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

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.

   

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

Final Homestead-Miami Driver Ratings Following All Practices

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Ford 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Sunday, November 20, 2011 - 12:16 pm (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds       Practice 1   Practice 2   Qualified   Texas*

 1. Carl Edwards 9/2                 2nd            1st              1st          2nd
Two-time winner with a track best 5.7 average finish in seven starts; using Texas chassis.
 2. Matt Kenseth 6/1                 3rd            15th             6th          4th
2007 winner with two wins on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; using Texas chassis this week.
 3. Kevin Harvick 6/1                 9th           18th             21st       13th  
Two-time runner with a 7.9 average finish in 10 starts; using sixth-place Charlotte car.
 4. Tony Stewart 4/1                15th            28th            15th        1st
Two-time winner under old configuration, no top-5s since 2004; using eighth-place Charlotte car.
 5. Jeff Gordon 10/1                  8th            12th             7th         6th
One of two Cup tracks that he’s never won on; owns an 11.8 average finish in 12 starts.
 6. Jimmie Johnson 8/1             5th            14th             9th        14th
Two-time runner-up; one of only five tracks he‘s never won on. Using Charlotte chassis.
 7. Ryan Newman 40/1              4th            26th            14th       16th
Career best finish of sixth came his rookie season in 2002; good practices Saturday in race trim.
 8. Greg Biffle 15/1                   14th           11th              8th         5th
Three-time winner from 2004-06; will be using 15th-place Charlotte chassis from October.
 9. Brad Keselowski 30/1          25th           10th             5th         24th
Career best of 13th last season, had a great practice Saturday; will be using new chassis.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 40/1       1st             23rd            11th        7th
Has never finished better than 13th in 11 starts; strong practice suggests it could be career day.

* Results from the November 6, 2011 race at Texas Motor Speedway, the last race run on a high-banked 1.5-mile track. Although the track configuration of Texas and Homestead are not similar, the set-up requirements for the cars are.
     
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

Edwards Fastest in Final Homestead Practice

The last NSCS practice session for the season is complete, and at top of the Ford 400 speed charts was Carl Edwards with a lap speed of 171.124 mph. And, battling him for the championship, Tony Stewart, was 28th with a lap speed of 167.926 mph.

Edwards took only three laps in the session and must have felt pretty good with the car, opting to leave it alone until qualifying. With Stewart, his sessions rarely tell the story of how his car will perform on race day, but in this instance, you'd have to believe he wasn't happy with his final session.

Second fastest and with a lap speed of 170.913 mph, was Edward’s fellow Roush Fenway Racing teammate, David Ragan, and they were followed by Cole Whitt (170.063 mph), AJ Allmendinger (169.705) and Landon Cassill (169.609) was the fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest during “Happy Hour” were Martin Truex Jr. (169.465 mph, Clint Bowyer (169.306), Paul Menard (169.141), Dave Blaney (168.982) and Brad Keselowski (168.966) posting the tenth fastest lap speed.

Qualifying is up next for the teams later this afternoon at 2:40 PM (ET) and then they will return on Sunday for the 3:20 PM (ET) approximate start of the Ford 400 (with ESPN beginning their pre-race television coverage at 2:00 PM ET).

Practice Speeds