Monday, November 28th 'What If' Question

The season finale in Homestead-Miami was more than anyone imagined it would or could be. Sure, everyone had hoped that it would come down to the last lap with Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart going at for the championship. But no one actually thought that it would come down to the last lap with the two drivers chasing each other to the finish line with the winner taking all.

Or that after 36 races, 22 tracks, over 10,00 laps and 10 months of racing that it would end in a tie.

That's exactly what happened though when Stewart won the race and the championship for the third time in his career. He capped off an incredible Chase where he won five of the 10 races and became the first owner-driver to win the championship since Alan Kulwicki did so in 1992. The title, as mentioned third for Stewart, was the first for his organization, including co-owner Gene Haas and crew chief Darian Grubb. Stewart now sits behind Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt (seven), Jimmie Johnson (5) and Jeff Gordon (4) in the championship history books.

It didn't come easily though. Stewart started the day 15th on the grid while Edwards was on the pole. Then just eight laps into the race Kurt Busch lost his transmission which flew through Stewart's front grille. The damage sent Stewart to pit road and the back of the field, 40th, for the restart. As Edwards racked up the most laps led, 119 of 267, Stewart charged to the front.

More repairs sent him to the back of the field again where he again didn't stay long, going three and four wide as the No. 14 flew through the field, never feeling the affects of the damgae. Suddenly the race was on as Stewart earned the lead and Edwards started trailing him. Through the second half of the race the two never left the top five, even waited out a rain delay, before closing the season in dramatic fashion with a fight to the finish.

Stewart won the race, Edwards finished second but lost the championship because Stewart had the tie breaker. It will go down as the closest finish in NASCAR history and to some the best finale in history. Either driver would have been a deserving champion, both turning out gutsy performances through the Chase. Yet it led them into Homestead where it all came down to wins.

But ...

What if Stewart never had hole in front grille, would he have raced Edwards all day for most laps led & avoided points being a tie? #NASCAR

@MattEmbury Don't think it would've changed his style, that was "Tony being Tony"

@Talon64 Robert And he still has the pit stop gaffs? Then he probably doesn't lead the most laps either way.

@mrnascar2488 That my dear friend we will never know about #TonyStewart

Friday, November 18th 'What If' Question

In about 24 hours from now the NASCAR world will know who the 2011 Sprint Cup Series champion is.

Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart are separated by just three points heading into the season finale in Homestead-Miami. They've been throwing down since they arrived in town on Thursday, they've practiced and now qualified for the Ford 400. Edwards will start his quest for his first championship from the pole, while Stewart will have to come from the 15th position to win his third.

Edwards has an impressive NASCAR Cup resume and a Nationwide Series title to his name. Sunday though, he's going for the big trophy, one that Stewart has taken home twice. The Indiana native is in position for his third championship and should he accomplish the feat he'd go into the history books under a few different categories.

Smoke won his first championship in 2002 when NASCAR was still running under the point system that they had been in place since it's inception. It was also still called the Winston Cup Series then. In 2005 Stewart outran Jimmie Johnson for his second title under the newly invented Chase format. That title came in the Nextel Cup Series. Sunday, Stewart would win under a different Chase format and in the Sprint Cup Series.

Maybe even bigger accomplishments is that Stewart would be adding a third title to his trophy room. He would join many Hall of Famers with those three titles and be behind Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt's seven championships, Jimmie Johnson's five and Jeff Gordon's four. Oh, and Stewart would become the first owner-driver to win a championship since Alan Kulwicki did so in 1992.

There are many scenarios and headlines heading into Sunday's race. For the first time in many seasons the championship will truly not be decided until the final lap. Anything can happen.

But ...


What if Tony Stewart goes on to win the title Sunday, will it be remembered more for coming after Johnson's reign or because it's his third?

@Spacie_Stacie I really think Carl is going to win, but it will be a big deal for whomever wins it cause it is the first new one in 6 years!

@HendrickGuy Both, and because he'd be the first owner/driver to win since Kulwicki.

@Talon64 Robert More as a 3-time champion, but also as the guy that book-ended JJ's title streak more than just ending it.

@FashionL14 because he has bookended JJ. and so far the only driver to get winston and nextell/sprint cups.

@mbauerherzog It will be remembered as the Championship that broke the reign.

Stroker Ace (via Facebook) Smoke will be remembered more for the man who ousted the 5X Champ! Stroker Ace Smoke would also be remembered as the only driver to win a championship from all three cup series sponsors: Winston, Nextel and Sprint.

Jason Remillard (via Facebook) I say he's remembered for winning pre-Chase, post-Chase and as an owner-driver.

Monday, November 14th 'What If' Question

This Sunday in Homestead-Miami it will be the end of a five-year era.

Jimmie Johnson will not be crown Sprint Cup champion, instead it will be Carl Edwards or Tony Stewart taking home the big trophy. Johnson and team will be looking to preserve a top five point finish instead. Five-time goes out without putting up much of a fight for a sixth straight championship, left in the dust of Edwards and Stewart who have blazed through the Chase and into the finale.

For the past five years Johnson has been at the top of the mountain as everyone else just shook their heads and watched. Some welcomed his accomplishments more than others. Sure, he may have been respected for making history but it didn't make it any easier or fun to watch him do it year after year.

Some will be celebrating not only an Edwards or Stewart championship, but the fact that Johnson won't be winning another. It is a day that some thought wasn't going to come any time soon. After three, then four and especially five, Johnson was expected to just keep going and going. It's why when he wasn't all that spectacular in 2011 and didn't open a can of whoop ass on the competition when the Chase started it was surprising yet welcomed.

It doesn't however, mean Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe's team won't win another championship. They'll come back in 2012 looking to get back to where they belong and add another page to the record books. There are only two other drivers ahead of Johnson in the history books with more championships, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. It is certainly possible that he could go on to tie and surpass them in that category. He'll have to wait until next year though (something that hasn't been said about him since 2005) before he gets a chance to do so.

But ...

What if @JimmieJohnson comes back in 2012 and wins his sixth championship, will it be more accepted than his five in a row were? #NASCAR

@HarpAmyStabler I think that it depends on if he's dominant or not. If he goes a few years in btwn, then maybe it's okay to break records.?.

@golic_2004 Well the world will not end, as Johnson would need to win 7 straight championships.

@racebird if he and his team wins why wouldn't they be? Takes a team to win!

@ladybug388 I think it will be as a lot of people r now looking at how significant his 5 in a row was

@StrokerAce90 Yes, it would be more accepted. @JimmieJohnson joined twitter, showed #NASCAR fans he weren't vanilla and won over more fans.

@JoJo_6040 Break from JJ winning is nice. For yrs I've said when he doesn't win it, I'd root for him again & I will. Congrts to 5 time!!