(WOMR file photo)

Chase race number ten (10) is now in the books, the race season is over, and a brand new Sprint Cup champion has been crowned!  “Blazingly Bad” Brad Keselowski is the 2012 Sprint Cup champion!

For more than half of the race, the focus was on the where “Mr. Five-Time”, Jimmie Johnson, and “Blazingly Bad” Brad Keselowski were on the track, and how that would impact the race for the Sprint Cup championship.  But all that changed when Johnson pitted and the rear tire changer failed to get all five lug nuts on the left rear tire.  Because of that pit road mistake, Johnson had to return  to pit road for a pass through penalty.  Within two laps of that pit stop, Johnson and his race car was behind the pit wall, in the garage, repairing a huge mechanical problem.  Johnson’s shot at his sixth Sprint Cup championship had withered away on the vine!

Nevertheless, another Hendrick Motorsports driver picks up the win at Homestead, “Mr. Four-Time”, Jeff Gordon.  Gordon gives the HMS organization its very first win at Homestead-Miami Speedway!

 

Movers and shakers

 

This is the first race in this segment that there was very little movement in the standings.Scott was the biggest mover of the week.  His choice of Kasey Kahne garnered him 24 points for the last race of the year.  However, those 24 points propelled Scott down tow places in the standings to land in tenth place.

Four players moved one place in the standings.  Dawn, Zee, and Dan climbed up one spot.  But Carlton fell one place, as his wife, Dawn, edged him out of fourth place!  Will there be some edginess this week as the paychecks arrive in the mail of that household???

Congratulations to “Blazingly Bad” Brad Keselowski, crew chief Paul Wolfe, Roger Penske, and all of Penske Racing for being the last man standing, and getting their “gold on the ceiling”!

 

TIL NEXT TIME, PULL YOUR GLOVES UP, FLIP YOUR VISOR DOWN, AND LET’S GO RACIN’!