Nascar Final

[+Fates 63]

Ok....the final race... Who will take the championship?

 

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- The car cover was wrapped tightly around the No. 48 Chevrolet, its driver and crew long gone for the day. All around the garage, teams worked feverishly on their cars, but Jimmie Johnson was nowhere to be found.

 

The absence of the Hendrick Motorsports team after qualifying Friday raised eyebrows everywhere at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

Jeff Gordon qualifies fifth for the season finale  Long road ahead

Johnson will chase the title from the 39th position  Disgusted

Mark Martin is not pleased with his qualifying run

 

Bud Pole winner Busch will defend his points lead from the pole position

Middle of the pack Dale Jr. will chase the championship from the 16th spot

 

 

Did they go home in disgust after qualifying 39th for Sunday's season finale -- Johnson's worst starting position of the year? Or were they playing mind games with the competition?

 

No one was really sure.

 

All that was certain was that it was unusual for Johnson to qualify so poorly. His effort was the worst of his career, surpassing two 37th-place starting spots last season.

 

But even stranger was that noted perfectionist Chad Knaus, the crew chief, wasn't tearing the car apart trying to figure out what went wrong.

 

"I heard him on the radio -- it didn't sound like he was disappointed in the lap," Jeff Gordon, Johnson's teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, said. "It sounded like the speed wasn't there."