Sprint Cup Series Finale

            What started nine months ago is about to come to fantastic end. No, nobody’s pregnant. It's the season finale of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This final race will decide one of the closes championship races in the history of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Carl Edwards is in first place, but Tony Stewart is only three points back. In the points system, each position is awarded one points. 1^st place gets 43 points, 2^nd gets 42, 3^rd gets 41. You get the picture.

Here’s a list created by NASCAR.com that shows every scenario that could play out Sunday.

• If Edwards finishes ahead of Stewart, Edwards win the championship.

• If Stewart wins the race, he wins the championship.

• If Stewart ties Edwards, Stewart wins the championship.

• If Edwards leads a lap, Stewart needs to finish four spots ahead of him if Stewart doesn't lead a lap.

• If Edwards leads the most laps, Stewart needs to finish five spots ahead of him if Stewart doesn't lead a lap.

• If Stewart leads a lap, he needs to finish two spots ahead of Edwards if Edwards doesn't lead a lap.

• If Stewart leads the most laps, he needs to finish one spot ahead of Edwards if Edwards doesn't lead a lap.

• If both Stewart and Edwards lead a lap, Stewart needs to finish three spots ahead of Edwards.

• If both Stewart and Edwards lead the most laps, Stewart needs to finish three spots ahead of Edwards.

• If Stewart leads the most laps and Edwards leads a lap, Stewart needs to finish two spots ahead of Edwards.

• If neither Edwards nor Stewart lead a lap, Stewart must finish three spots ahead of Edwards.

            Luckily, it won’t be that confusing watching the race. There will be some kind of graphic displayed that shows a real time look at the points standings throughout the whole race.

            
            If I had to choose one of the drivers to cheer for it would be Edwards since I picked him to win it all right before the Chase started. He’s also never won the championship before, while Stewart has won it twice. No matter who wins it, most of the NASCAR family will be happy that Jimmie Johnson didn’t.

            
Catch the race on ESPN this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Then be sure to check back next week for a season review and a look at what’s going down before Daytona in February.

Sprint Cup at Half-way Point: Part 2

            Even though we are halfway through the season, there are numerous question marks that remain for next season. A big one being, where will Carl Edwards be next year? This is the last year on his Roush-Fenway contract, and he has been speaking to other teams. In fact, he visited the Joe Gibbs Racing garage last week.

            
            One place that some thought Edwards would end  up was Red Bull Racing. Well that’s not looking like a plausible plan because Red Bull has said they are selling their team after this season. This was announced a few weeks ago and rocked the world of NASCAR, as Red Bull is a name and brand known all around the world. The team has not had a lot of success in NASCAR, esp. compared to their Formula 1 team, which is the best in that league.

            Hendrick Motorsports driver, Mark Martin, is also unsure on his future. Next year he will be replaced by Kasey Kahne. He has said he wants to continue to race, but nobody knows for certain where he’ll be and if it’ll be full-time. It’s possible he may go into ownership with his friend Jay Frye, who is the president of the Red Bull Team, and also race for the team. If that were to happen, Red Bull could still be a part of the team as a sponsor. That’s a lot of “if’s” though, the only certain is Mark Martin will not be at Hendrick.

            Another result of the Red Bull departure is Brian Vickers. Vickers has always been a consistent driver. He won at Michigan and made the Chase in 2009. His 2010 season was cut short due to a blood clot, and it’s still unsure how healthy he is. Red Bull leaving is really a blow to Vickers’s career. He has raced with Red Bull since the team’s creation in 2007, and has stuck with them through their struggles. It’s disappointing to think Vickers may not have a ride next season.

            Other drivers with contracts up after season include; Greg Bifle (Roush), Jeff Burton (Childress), Clint Bowyer (Childress), and Juan Pablo Montoya (Earnhardt-Ganassi). I haven’t heard a lot on these drivers, but I expect all of them to be resigned. Burton is having a rough season, but is a popular driver and will probably be given an extension on his contract. Bowyer, Bifle, and Montoya are all having decent seasons and will probably given extensions as well.

My predictions for the next 8 races before the Chase starts:

            

            Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart will all make the Chase. Hamlin and Jr. just have to defend their Top 10 positions, but Stewart will win a race and knock his teammate Newman out.

            

            Juan Pablo Montoya will get a win and make it into the Chase as a wildcard. He has excelled at three of the upcoming tracks; Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, and Atlanta.

            

            As for that other wildcard spot, well who knows? All I can guarantee is that it’s going to get wild. Drivers are gonna be trying incredibly hard to get a win and further secure their chances of getting into the Chase.