It started in mid-February with the first race of the year at Daytona Beach. Ten months later, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made it’s final stop of 2009. All the laps, all the miles and all the races came down to one final weekend of competition. It would be a battle between two established drivers for one championship. Under partly cloudy skies, the 2009 champion would be decided in the Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Points leader Jimmie Johnson got a big jump on the championship run by qualifying on the pole, and got out front early to lead. By him leading the first lap of the race, Johnson now only needed to finish 27th or better to clinch the championship. He would hold the lead until lap 10 when Marcos Ambrose made the pass to get his first run at the front. Unfortunately, that lead was short lived as he gave it back to Johnson as he began telling the crew he had a tire going down.
Sure enough, his right-rear tire was losing air, and he would be forced to pit road. Shortly after, Ambrose returned sighting problems with the electrical system. Despite the battery change, the crew took the car behind the wall and found a bad carburetor. After qualifying third, it was a real bad break for a team that has done so well this year.
Back out front, Johnson continued to hold his lead until Tony Stewart made the pass on lap 33 to get his first chance at the top of the board. Stewart held the lead as green-flag pit stops began to cycle. Stewart gave up the top spot on lap 53 for his service, handing the lead to Kurt Busch. He would stay out for two laps before handing the lead over to Clint Bowyer, who after a quick pit stop found himself ahead of the pack as the field cycled through.
By lap 60, all the cars were in for tires and fuel. On the track, Bowyer’s teammate, Kevin Harvick, was on the charge and took the lead. But, Stewart again went to the front and got past Harvick on lap 63.
The race’s first caution came on lap 81 as Ambrose, who had returned to the track, spun out in turn four. The ensuing round of pit stops did not change the cars up front as it was Stewart out first followed by Harvick and Bowyer.
On the restart, Stewart got a slight advantage, but Harvick was charging hard and got ahead of Stewart into turn one. Stewart would have trouble staying ahead as he fell back to seventh.
He would have fallen back more had the race’s second caution not come on lap 101 when John Andretti cut a tire and hit the turn four wall. Stewart gained four positions back on the ensuing round of pit stops, but Harvick again got out ahead of the field followed by his other teammate Jeff Burton.
The race went back to green on lap 105, but quickly got slowed again as Ambrose had another brush with the wall, this time in turn one. However, since pit stops happened the caution prior, no cars up front decided to come to pit road for service.
The race went to green on lap 112, but quickly got to the point of another caution flag. This time, it was Juan Pablo Montoya cutting a tire down the back straightaway following contact with Stewart. It was soon shown that Montoya got into Stewart on the front straightaway, which could’ve led to the contact after. Both cars came to pit road, but Montoya ended up behind the wall.
During this caution, one of the more unique accidents happened as cars were entering pit road. It appeared the No. 96 of Eric Darnell wanted to turn into the garage, but missed the entrance, so he stopped on pit road. Unfortunately, cars behind him were coming, and a chain-reaction accident happened right at the entrance. Four other cars were involved, the two getting the worst end were Richard Petty Motorsports drivers Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson, as each had crushed radiators and crumpled sheet metal.
On the restart, Harvick got a great jump, but soon found himself being chased down by Kurt, and finally got passed on lap 134. Eleven laps later, Montoya returned to the track, and NASCAR got on the radio warning both Montoya and Stewart that what happened before was done and should not be taken farther.
Unfortunately, Montoya did not heed the warning as he got into the rear corner of the No. 14 of Stewart in turn four, stayed in the gas and spun him out. This incident brought the race’s fifth caution. For his actions, Montoya was held on pit road for two laps because of him not obeying the order. Furthermore, NASCAR said if he got into anyone again on the track, Montoya would be parked for the rest of the race.
With all this going on, the leaders did come into pit road for their next round of pit stops. This time, Denny Hamlin made a big move and got out ahead of the field followed by Kurt and Burton.
Hamlin got the jump on the ensuing restart from the outside lane, but the Miller Lite Dodge of Kurt Busch was again charging hard. Kurt would get the lead on lap 181 and held it through the sixth caution for a spin by Robby Gordon.
On the restart, Burton got a great jump and pulled ahead of Kurt and Hamlin with Kyle Busch in tow. Soon, the final caution of the night came out for debris on lap 216. This would bring about the important pit stops for all the teams. On this round of service, Kurt went for a gamble and only took two tires. Meanwhile the cars behind him decided for new rubber on all corners.
The Busch brothers were out front on the ensuing lap 221 restart, with Kyle getting the lead one lap restart. His lead would be short lived as Hamlin got a great run and made the pass on lap 223. Hamlin then went out to lead by over three seconds.
Behind him, the battle would be on to see if Johnson could hold his position to win his title. He was securely in the top ten with Martin just outside, and soon made his way into fifth. Crew chief Chad Knaus then told his driver to just maintain his position as there was no challenge around him.
As the laps wound down, Hamlin kept his lead large as Burton went to the second spot. It would prove to not be enough as Hamlin would cruise to his fourth and final victory of the season, as he took the checkered flag in the season-ending Ford 400.
Hamlin in victory lane was grateful for his win, and went on to make a very bold prediction for his entire FedEx team.
“I promise you, in the next couple years, we will win a championship,” Hamlin told ESPN in victory lane.
Meanwhile, behind him, Johnson stayed where he was and took the checkered flag in fifth-spot. That finish was more than enough to lock up an unprecedented fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship. Only three other drivers have even won four championships, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Johnson’s teammate Jeff Gordon.
Last year, Johnson tied Cale Yarborough with three straight championships. However, no driver in the 61-year history of NASCAR has ever won four consecutive championships…until now.
“The truth is, to do something that’s never been done in this sport, to love the sport like I do and respect it like I do, and the greats-Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, to do something they’ve never done is so awesome,” Johnson said after climbing from his car.
“To win four championships in eight years, what this team has done…I don’t know where to start, it’s unbelievable.”
Johnson’s teammate and part owner of his race car, Gordon, echoed that statement.
“As a competitor, that Johnson ticks me off. As a friend, teammate and fellow car owner, they’re amazing. I never thought in my career, in my lifetime, I’d see someone win four in a row,” Gordon said. “To see it happen right in front of your eyes makes it even more extraordinary.”
It is an incredible feat, it’s an accomplishment that many would never have thought to see happen, but one that has officially become reality. Jimmie Johnson is the driver to beat, and for the fourth straight year, is the top driver in NASCAR. He will have 83 days to savor this moment. Before you know it, it will be time to head back to Daytona for another round of Speedweeks.
The countdown is on. The official start to the 2010 season starts now, and ends on February 14, 2010, with the 52nd “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500.
RESULTS: 1-Hamlin 2-Burton 3-Harvick 4-Kurt Busch 5-Johnson 6-Gordon 7-Edwards 8-Kyle Busch 9-Truex Jr. 10-Allmendinger
NOTABLE FINISHES: 12-Martin 14-Biffle 17-Kahne 20-Vickers 22-Stewart 23-Newman 24-Logano (R)* 28-Earnhardt Jr. 38-Montoya
*Raybestos Rookie of the Year winner
CAUTIONS: Seven for 35 laps. Lap 81-84 (No. 47 spin-T4), 101-104 (No. 34 wreck-T4), 108-111 (No. 47 wreck-T1), 116-122 (No. 42 wreck-T3 and No. 96, 7, 98, 43, 19 wreck-PR), 155-160 (No. 14 spin-T4), 193-197 (No. 7 spin-T2), 216-220 (debris)
LEADERS: 17 lead changes among 10 drivers. Johnson 1-9, Ambrose 10-12, Johnson 13-32, Stewart 33-52, Kurt Busch 53-54, Bowyer 55-56, Harvick 57-62, Stewart 63-85, Harvick 86-133, Kurt Busch 134-157, Hamlin 158-180, Kurt Busch 181-195, Hamlin 196-198, Burton 199-218, Waltrip 219, Kurt Busch 220-221, Kyle Busch 222, Hamlin 223-267
FINAL CHASE STANDINGS: 1-Johnson, 6652 points 2-Martin, -141 3-Gordon, -179 4-Kurt Busch, -206 5-Hamlin, -317 6-Stewart, -343 7-Biffle, -360 8-Montoya, -400 9-Newman, -477 10-Kahne, -524 11-Edwards, -534 12-Vickers, -723