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Phoenix International Raceway -- 11/09/08

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Monday Nov 10 2008 7:57pm

Read all of Becca Gladden's articles here


While getting ready to write my recap of Sunday's Cup race in Phoenix, I happened to look over my recap of the April Phoenix race, which started like this:

`We're back` - That's how Jimmie Johnson assessed the No. 48 team after
his anticlimactic fuel-mileage win at Phoenix International Raceway
Saturday night.

Back then, it was just the eighth race of the year - but it was the 48 team's first win and Johnson was responding to critics who spent the early part of the season wondering what was wrong with his team.

Now that we're 35 races into the season and Johnson is poised to win a third straight Cup title, it seems there may be something to the theory that this team wins championships by putting the majority of their focus and efforts on the final 10 races of the year - the ones that matter most.

After winning at Phoenix Sunday, Johnson has seven total wins on the season. But consider this: He won just two of the year's first 24 races, followed by winning five of the last 11.

By contrast, Kyle Busch won eight of the first 22 races this year, but hasn't won since then. He's now 11th in points and may not even been one of the top 10 drivers recognized at the awards banquet in December.

Although Johnson started on the pole in Phoenix, he laid low for the first portion of the race, content to let Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch share the lead.

Those three drivers - Johnson, McMurray, and Busch - started the race 1-2-3 and finished 1-3-2. They were the only drivers to lead any significant laps, with Busch leading 60 and McMurray, 28.

But Jimmie Johnson took the lead at lap 81 and dominated from then on, leading a total of 217 laps and cruising to victory despite several late race restarts and a green-white-checker finish.

Johnson has now eliminated all drivers from Chase contention except Carl Edwards, who is 141 points back in the standings. Johnson only needs a finish of 36th or better at Homestead to lock down the title.

Perhaps Johnson should inherit former NBA player Karl Malone's nickname, the `mailman,` since it seems neither rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night can stop him from his appointed rounds.

Despite being told repeatedly by the TV folks that Phoenix is the `valley of the sun` and the chance of rain this weekend was `zero,` it did, in fact, rain long enough to cause a 26-minute red flag delay on lap 43. After that, temperatures were much colder and there was a stiff breeze blowing down the frontstretch, but the changing conditions did not seem to alter the course for the 48 team.

A second red flag delay came on lap 273 when a multi-car crash affected a number of cars, including those of Juan Pablo Montoya, Casey Mears, David Gilliland, Scott Speed, Marcos Ambrose, Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip and Scott Riggs.

Ten of the 12 Chase drivers finished in the top 15 at Phoenix, including:

Jimmie Johnson - 1st
Carl Edwards - 4th
Denny Hamlin - 5th
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 6th
Kevin Harvick - 7th
Kyle Busch - 8th
Jeff Burton - 9th
Greg Biffle - 11th
Clint Bowyer - 12th
Matt Kenseth - 15th

The only two Chasers outside the top 15 were Tony Stewart, 22nd, involved in a late-race crash, and Jeff Gordon, who DNF'd with an engine failure and came in 41st.

This Sunday, the season will come to a close at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where 5 of the last 6 races have been won by Roush Fords - including three straight by Greg Biffle from 2004-2006.

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LastPlaceIt would seem that this is correct-his team does focus on the last ten races. And why not-as long as you make it to the chase, then why take risks early on?
Vroom!Right! Where as Kyle Busch did the opposite and we see where that got him. A small handful of points at the start of the chase as a benefit, and otherwise it was all lost.
CountDownHe even seems to follow the same pattern with his lap leads. He stepped it up only at lap eighty, but that was more than enough to give him the majority.
RacechickYou have to be impressed with Jimmie Johnson this year. After all - going for his 3rd straight title cup is kind of spectacular even if you`re not a Johnson fan.
TonySfanI can see the logic in his strategy here. Working hard on the last 10 races or so but taking it easy in the early part of the season so as not to take chances. Makes sense. Oh and don`t you pay any never mind Tony. There`s still next year.
littlebitHomestead will make it down to only 5 of 7 of races won by Roush Fords as it ain`t happenin` Greg.
RacegirlJimmie Johnson has pulled out all the stops for the end of this season. Perhaps other teams should focus more on the last ten races and see how it works for them.
RacefanSounds like Atlanta with the unpredicted rain and cold! Looks like all of the chase drivers are staying nice and tight for these final few races.
elgerPart of the game is the risk involved and I know many always wonder why people get antsy down to the last wire and this is exactly the reason why.
CalAnything can happen during any of these races as we have seen this season and those in the past. The last 10 might be okay for most to try and wing it with but I do not think everyone would be that lazy about it with so much riding on the win.
CalIt seems this year either the stance to stay with the last ten or just the pure luck of it has paid off. I wonder come next season who will be trying the same.
elgerI am sure it gives many a chance to think about their strategy coming into the next season but it might have just been a little more luck than not to get where he is now.