News / Sports
Nextel Cup Goes to Jimmie Johnson After Ninth Place Finish at Ford 400
Jimmie Johnson put away the ghosts of the past and finally locked up the most prestigious annual prize on the NASCAR circuit, the Nextel Cup. Having to finish at least
12th in the Ford 400, Johnson survived some early scares to pace his #48 car to a 9th place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The Nextel Cup rewards the top NASCAR driver for the year. After accepting the trophy Johnson said “It's the most amazing day of my life. We knew in our hearts we could do it all along.”
Some began to doubt whether or not Johnson could in fact do it. The previous three years he had the trophy in his sites only to see it slip away.
Johnson would not allow a fourth year to pass without the Nextel Cup firmly in his grasp. Leading up to the race he had dominated the track over the past six events. He won once and finished second in the other five. But he was forced to overcome a few scares on the track at Homestead.
Johnson hit a spring rubber that punctured a hole in the grill of his car early in the race. His crew had to patch the hole during a pit stop on Lap 17 during a caution. That stop pushed Johnson into 37th place and behind Matt Kenseth in the race for the cup
He worked his way back through the field and was able to situate himself into 12th place by Lap 69, the spot guarantying him the Nextel Cup.
Johnson also survived a dropped lug nut while pitting on Lap 118 and with 79 laps to go in the 267-lap race he avoided being hit by Robby Gordon, who had spun out in front of him.
To go with his Nextel Cup Trophy, Johnson was awarded with a check for $6.2 million. Among the highlights of the year for Johnson were wins at the Daytona 500 and his win at Talladega.
Chase For The Nextel Cup
(Unofficial after final race)
1. Jimmie Johnson --
2. Matt Kenseth -56
3. (+1) Denny Hamlin -68
4. (-1) Kevin Harvick -78
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -147
6. Jeff Gordon -219
7. Jeff Burton -247
8. (+1) Kasey Kahne -292
9. (-1) Mark Martin -307
10. Kyle Busch -448
