By Scott Serrano
PA SportsTicker Auto Racing Editor
(C) 2008 PA SPORTSTICKER, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Jamie McMurray is getting a jump on the 2009 season.
After failing to make the "Chase for the Championship" and
considered the weakest link in Roush Fenway Racing's five-car
stable, McMurray has suddenly come alive.
Over the past four races, McMurray has finished in the top
seven, with the only blemish a 38th at Martinsville where his
rear axle came apart on lap 399 and he needed 35 laps to fix the
problem.
On Sunday at Texas, McMurray was leading with 20 to go and held
that lead until he was forced to pit for fuel with 12 laps
remaining.
Meanwhile, teammate Carl Edwards and eventual second-place
finisher Jeff Gordon stayed out and gambled on fuel mileage,
hoping they had enough to stretch it the rest of the way.
When their gambles turned out to be successful, that relegated
McMurray to a third-place finish.
"I thought Jamie was going to win the race," team owner Jack
Roush said. "With 20 laps to go, I thought Carl would have the
benefit of gaining some points but I didn't think I'd be sitting
with Carl (in the post-race winner's news conference). I
thought I would be sitting here with Jamie."
Even so, the third-place showing moved McMurray up to 18th in
the standings after an awful start to his season.
After finishing 43rd at Bristol in the fifth race of the season,
McMurray was mired in 36th in points and outside of a guaranteed
starting spot for races.
As a result, he went to Martinsville the following week needing
to qualify for the starting field on speed. He did, finished
eighth, and began a steady climb back to respectability in the
standings.
"Jamie is a good race car driver," Roush said. "He has not had
the results that we would have hoped this year, and certainly
isn't where we would like him to be in the points.
"But he's been running really well in the last handful of races.
He's definitely got some energy and some momentum going."
That bodes well for McMurray and gives Roush Fenway a chance to
have all five cars qualify for next year's Chase.
Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are all Chase mainstays,
and David Ragan barely missed out this year, falling just short
in the cut-off race at Richmond.
The key for McMurray will be to carry over this late-season
momentum into next year, avoiding the wretched start that ended
his Chase chances early and had many wondering if he would even
be back with Roush Fenway in 2009.
"We started so bad at the beginning of the year," McMurray said.
"But we've been a top-five car like every week the last month or
two. We had a chance to win Dover ... we've just been awesome.
"When you can end the season that strong, I feel like you can
start the next season off the same way. So I'm really happy
with this team."
TRUCKS, NATIONWIDE TITLES UP FOR GRABS: The Sprint Cup "Chase
for the Championship" has all but been decided with Jimmie
Johnson's dominant showing through the first eight races.
On the other hand, NASCAR's other two title chases appear to be
going down to the wire.
Edwards finished second at Texas on Saturday and cut Clint
Bowyer's Nationwide series to 91 points with two races
remaining.
"I think we've got 91 points to make up in two races, which is
completely reasonable," Edwards said. "So, I'm very excited
about that."
Ron Hornaday Jr. scrambled from a lap down to capture the
Craftsman Truck Series Chevy Silverado 350K at Texas Motor
Speedway on Friday.
The victory moved Hornaday within six points of leader Johnny
Benson, who finished third, in the championship standings with
two races remaining.
HAMILTON WINS TITLE ON LAST LAP: Lewis Hamilton won the Formula
One championship in thrilling fashion on Sunday.
The 23-year-old native of Great Britain finished fifth in the
Brazilian Grand Prix to become the youngest driver to win a
Formula One championship.
Brazil's Felipe Massa won the race at the 2.6-mile Interlagos
track, but needed Hamilton to finish sixth or worse to claim the
title.
Hamilton entered the last lap in sixth place after a late shower
forced a change to wet weather tires.
With the title disappearing as fast as Massa's Ferrari
approached the checkered flag, Hamilton had Toyota's Timo Glock
to thank after the German stayed out on dry tires and was unable
to hold on to his fifth place.
Hamilton powered past as the final corner approached and
finished fifth to claim the crown.
EARNHARDT JR. VS. KYLE BUSCH: Dale Earnhardt Jr. basically
replaced Kyle Busch at Hendrick Motorsports. Busch thoroughly
dominated the head-to-head matchup through the first 26 races,
winning eight times to Earnhardt's once.
Here is how the two are faring during the Chase:
Earnhardt ran 20th at Texas and dropped to 11th in the Chase
standings, 429 points out of the lead.
Busch finished sixth at Texas. He entered the Chase with an
80-point lead atop the standings, but left Sunday's race in 10th
place and 428 points out of the lead.
Edge through eight Chase race: Busch who is a mere point ahead
of Dale Jr. for the 10th and final spot to earn a trip to New
York for NASCAR's awards ceremony.
SAY WHAT? "I would if I really cared what everybody else
thought, but I'm learning to not really care because it really
doesn't matter." - Carl Edwards on whether or not he felt
vindicated that everyone said the Chase was over.
GREEN-WHITE-CHECKERED FINISH: Joey Logano finally got a chance
to race when Sprint Cup qualifying was not rained out for a
change and wound up 40th at Texas - the last car still running
at the end of the race. ... Edwards made it the fourth straight
year the winner of the fall race at Atlanta has also won the
following week at Texas. He started the streak in 2005, Tony
Stewart did it in 2006 and Johnson accomplished the feat last
year. ... The Chase shifts to Phoenix where Johnson has won the
past two races.
Feedback? E-mail scott.serrano@pa-sportsticker.com.