2012 NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas: Friday Awards Banquet Photos

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, speaks during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Awards Ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas on November 30, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

Tenth Place driver Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, speaks during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Awards Ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas on November 30, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

 

Host/Comedian Howie Mandel (R) speaks to Champion Brad Keselowski (C), driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, and team owner Roger Penske (L) during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Awards Ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas on November 30, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

Second Place Clint Bowyer, driver of the #15 5-hour Energy Toyota, speaks during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Awards Ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas on November 30, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas: Wednesday Photos

Driver Jeff Gordon, greets and signs autographs for fans during NASCAR Fanfest presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Fremont Street Experience on November 28, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

2012 Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keseloski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, greets and signs autographs for fans during NASCAR Fanfest presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Fremont Street Experience on November 28, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

Drivers Kevn Harvick (from left), Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski participate on stage in a version of the game 'Are you Smarter then a Fifth Grader?' during NASCAR Fanfest presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Fremont Street Experience on November 28, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) and Amy Reimann (L) pose during the NASCAR Evening Series at Charlie Palmer Steak part of the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas on November 28, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

Drivers participate on stage in a version of the game 'Are you Smarter then a Fifth Grader?' during NASCAR Fanfest presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Fremont Street Experience on November 28, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas: Tuesday Photos

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge and 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, poses with the Series Championship Trophy at 'The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil' at the Mirage Hotel & Casino on November 27, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge and 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, poses with the Series Championship Trophy on November 27, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)

Can Keselowski Repeat With a Ford in 2013?

Before the ink is dry in the newspapers reporting Keselowski winning 2012 Championship, 2013 is the topic (Getty)

Bettors could have had Brad Keselowski at 20-to-1 to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship at the beginning of the season and 8-to-1 prior to the Chase.

For 2013, bettors might be able to find odds on him to repeat at a higher number than most defending champions just because of the changes that will be occurring at Penske Racing. It’s hard enough to repeat as champ -- unless you’re Jimmie Johnson, but it’s even harder to perform well for teams changing over manufacturers and engines.

Dodge took the championship and closed up their NASCAR program forcing Penske to operate with two Fords next season. They’ll run Roush-Yates engines, but the combination of a new style of car that debuts next season, and then the changes internally add to Keselowski’s difficulty of repeating.

Everyone will be in the same boat with the changes, but just like we saw with Hendrick Motorsports when the Car of Tomorrow debuted, they’ll have a huge edge early on with technology, testing and money over the rest of the teams.

Keselowski will be pressed with questions about next season when he’s in Las Vegas at the Wynn for the NASCAR award ceremonies. He’ll be doing an hour on the NASCAR Live radio program in the Wynn sports book at 4 pm.

We really should leave him alone with talk of next year and just let him enjoy his moment, but after two weeks, we'll all be needing a bad fix of NASCAR, and talk of the upcoming season will be welcomed.

Jeff Gordon Wins at Homestead for First Time in Career

Busy week for Gordon turns sweet on Sunday at Homestead (Getty)

Yahoo Sports

Jeff Gordon began the final race weekend of 2012 answering questions about his actions at Phoenix International Raceway five days before. And he ended the weekend in victory lane after winning the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Of course, he was answering questions about Phoenix there too. Because, in an all-too-coincidental outcome, the driver he had his Phoenix beef with, Clint Bowyer, finished second.

In the clip that's been replayed numerous times on televisions around the country and the world and brought NASCAR (good or bad, depending on your preference) attention on mainstream news outlets all over the country, Gordon retaliated against Bowyer for contact just laps earlier, and crashed both cars in the process. That led to a melee in the pits involving both drivers' teams, Gordon hiding in a tool box next to the scrum and Bowyer sprinting from his car on pit road all the way to Gordon's hauler in search of the four-time champion.

On Friday, Gordon expressed regret for letting his emotions get the best of him at Phoenix, and he and Bowyer both kept level heads during the 400 mile race. While they raced near each other for a significant portion of the race, there were no incidents nor sprints on Sunday.

"Can you believe that?" Gordon asked in victory lane when talking about finishing 1-2 with Bowyer. "You know, I mean there was one restart where I had Joey (Logano) and maybe even Aric (Almirola) and Clint right there surrounding me and, you know, we -- you know, that thing is going to work itself out some way through racing and, you know, I felt terrible about how I went about it and still regret the way I went about it but you know what, I can't take it back. What we can do is look forward and race guys as hard and clean as we possibly can and, you know, this is a great way to get some positive things going because this year has been real up and down. This awesome to have my family here in victory lane."

Read More Here.....

Homestead Results

Brad Keselowski Wins 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship

Keselowski gets Roger Penske his first Cup Championship (Getty)

Brad Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship today at Homestead-Miami Speedway, earning owner Roger Penske’s first title in NASCAR’s premier series.

For owner Penske, the wait that began before Keselowski was born (1984) finally is over. Penske Racing, which entered the NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 1972, ended the longest non-championship streak among current ownership. Penske’s best previous finish was second in 1993 with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Wallace.

To be the best, Keselowski had to beat the best – Johnson. The pair traded the lead of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup five times, the last on Nov. 11 at Phoenix International Raceway where Keselowski finished sixth and Johnson – the victim of an accident – placed 32nd.

Keselowski’s 15th-place finish in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway was all it took to apply the finishing touches to a stellar championship season. Keselowski’s championship came in his 125th start, the fewest since Jeff Gordon captured his first of four titles in 1995 in 93 starts.

At age 28, Keselowski is the eighth-youngest competitor to win a first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Keselowski previously won the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series title, owner Penske’s first in NASCAR. He joins Bobby Labonte as the only drivers to win both a NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

After experiencing mechanical problems in two of the first three regular season races, Keselowski’s No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge won at Bristol Motor Speedway to begin a steady march toward the top 10. Backed by championship crew chief Paul Wolfe, Keselowski won three times during the regular season and entered the Chase seeded fourth.

A victory at the Chase-opening Chicagoland Speedway race, followed by another at Dover International Speedway, boosted Keselowski from contender to co-favorite with Johnson.

Dodge won its fifth series championship, and first since 1975 with Richard Petty.

- NASCAR MEDIA SERVICES

No. 2 crew chief Paul Wolf is congratulated by No. 48 chief Chad Knaus following race (Getty)

Final Homestead Driver Ratings Following All Practice Sessions

Micah Roberts’ Top 10 Driver Ratings
Ford Ecoboost 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Sunday, November 18, 2012 -  12:16 p.m. (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds        Practice 1     Qualified    Practice 2    Practice 3

 1. Matt Kenseth 8/1                    6th              11th               1st                3rd 
2007 winner, finished fourth last season; using winning Kansas chassis from Oct. 7.
 2. Kyle Busch 10/1                     7th                8th               4th                1st
One of his worst statistical tracks with a 25.9 average finish, but team is a roll right now.
 3. Clint Bowyer 10/1                   8th                6th               7th                5th  
Career best of fifth in 2008, finished sixth last season; using sixth-place Kansas chassis.
 4. Kasey Kahne 8/1                    9th              12th               9th                7th 
Best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 2; using chassis that finished third at Michigan.
 5. Martin Truex Jr. 10/1              2nd               7th              14th               2nd 
Career best runner-up in 2006, finished third last season; good average speeds in practice.
 6. Greg Biffle 8/1                       12th              13th              2nd                6th 
Won three consecutive races beginning in 2004; using back-up chassis that ran at Pocono.
 7. Brad Keselowski 10/1            21st               3rd              15th               4th 
Has a car good enough to win, but only needs to finish 15th or better to clinch Championship.
 8. Jimmie Johnson 4/1              16th              10th              21st              17th 
Only chance to win title is for bad luck to occur to Keselowski; looked sluggish-slow in practice.
 9. Denny Hamlin 8/1                  17th              41st              6th                19th 
2009 winner with 10.9 average; using back-up car, high marks due to success on 1.5-mile tracks.
10. Jeff Gordon 15/1                   24th              15th              5th               12th 
Never won, but has six top-five finishes; fastest 10-consecutive lap average in final practice.

Note: Homestead is a 1.5-mile track with progressive banking, however the configuration is much different that the other 1.5-mile tracks on the circuit, shaped like a paper-clip rather than the traditional D-Shaped ovals.

Odds courtesy of the LVH Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights on the race, go to The Linemakers on SportingNews.com or follow on Twitter: MicahRoberts7. 


Betting Notes:

Jimmie Johnson's car looks like junk this week (Getty)

I was a little surprised by the way Jimmie Johnson ran in practice. I thought with the chassis he’s using that has wins at Indy and Dover and a runner-up at Chicago, that he would be pretty fast right off the hauler, but that isn’t the case here. Johnson needs to win to have a chance at beating Brad Keselowski and I just don’t see it happening.

The only thing Johnson can hope for is something bad happening to Keselowski, like happened to him last week in Phoenix. But if we’re looking simply at car vs. car, Keselowski’s is superior this week. Based on what Keselowski has done lately, blown tires, bad pit stops or wrecks don’t seem to be in his future. He’s finished 15th or better in 20 of his past 21 races. If he didn’t have to play the cautious game Sunday, he looks like he has a car good enough to win the race.

It’s going to be a long night of restlessness for Johnson because he knows his car doesn’t have the goods to get it done Sunday. And then when the race starts to unfold and Keselowski is running well -- likely better than Johnson, who knows else will happen. We might even see Johnson lose his cool.

Johnson’s chances at winning get pushed back even further because some of the fast cars that he’ll be chasing on the track. Matt Kenseth looks to be the best based on practice and the fact that he’s using his winning chassis from the Kansas race in October.

Kasey Kahne was very strong in practice, as was Clint Bowyer. The two of them will be battling for third-place in the Chase and each could win the race.

And then you have to take a strong look at Kyle Busch just because of how well their team has performed weekly, especially on the 1.5-mile tracks. Busch has been terrible at Homestead over his career, but I expect a career best finish out of him Sunday.

   

Driver Chassis Selections: 2012 Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead

Matt Kenseth using winning Kansas chassis this week (Getty)

Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 Bass Pro Shops/ Tracker Boats team will use Chassis #1104 for Homestead. This chassis was previously run at Kansas, Bristol and Dover this season.

Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-830 during Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season-finale Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). Keselowski last raced this chassis to an 11th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month. By finishing sixth at Phoenix on Sunday, Keselowski recorded his 23rd top-10 finish of 2012. This extended his record for top-10 finishes in a season by a driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge. Rusty Wallace previously scored 21 top 10s in the "Blue Deuce" during the 1993 and 1998 seasons. The featured tag line on the rear bumper of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend at Homestead is "In It 2 Win It." With one race remaining, Keselowski is in prime position to win the first Cup Series title for Penske Racing and the Miller Lite brand.

Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis and the #5 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-729. Kahne has raced this car three times this season, notably scoring third-place finish at Michigan in August and a top-10 result at Charlotte in October. In eight Cup starts at Homestead, Kahne has earned one top-five finish, four top-10s and two pole positions. Kahne is the only driver with eight starts or more at Homestead to have an average starting position inside the top-10 (7.2). He enters Sunday's race with back-to-back top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile oval.

Marcos Ambrose: the #9 Richard Petty Motorsports Black and Decker team has prepared chassis No. 703 for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This Black & Decker Ford has not been run previously this season at a race, but was tested in Nashville last month. Ambrose will make his fifth career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. His best start (third) came in 2009 and his best finish (26th) came in the 2010. The Australian native was on pace to score his career-best finish at the 1.5-mile track last season until mechanical issues took him out of contention early. Ambrose sits in 18th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into Sunday's season finale.

Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-735 debuted in July in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Stewart qualified 28th and rallied to score a finish of 10th. Chassis No. 14-735 made its second career start in October at Kansas Speedway. It was impressive as Stewart used it to overcome a 33rd place starting spot, a botched pit stop, an incident with Jeff Burton and a lap-166 spin to finish fifth. The car will make its third career start Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Clint Bowyer: Primary chassis No. 738 led five laps finished sixth at Kansas and also raced at Atlanta. Chassis No. 716 is the backup. which raced earlier this season in Las Vegas, Kansas, Charlotte, Kentucky and Indianapolis. Bowyer has one win, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in nine Chase races. He has an average finish of 10.2 and has averaged a 6.8 qualifying effort. He has collected three bonus points for his win at Charlotte and six bonus points for leading laps in six of the nine races to collect a total of nine bonus points.

Greg Biffle: and the Matt Puccia led #16 3M / SP Richards Ford Fusion team will bring Primary Chassis RK-814 to Homestead, which last ran at Charlotte and finished 4th. Backup chassis is RK-777 which last ran Pocono and finished 15th. Biffle won three races in a row at Homestead, starting in 2004. Biffle has an average starting position of 16.4 and an average finish of 15.3 at Homestead.

Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-826 at Homestead, which last ran at Kansas and won. Kenseth has an average starting position of 19.6 and an average finishing position of 17.6 at Homestead. Kenseth has achieved one win, three top-five, and five top-10 finishes at Homestead in the Cup series. Kenseth has completed 2,921 of 3,209 laps (91.0 percent) at Homestead and led for a total of 303 laps. This weekend at Homestead, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Best Buy Ford Fusion.

Sam Hornish Jr. and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing #22 Team will be utilizing the "PRS-823" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is the chassis that the team raced at Chicagoland Speedway back in September (started 16th and finished 11th). AJ Allmendinger raced it in the June 30 Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway (started 16th and finished ninth). This car made its debut for the team at Kansas Speedway back in April. Allmendinger won the Coors Light Pole Award and led 44 laps before secondary linkage woes put him 10 laps down and relegated him to a 32nd-place finish. The "PRS-820" will serve as the backup. It was last raced in the September race at New Hampshire (started 10th and finished 21st).

Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 379 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's race at Homestead. This Duracell/Menards Chevy was last raced at Dover International Speedway in September where Menard finished 22nd. It was also utilized earlier this season at Pocono Raceway in August, where he started third and finished 11th, Charlotte Motor Speedway (May) in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race where Menard finished 16th, Kansas Speedway where he finished 18th and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March where he finished seventh.

Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis No.378 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable at Homestead. The #29 Budweiser team utilized this car twice during the 2011 season at Chicagoland Speedway in September (started-30th, finished-second) and Kansas Speedway in October (started-14th, finished-sixth). Harvick drove this Chevrolet in 2012 to a sixth-place finish at Kansas Speedway in April, a 10th-place result at Michigan International Speedway in June, fifth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September and most recently he finished 11th at Kansas Speedway in October.

Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 359 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This #31 Caterpiller Chevy has been utilized three times during the 2012 NSCS season at Bristol Motor Speedway in March where Burton piloted the RCR machine to a top-10 finish (sixth-place), at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where a broken brake rotor late in the race relegating the team to a 32nd-place finish and Charlotte Motor Speedway in October where Burton finished 28th after getting caught up in an early accident.

Ryan Newman: Chassis No. 39-727 will make its third start this season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale. The chassis made its debut in May in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Newman started 16th and struggled with a tight-handling racecar before finishing 14th. Its second start came in June at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Newman qualified fifth but was forced to start in the back of the field due to an engine issue that required the team to make a change the night before the race. Tire issues at the newly-paved and ultra-fast Michigan racetrack halted Newman's progress and led to a 15th-place finish.

Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Chris "Shine" Heroy and the #42 Target Chevy team are bringing chassis #1221 to Homestead this weekend. This chassis is new and has not seen any track time.

Aric Almirola:: The #43 Smithfield team has prepared chassis No. 742 for Homestead. This car last ran at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.

Jimmie Johnson: Chassis No. 728 serves as the primary for Johnson at Homestead. This chassis last ran at Kansas in October, finishing 9th. Also ran at both Dover races (won in June and 4th in September), Chicago in Sept, finishing 2nd and won at Indy in July. Chassis No. 720 serves as the backup and has won tweo races in 2012: at Texas in November and the All-Star race in May.

Mark Martin: will drive MWR chassis 732 which finished sixth at Charlotte in October and 34th there in May. In 12 Sprint Cup starts at Homestead Martin owns four top-five finishes and has led 30 laps. Homestead, Indianapolis, Pocono and Kentucky are the only active tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule where Martin has yet to win.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-716. Regan Smith most recently raced this chassis to a seventh-place finish at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway in October. Earnhardt previously raced this chassis to a fourth-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in August. In 12 Sprint Cup starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Earnhardt has led 93 laps and recorded three top-15 finishes and five top-20s. He scored his best finish -- 11th -- at Homestead in the 2011 season finale.

Carl Edwards: The #99 Fastenal team will be bringing chassis RK-827 to the track this weekend to Homestead. This car last raced at Kansas last month where Edwards finished 14th. Edwards' average start at Homestead is 11.9, his average finish is 5.2 which is the best of all active drivers. He has also led a total of 560 laps there, the most among active drivers. He has only finished outside the top 10 once in eight starts.

- from Jayski.com

Keselowski Primed to Win First NASCAR Championship for Penske Racing

Keselowski can win title with finish of 15th or better Sunday (Getty)

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Ford 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Sunday, November 18, 2012
TV: ESPN at 2:00 PM ET Radio: MRN/SiriusChannel 90

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger News and Notes

• This Week’s Charger… The No. 2 Miller LiteDodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-830 during Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series(NSCS) season-finale Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). Keselowski last raced this chassis to an 11th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month.

• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in 2012… After nine races in the 2012 Chase for the Championship, including victories at Chicagoland and Dover, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team lead the NSCS driver and owner point standings by 20 points over Jimmie Johnson and the No. 4 car team with just this weekend’s race remaining in the championship Chase. Keselowski is coming off a sixth-place finish in the AdvoCare 500 last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

• A New Record… By finishing sixth at Phoenix on Sunday, Keselowski recorded his 23rd top-10 finish of 2012. This extended his record for top-10 finishes in a season by a driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. Rusty Wallace previously scored 21 top 10s in the “Blue Deuce” during the 1993 and 1998 seasons.

• Championship Clinching Scenarios… Keselowski will clinch the 2012 NSCS championship with a 15th-place or better finish this weekend at HMS. If he leads one lap to get a bonus point, he can finish 16th and still win the title. By leading the most laps and earning that second bonus point, Keselowski can cross the finish linein the 17th position and still secure Penske Racing’s first Cup Series championship. It’s interesting to note that Keselowski has finished outside the top 15 in only six races this season.

• Stretch Run… In his last 19 races, Keselowski has only two finishes outside the top 10. This impressive run includes three wins and nine top-five finishes. This consistent stretch has him positioned to capture his first NSCS championship this weekend.

• In It 2 Win It… The featured tag line on the rear bumper of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend at Homestead is “In It 2 Win It.” With one race remaining, Keselowski is in prime position to win the first Cup Series title for Penske Racing and the Miller Lite brand.

• The Rest is History… In 32 combined Cup Series starts at HMS, Penske Racing drivers have recorded three top-five finishes and seven top-10 results. Team Penske drivers have captured one win, 14 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes at Homestead and they have led 629 laps in open-wheel competition.

Brad Keselowski on what it would mean to bring Roger Penske his first Cup Series crown:
“When I first came to Penske Racing, I viewed it as an organization with so much potential. I had a vision for what I knew this place could become, and I shared that with Mr. Penske in our first meeting together. And as he began to give (crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) and I the things that we needed, we began to show results on the racetrack which, in turn, led to a lot of trust among myself, Mr. Penske, Paul and everyone else at Penske Racing. So having a legitimate shot to win the championship this weekend is something that I take great pride in because I know we got there together. Everything about this team is first-class, from our owner to our facility to our sponsor, Miller Lite. We have everything we need to be a championship contender for years to come and it’s exciting to be a part of that.”

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on the team’s mentality heading into this weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway:
“I came to Penske Racing three years ago because Brad Keselowski is the kind of driver that any crew chief would want to work with. He works as hard – and prepares as hard – as any driver I’ve been around. You want a driver that is going to give you everything he has and that’s what Brad does every week. I pride myself on having the same approach to my job, so I knew we could be successful together. Now we are one race away from doing something that no team has been able to do and that is give Roger Penske the Cup championship he deserves. We are planning on doing the same things at Homestead this weekend that got us to this point. Being cautious and ‘laying up’ is a good way to get into trouble. We are an aggressive team, and while we have the big picture in mind, we are going to do what we do.”

- Penske Racing

Johnson is 4-to-1 Favorite at Homestead in Last Ditch effort

No wins at Homestead, but Johnson is 4/1 favorite this week (Getty)

By Micah Roberts
The Linemakers on Sporting News

LAS VEGAS -- Jimmie Johnson will try to do something he’s never done before in his career – win at Homestead. Despite it being one of five tracks on the circuit Johnson has yet to win on, the LVH SuperBook still installed Johnson as the 4-to-1 favorite to take the checkers at Sunday’s Ford Ecoboost 400.

He’s the favorite because Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus will put everything they have into gaining maximum points this week, which means trying to win the race and lead the most laps.

If Brad Keselowski (10-to-1) finishes 15th or better Sunday, it doesn’t matter where Johnson finishes -- Keselowski, who leads Johnson by 20 points in the Sprint Cup standings, would clinch the championship. But you can bet the No. 48 will be letting it all hang out in Sunday's season finale.

Johnson may have never won at Homestead, but in five of his 11 starts there, he was not trying to win. Still, he finished ninth or better on the track in four of his championship seasons. He had already been eliminated from the Chase before last season’s final race, and he finished 32nd.

Although the progressive banking and configuration of Homestead is different from the other 1.5-mile tracks, the set-up required this week will be similar, which means drivers like Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth all have a great chance to win and is why they are all listed at 8-to-1.

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Homestead-Miami Odds & Ends: 2012 Ford EcoBoost 400

At Homestead-Miami Speedway:

History

·         Groundbreaking for Homestead-Miami Dade Motorsports Complex – as the track was originally named – began Aug. 24, 1993. The first race was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Nov. 5, 1995.

·         The original configuration was a four-turn, rectangular oval based on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's layout.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead was held on Nov. 14, 1999.

·         2002 was the first season of the Championship Weekend at Homestead, with all three of NASCAR’s national series holding their season finale at the same track.

Notebook

·         Since the inception of the position-based points system in 1975, only four drivers have made up a points deficit in the season finale: Richard Petty in 1979 (made up two points on Darrell Waltrip), Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (made up 30 points on Davey Allison), Jimmie Johnson in 2010 (made up 15 points on Denny Hamlin) and last season Tony Stewart (made up three* points on Carl Edwards).

o    * - Stewart’s comeback was under the one-point-per-position format implemented in 2011.

·         There have been 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Homestead, one per season since 1999.

·         Four drivers have competed in all 13 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, and Tony Stewart.

·         David Green won the first pole, in 1999 with a speed of 155.759 mph.

·         Tony Stewart won the inaugural race, in 1999 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

·         There have been nine different pole winners. Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson lead all drivers, with two.

·         There have been eight different race winners, led by Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart, with three each.

·         Jack Roush has won seven races, most among owners. Joe Gibbs has the second most wins with four.

·         The race has been won from the pole twice: Bill Elliott (2001) and Kurt Busch (2002).

·         The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in nine of 13 races.

·         Denny Hamlin won in 2009 from the 38th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

·         Two active drivers have averaged a top-10 finish: Carl Edwards (5.3) and Kevin Harvick (7.9).

·         Kasey Kahne (7.2) is the only driver to average a starting position in the top-10.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Homestead-Miami Speedway winner: Kurt Busch (11/17/2002 – 24 years, 3 months, 13 days). Oldest NSCS Homestead-Miami Speedway winner: Bill Elliott (11/11/2001 – 46 years, 1 months, 3 days).

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Homestead-Miami Speedway pole winner: Kurt Busch (11/17/2002 – 24 years, 3 months, 13 days). Oldest NSCS Homestead-Miami Speedway pole winner: Bill Elliott (11/11/2001 – 46 years, 1 months, 3 days).

 

JJ has never won a race at Homestead but won five Championships (Getty)

Homestead-Miami Speedway Data

Chase Race #: 10 of 10

Season Race #: 36 of 36 (11-18-12)

Track Size: 1.5-mile

Banking/Turns: 18 - 20 degrees

Banking/Straights: 4 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 1,760 feet

Backstretch Length: 1,760 feet

Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 miles

 

Top 12 Driver Rating at Homestead

Carl Edwards............................ 120.9

Martin Truex Jr.......................... 109.7

Matt Kenseth............................ 107.0

Kevin Harvick............................ 102.5

Jimmie Johnson......................... 95.2

Tony Stewart............................. 93.1

Jeff Gordon................................ 92.9

Denny Hamlin............................ 92.5

Greg Biffle................................. 92.2

Kasey Kahne............................. 90.1

Clint Bowyer.............................. 87.8

Jeff Burton................................. 86.5

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (seven total) among active drivers at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2011 pole winner: Carl Edwards, Ford, 175.467 mph, 30.775 secs., 11-18-11

 

2011 race winner: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 114.976 mph, (3:29:00), 11-20-11

 

Track qualifying record: Jamie McMurray,Dodge, 181.111 mph, 29.816 sec., 11-16-03

 

Track race record: Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 140.335 mph, (2:51:14), 11-14-99

 

NASCAR in Florida

·         There have been 170 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Florida.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach	131
Homestead-Miami Speedway	Homestead	13
Daytona Beach & Road Course	Daytona Beach	10
Five Flags Speedway	Pensacola	1
Golden Gate Speedway	Tampa	1
Palm Beach Speedway	W. Palm Beach	7
Speedway Park	Jacksonville	6
Titusville-Cocoa Speedway	Titusville	1

·         166 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.

·         There have been 10 race winners from Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Fireball Roberts	33	0	0
LeeRoy Yarbrough	14	0	0
Marshall Teague	7	0	0
Joe Nemechek	4	16	0
Bobby Johns	2	0	0
David Reutimann	2	1	1
Shorty Rollins	1	0	0
Rick Wilson	0	2	0
Aric Almirola	0	1	2
Joey Coulter	0	0	1

LVH SUPER BOOK ODDS TO WIN
FORD ECOBOOST 400
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

JIMMIE JOHNSON 4
DENNY HAMLIN 8
BRAD KESELOWSKI 10
KYLE BUSCH 10
KASEY KAHNE 8
JEFF GORDON 15
TONY STEWART 15
MARTIN TRUEX JR 10
CLINT BOWYER 10
MATT KENSETH 8
GREG BIFFLE 8
DALE EARNHARDT JR 18
CARL EDWARDS 15
MARK MARTIN 30
KEVIN HARVICK 30
JOEY LOGANO 35
KURT BUSCH 60
RYAN NEWMAN 100
MARCOS AMBROSE 100
SAM HORNISH JR 100
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 100
JEFF BURTON 300
PAUL MENARD 200
JAMIE McMURRAY 300
JUAN MONTOYA 300
ARIC ALMIROLA 100
TREVOR BAYNE 300
REGAN SMITH 1000
BOBBY LABONTE 1000
FIELD 500