Ron Hornaday proved he can still be a winner, Kyle Busch claimed his first ever championship, and Jimmie Johnson solidified his name in the history book as one of NASCAR’s best ever.

Johnson, who needed to finish just 25th or better in Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, finished fifth to capture his fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, a new record for consecutive championships.

“I grew up on two wheels in the dirt,” said a humbled Johnson following the race. “I had no clue I was going to end up here racing stock cars and doing something that had never been done before.

“To do something that’s never been done in the sport, and love the sport like I do and respect it like I do and the greats — Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon — to do something they have never done is so awesome. And to win four championships in eight years, what this team has done — this is unbelievable.”

Johnson beat teammate Mark Martin, who finished 12th, by 141 points. Martin has now finished second in the championship series five different times, allowing him to join Richard Petty and Bobby Allison as the drivers with the most runner-up finishes in NASCAR history. But there was no bitterness in Martin’s words following the race.

“Heavy hearts and prayers with the boss man and the family,” he said, referring to team owner Rick Hendrick, who was not at the track Sunday but rather in North Carolina where his niece was undergoing an emergency liver transplant.

“That sort of takes a little bit of the shine off of it. But congratulations to Hendrick Motorsports, to Jimmie Johnson —Superman — and to my team.
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Jeff Gordon, also a Hendrick Motorsports driver, finished third in the championship standings, giving Hendrick Motorsports a 1-2-3 championship finish, only the second time such has been done in NASCAR history.

Denny Hamlin, meanwhile, took the lead with 45 laps to go and went on to win his fourth race of 2009. Jeff Burton finished second, followed by Kevin Harvick in third, Kurt Busch in fourth, and Johnson in fifth.

Martin Truex Jr. finished ninth in his final race with the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team. He will move to the No. 52 NAPA Auto Parts Michael Waltrip Racing team next season.

Joey Logano finished 24th to capture the Rookie of the Year honors.

Nationwide Series: Kyle Busch needed only to start Saturday’s Ford 300 to capture his first career NASCAR Championship. So, in typical Kyle Busch fashion, he decided to win the race. He led 71 of 200 laps to win his ninth nationwide race of 2009 and clinch his first ever NASCAR championship.

“For us to come out here and win the final race of the season and really put the icing on the cake for our year and our championship really means a lot,” Busch said. “It hasn't been done in a long time, so you know how hard it is to do, that somebody comes out here and wins the final race of the year. But that's what we set out to do.”

Carl Edwards was second, followed by Jeff Burton in third, Joey Logano in fourth, and Denny Hamlin in fifth. Hamlin and Brad Keselowski continued their on-track rivalry, with both making contact with one another throughout the race. Look to see this rivalry carry on into 2010.

Camping World Truck Series: While Ron Hornaday had already clinched the 2009 NCWTS Driver’s Championship at Phoenix, the owner’s championship was still up for grabs. Hornaday finished eighth to give owners Kevin and Delana Harvick a championship of their own. And to add icing to the cake, Harvick won the season finale.

Matt Crafton was second, followed by Colin Braun in third, Timothy Peters in fourth, and Todd Bodine in fifth.

Coming Up: Our annual “NASCAR Nation Awards” will take a look at the top performers of the 2009 NASCAR season.

Throughout the winter months, there’s sure to be some stories to be discussed. Look for news on driver and sponsorship
announcements, as well as a special report on how the economy has affected NASCAR.

P.S. Congratulations Uncle Den… Four in a row.

Bruce Knoll, 17, of Eldora, can be contacted by email at bknoll jr4cmcherald@yahoo.com

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