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NEXTEL CUP SERIES MISCELLANEOUS
BUSCH SERIES DID NOT FINISH MISCELLANEOUS at Decades of Racing MANUFACTURERS NASCAR TIDBITS NASCAR ON TV Site Partners
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NEXTEL CUP SERIESFINAL 2006 POWER RANKINGS AFTER HomeSTEAD
JIMMIE JOHNSON 2006 POWER RANKINGS WINNER
The Nextel Cup series headed south this last weekend to the Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Ford 400, the only race of the season at that track. This was the 36th and final race of the season and the final race in the Chase to the Championship. The weekend was filled with a lot of on track action, even though most all the Chase competitors started all over the starting grid in this race, all eyes were on five of the Chase drivers who still had a chance to win the championship. When everything was done and over, it was a non-chase driver, Greg Biffle beating everyone to the finish line and gave him his 3rd straight win at the Homestead -Miami track. The Chase points leader coming into this race was Jimmie Johnson and he even though he qualified somewhat poorly for him (15th), he was able to overcome this to end the race in 9th place. That was his 6th straight Top 10 finish and five of those were in the Top 2 finishers. He left Homestead with a pretty substantial 56 point lead over second place Matt Kenseth, but more importantly it didn't matter at that point because he also left with a big trophy that was labeled the 2006 Nextel Cup Champion. It was obvious during the race that Johnson had no intent on going for the win in the race but rather doing just enough to finish in one piece and keep the other Chase drivers behind him in the points. Mission accomplished!! Jimmie Johnson is the 2006 Nextel Cup Champion and the championship was well deserved for Johnson and his whole team. Johnson won the Chase, won the traditional points battle and came out on top of this years power rankings so no controversy that had surrounded previous Chase battles like the Kurt Busch championship.
Jimmie Johnson finished his charge to the Championship with a 9th place finish in the Ford 400, the 6th straight week that he has finished in the Top 10 in a race. After having been written off in the Chase a the beginning, Johnson came back strong to win the Championship and to win the top spot in the 2006 Power Rankings. Johnson was just amazing during the Chase and the Championship races was actually a little closer then it probably should have been if you remember what happened to Johnson at Kansas and Talladega. Other driver's miscues probably cost him both those wins. Matt Kenseth needed a great finish in the Homestead race to maintain his chances in the Chase and even though he got that with 6th place finish at the drop of the checkered flag, that finish was not good enough to take the Championship nor was it enough to make up any ground in the Power Rankings, finishing the year in 2nd place. Tony Stewart notched a decent finish at Homestead on Sunday, 15th place and that finish allowed him to claim 3rd place in this years Power Rankings. Also, even though he was not in the Chase, he locked up the coveted 11th place finish in the points and the million dollar prize that goes with that. If you look at the point standings without being adjusted by the Chase, Stewart finished the year in 4th place (Non-Chase Standings). The 4th spot in the final rankings this year goes to Kevin Harvick as he capped off a terrific year with 5th place finish in the Ford 400. That finish gave also allowed him to finish 4th in the Chase to the Championship. Kasey Kahne looked pretty solid at Homestead and he capped off a great year with a 4th place finish in Sunday's race. That finish was good enough to to jump back into 5th place spot in the final 2006 Power Rankings.
Jeff Gordon did not have the kind of day he wanted at Homestead, finishing 24th when the checkered flag dropped to end the day. He dropped into the 6th spot in the final Power Rankings but on the good side, he was able to celebrate in the Chase to the Championship as he is part owner of Jimmie Johnson's team. Kyle Busch stays in the 7th spot in the final power rankings despite the fact he ended his day in the Ford 400 in 38th place. Denny Hamlin had his sights on a Top 10 finish Sunday and he got that as he managed to finish 3rd in the Ford 400. He jumped into a tie for 7th place in the final power rankings and also finished in 3rd place in the Chase to the Championship. Hamlin had one heck of a season for a rookie driver in the Nextel Cup series.
Dale Earnhardt Jr ran another great race at Homestead but a brush with the outside wall cost him a Top 10 finish and he settled for a 19th place finish in Sunday's race. He finishes the 2006 season in the 8th spot in the 2006 Power Rankings. He also finished the year in 5th place in the Chase standings. Jeff Burton holds on to the 9th place position in the final power rankings as he had a so-so race at Homestead, winding up his season with a 14th place finish in Sunday's race. That finish also allowed him to finish 7th in the Chase to the Championship. Finally the 10th spot and final spot in the final 2006 Power Rankings goes to Carl Edwards, who finished his 2006 season on a strong note with an 8th place finish in Sunday's race. Although he didn't have the kind of year he might have hoped for, he still finished the season on a strong note and set the stage for the 2007 season.
The Power Rankings after the Ford 400 at Homestead are as follows:
Team power ratings are based on a different rating system then is used by Nascar. Points are awarded based on a driver's performance on the track and awards points for only Top performances. A top 15, pole or leading the most laps is considered a strong performance and are awarded points based on finish. No points are awarded for anything other then a Top 15 finish and negative points are awarded for drivers that do not finish on the lead lap, fail to finish the race or fail to qualify for the race. SCORING
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