and Dale Earnhardt Jr., 6,127.
Raybestos Rookie of the Year: Regan Smith
— Source: NASCAR
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Fantasy Report: Ford 400
We're down to the last race of the 2008 season and I speak for both Fantasy bloggers when I say "thank goodness!" After falling back to 11th in our league, and Erik in 22nd, it's a relief that this is the end. My only hope is that I can climb into the top 10 but it gets harder to post a lot of points at the end of the season when your top drivers are used up. I guess I'll just make do with who I have and wish for the best.
My picks for this week:
• Jeff Gordon✔ and Kurt Busch
• David Ragan✔, Juan Pablo Montoya✔, Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne
• David Reutimann✔ and AJ Allmendinger
Different motives: There's a lot of things happening this weekend. Jimmy Johnson can take home his third consecutive championship by finishing 36th or better, 37th and leading one lap or 39th and leading the most laps. Jeff Gordon is trying one last time to post his first win of the season or other Chase drivers trying to finish higher in the standings. Also, you have teams looking to stay in the top 35 in owner points which might be the recipe for a big wreck before the checkered flag is dropped. It's hard to say whether or not Johnson will lay back and try to post a top 20 or so finish or put it out front like he did last weekend. I would imagine he might not finish extremely high in the running order so he might not be a good pick this weekend. I'm going with Gordon for my A driver and although he finished badly last weekend he'll be going all out in Miami.
Decisions, decisions: If you're within striking distance of the top spot in your league you can either play it safe and hope for the best or gamble for that extra surge in points. I decided to do a little of both. All the drivers on my roster have had some amount of success at Homestead or just throughout the season. However, drivers like Kasey Kahne and AJ Allmendinger who have had up-and-down years could really shine this weekend. The only driver I'm confident I'll leave in is Ragan, who's had a phenominal year for such a green driver.
Parting shot: I hope that if you've read this blog throughout the 2008 season that you've been able to take away the better advice we've given you. Stats and trends can only tell you so much and it can be painfully obvious sometimes that the nature of racing is unpredictable. It has been a fun year, I was up to second at one point and Erik was in first and it looked like we were both going to finish very well and then once you have a few bad weeks there's no way to recover. I would say my biggest accomplishment this year was picking so many race winners. I went on 7-week streak at one point and that's the stuff that makes Fantasy fun even if you don't come in first at the end. Good luck in the final race and stay out of the wall!
My picks for this week:• Jeff Gordon✔ and Kurt Busch
• David Ragan✔, Juan Pablo Montoya✔, Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne
• David Reutimann✔ and AJ Allmendinger
Different motives: There's a lot of things happening this weekend. Jimmy Johnson can take home his third consecutive championship by finishing 36th or better, 37th and leading one lap or 39th and leading the most laps. Jeff Gordon is trying one last time to post his first win of the season or other Chase drivers trying to finish higher in the standings. Also, you have teams looking to stay in the top 35 in owner points which might be the recipe for a big wreck before the checkered flag is dropped. It's hard to say whether or not Johnson will lay back and try to post a top 20 or so finish or put it out front like he did last weekend. I would imagine he might not finish extremely high in the running order so he might not be a good pick this weekend. I'm going with Gordon for my A driver and although he finished badly last weekend he'll be going all out in Miami.
Decisions, decisions: If you're within striking distance of the top spot in your league you can either play it safe and hope for the best or gamble for that extra surge in points. I decided to do a little of both. All the drivers on my roster have had some amount of success at Homestead or just throughout the season. However, drivers like Kasey Kahne and AJ Allmendinger who have had up-and-down years could really shine this weekend. The only driver I'm confident I'll leave in is Ragan, who's had a phenominal year for such a green driver.
Parting shot: I hope that if you've read this blog throughout the 2008 season that you've been able to take away the better advice we've given you. Stats and trends can only tell you so much and it can be painfully obvious sometimes that the nature of racing is unpredictable. It has been a fun year, I was up to second at one point and Erik was in first and it looked like we were both going to finish very well and then once you have a few bad weeks there's no way to recover. I would say my biggest accomplishment this year was picking so many race winners. I went on 7-week streak at one point and that's the stuff that makes Fantasy fun even if you don't come in first at the end. Good luck in the final race and stay out of the wall!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fantasy Report: Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
There are only two races left in The Chase for the Cup and Jimmie Johnson has a commanding lead over Carl Edwards. Edwards will try to gain some ground this week at Phoenix but there's a good chance Johnson will clinch The Cup.
Our picks ...
Erik's picks:
Jeff Burton✔, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin✔, Martin Truex Jr.✔, David Ragan, Juan Pablo Montoya, Paul Menard✔ and David Reutimann.
Brandon's picks:
Jeff Gordon✔, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin✔, Martin Truex Jr.✔, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray, David Reutimann✔ and Michael Waltrip.
If you are looking for a possible sleeper this week consider putting Jeff Burton on your roster. In 15 races at this track Burton has stared at an average position of 23 but his strong runs here have left him with an average finish of 7th.
If you are looking for a few extra pole points Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman could be a good pick to have on your roster. They are the only two drivers to have won consecutive poles at Phoenix.
If you have a driver on your roster that is starting towards the back it might not be a bad move to start them. Only eleven drivers out of 24 races have won from a top ten starting position.
One last thing: if you have Jimmie Johnson use him. I mean it seems like the guy is having really good luck right now.
Well this will be my last fantasy blog for the season. For those of you who have kept up with this and actually used any of my advise my hat is off to you. More importantly I hope you had a fantastic fantasy racing season. Good luck and see you next year!
Our picks ...Erik's picks:
Jeff Burton✔, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin✔, Martin Truex Jr.✔, David Ragan, Juan Pablo Montoya, Paul Menard✔ and David Reutimann.
Brandon's picks:
Jeff Gordon✔, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin✔, Martin Truex Jr.✔, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray, David Reutimann✔ and Michael Waltrip.
If you are looking for a possible sleeper this week consider putting Jeff Burton on your roster. In 15 races at this track Burton has stared at an average position of 23 but his strong runs here have left him with an average finish of 7th.
If you are looking for a few extra pole points Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman could be a good pick to have on your roster. They are the only two drivers to have won consecutive poles at Phoenix.
If you have a driver on your roster that is starting towards the back it might not be a bad move to start them. Only eleven drivers out of 24 races have won from a top ten starting position.
One last thing: if you have Jimmie Johnson use him. I mean it seems like the guy is having really good luck right now.
Well this will be my last fantasy blog for the season. For those of you who have kept up with this and actually used any of my advise my hat is off to you. More importantly I hope you had a fantastic fantasy racing season. Good luck and see you next year!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Three-race showdown set for manufacturer championship
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The strong 2008 seasons by Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch (from Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, respectively) has made this year's Manufacturers' Championship one of the most heated — and coveted — in history.
With three races remaining in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, only five points separate the top three in the Manufacturers' Championship standings.
Chevrolet took the lead for the first time in 22 races after Jimmie Johnson's second-place finish at Atlanta. Chevrolet, with 198 points, now leads Toyota by one point and Ford by five. Dodge, with 138 points, is 60 points out.
"Several teams have made it a point to say that they'll do everything they can to 'get the next spot' if it means moving Chevy further ahead in the manufacturers' points race," said Pat Suhy, GM Racing NASCAR Group Manager. "I know they'd go for it anyway, but it feels good to know that they're thinking of us at the same time as they are themselves."
Kyle Busch, in winning eight races during the 26-race regular season, put Toyota in prime position to win the Manufacturers' Championship in only its second season.
"The competition between four manufacturers is one of the reasons we decided to become involved in NASCAR, and there's undoubtedly a huge sense of pride in earning the Manufacturers' Championship, especially with the intense level of competition in the series," said Lee White, president and general manager of TRD, U.S.A.
Ford entered the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup trailing Toyota by 18 points. But three wins in seven Chase races have cut the deficit by 13.
"It's obviously been one of the most competitive seasons, in terms of manufacturers that NASCAR has seen in many years," said Doug Hervey, North American Operations Manager, Ford Racing Technology. "Fortunately for us, we've got three race tracks coming up where our teams really excel, especially Homestead Miami Speedway, so we're optimistic about our chances of coming back and winning the manufacturers' championship."
Source: NASCAR
With three races remaining in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, only five points separate the top three in the Manufacturers' Championship standings.
Chevrolet took the lead for the first time in 22 races after Jimmie Johnson's second-place finish at Atlanta. Chevrolet, with 198 points, now leads Toyota by one point and Ford by five. Dodge, with 138 points, is 60 points out.
"Several teams have made it a point to say that they'll do everything they can to 'get the next spot' if it means moving Chevy further ahead in the manufacturers' points race," said Pat Suhy, GM Racing NASCAR Group Manager. "I know they'd go for it anyway, but it feels good to know that they're thinking of us at the same time as they are themselves."
Kyle Busch, in winning eight races during the 26-race regular season, put Toyota in prime position to win the Manufacturers' Championship in only its second season.
"The competition between four manufacturers is one of the reasons we decided to become involved in NASCAR, and there's undoubtedly a huge sense of pride in earning the Manufacturers' Championship, especially with the intense level of competition in the series," said Lee White, president and general manager of TRD, U.S.A.
Ford entered the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup trailing Toyota by 18 points. But three wins in seven Chase races have cut the deficit by 13.
"It's obviously been one of the most competitive seasons, in terms of manufacturers that NASCAR has seen in many years," said Doug Hervey, North American Operations Manager, Ford Racing Technology. "Fortunately for us, we've got three race tracks coming up where our teams really excel, especially Homestead Miami Speedway, so we're optimistic about our chances of coming back and winning the manufacturers' championship."
Source: NASCAR
Fantasy Report: Dickies 500
There's only three races left in the 2008 season and Carl Edwards isn't going out without a fight. While Johnson still has the edge, Edwards has to really capitalize in the last few races to have a shot at the championship — and hope that Johnson finishes terribly. We'll all know soon enough. Onto the picks:
Brandon's picks:
Jeff Burton✔, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr.✔, Mark Martin✔, David Ragan, Ryan Newman, Travis Kvapil✔ and AJ Allmendinger.
Erik's picks:
Jeff Burton✔, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman✔, Jamie McMurray✔, David Ragan, Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard✔ and David Reutimann.
Use 'em, if you got 'em: If you still have Johnson and Edwards available put at least one of them in this weekend. Johnson has the best average here but only has one win to Carl Edwards' two. I would still think that Johnson is the favorite but if Edwards' ride is anything like it was this past weekend then he'll be hard to beat. Of course, I give this advice and I can't use either driver — I'm putting in Jeff Burton.
Honorable mentions: Burton has 2 wins and 7 top tens at Texas and could be an excellent pick this weekend. Matt Kenseth has also done very well here in the past with a win and 5 top five finishes and after looking strong in Atlanta he might have a shot at the checkered flag this weekend. Don't ever count Mark Martin out either. Even though he's heading to Hendrick Motorsports in 2009 the veteran is still looking to post his first win of 2008.
The unpredictable: What can you say? This stuff is hard. We've said time and time again that what might seem like a lock can quickly deteriorate into a 40th or worse finish. I had a pretty bad week in Atlanta and dropped to 6th spot. I'm hoping to have a solid finish this weekend even though I'm going to have to pick my drivers well before any practice or qualifying since your humble narrator will be spending the weekend in New Orleans.
Good luck race fans!
Brandon's picks:Jeff Burton✔, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr.✔, Mark Martin✔, David Ragan, Ryan Newman, Travis Kvapil✔ and AJ Allmendinger.
Erik's picks:
Jeff Burton✔, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman✔, Jamie McMurray✔, David Ragan, Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard✔ and David Reutimann.
Use 'em, if you got 'em: If you still have Johnson and Edwards available put at least one of them in this weekend. Johnson has the best average here but only has one win to Carl Edwards' two. I would still think that Johnson is the favorite but if Edwards' ride is anything like it was this past weekend then he'll be hard to beat. Of course, I give this advice and I can't use either driver — I'm putting in Jeff Burton.
Honorable mentions: Burton has 2 wins and 7 top tens at Texas and could be an excellent pick this weekend. Matt Kenseth has also done very well here in the past with a win and 5 top five finishes and after looking strong in Atlanta he might have a shot at the checkered flag this weekend. Don't ever count Mark Martin out either. Even though he's heading to Hendrick Motorsports in 2009 the veteran is still looking to post his first win of 2008.
The unpredictable: What can you say? This stuff is hard. We've said time and time again that what might seem like a lock can quickly deteriorate into a 40th or worse finish. I had a pretty bad week in Atlanta and dropped to 6th spot. I'm hoping to have a solid finish this weekend even though I'm going to have to pick my drivers well before any practice or qualifying since your humble narrator will be spending the weekend in New Orleans.
Good luck race fans!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Fantasy Report: Pep Boys Auto 500
The action is heating up as 'The Chase for the Cup' draws closer to an end. In race seven of the Chase drivers will handle the high speeds of Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Pep Boys Auto 500.
Here are the picks ...
Erik's picks:
Jeff Burton✔, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman✔, Jamie McMurray✔, David Ragan, Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard✔ and David Reutimann.
Brandon's picks:
Tony Stewart✔, Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya✔, Mark Martin✔, Kasey Kahne, Elliot Sadler, Paul Menard✔ and Michael Waltrip.
Jimmie Johnson all the way: I think its safe to say Johnson might have the Cup locked up — unless he gets lost on the way to every track for the rest of the season. Even then I think he might find a way to win. If you have him left on your fantasy roster this is a great time to use him. There have been seven season sweeps at Atlanta and one of those by Johnson in 2007. He also has an average finish of 9th at Atlanta. If weather becomes a factor at Atlanta this could play in Johnson's favor once again. If qualifying gets rained out he would sit the pole and 55 races have been won from the first five starting positions.
Long shot: This week my long shot is Bobby Labonte. He leads the active list of drivers with six career victories at Atlanta. He also holds the track record. If he qualifies well then I will put him in. Being out of contention for a top five finish in the fantasy standings I don’t think it will really hurt me that much.
Good luck this week!
Here are the picks ...
Erik's picks:Jeff Burton✔, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman✔, Jamie McMurray✔, David Ragan, Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard✔ and David Reutimann.
Brandon's picks:
Tony Stewart✔, Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya✔, Mark Martin✔, Kasey Kahne, Elliot Sadler, Paul Menard✔ and Michael Waltrip.
Jimmie Johnson all the way: I think its safe to say Johnson might have the Cup locked up — unless he gets lost on the way to every track for the rest of the season. Even then I think he might find a way to win. If you have him left on your fantasy roster this is a great time to use him. There have been seven season sweeps at Atlanta and one of those by Johnson in 2007. He also has an average finish of 9th at Atlanta. If weather becomes a factor at Atlanta this could play in Johnson's favor once again. If qualifying gets rained out he would sit the pole and 55 races have been won from the first five starting positions.
Long shot: This week my long shot is Bobby Labonte. He leads the active list of drivers with six career victories at Atlanta. He also holds the track record. If he qualifies well then I will put him in. Being out of contention for a top five finish in the fantasy standings I don’t think it will really hurt me that much.
Good luck this week!
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