Quest For The Nextel Cup - Three Left Standing With Two To Go
Three for the money
Johnson, Kenseth and Earnhardt set for desert battle
By Lars Anderson > Inside NASCAR SI.com
Jimmie Johnson stood in the brilliant Arizona sunshine and played with a few kids outside of his motor home. Nearby, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shook off the sluggishness of sleep and strode through the infield at Phoenix International Raceway, on his way to a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. And Matt Kenseth was in his hauler, quietly plotting his strategy for his most important race of the 2006 season.
This is how the three divers vying for the Nextel Cup championship spent their Friday mornings in Arizona. With two races left in the season, Johnson holds a 17-point advantage over Kenseth and a 78-point lead over Earnhardt. If the first practice session on Friday at PIR is any indication of how the leaders will run in the race on Sunday -- and it often is -- then Johnson has to feel pretty good about his title hopes. Of the three, Johnson was the fastest as he posted the fourth quickest lap in the field. J.J. was followed by Earnhardt (25th) and Kenseth (31st).
"Hell no, this isn't over yet," Earnhardt told me on Friday morning. "We still got a fighting chance."
"If we can leave here within 40 points of the lead, we'll be just fine," says Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt's crew chief. "The Hendrick cars have been having trouble with their motors, and if Johnson blows up or has a mechanical problem, then it's a whole new game. We're not giving up."
Here's a closer look at the three drivers still in the hunt for the Nextel Cup.
read more Johnson, Kenseth, and Earnhardt
Johnson, Kenseth and Earnhardt set for desert battle
By Lars Anderson > Inside NASCAR SI.com
Jimmie Johnson stood in the brilliant Arizona sunshine and played with a few kids outside of his motor home. Nearby, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shook off the sluggishness of sleep and strode through the infield at Phoenix International Raceway, on his way to a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. And Matt Kenseth was in his hauler, quietly plotting his strategy for his most important race of the 2006 season.
This is how the three divers vying for the Nextel Cup championship spent their Friday mornings in Arizona. With two races left in the season, Johnson holds a 17-point advantage over Kenseth and a 78-point lead over Earnhardt. If the first practice session on Friday at PIR is any indication of how the leaders will run in the race on Sunday -- and it often is -- then Johnson has to feel pretty good about his title hopes. Of the three, Johnson was the fastest as he posted the fourth quickest lap in the field. J.J. was followed by Earnhardt (25th) and Kenseth (31st).
"Hell no, this isn't over yet," Earnhardt told me on Friday morning. "We still got a fighting chance."
"If we can leave here within 40 points of the lead, we'll be just fine," says Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt's crew chief. "The Hendrick cars have been having trouble with their motors, and if Johnson blows up or has a mechanical problem, then it's a whole new game. We're not giving up."
Here's a closer look at the three drivers still in the hunt for the Nextel Cup.
read more Johnson, Kenseth, and Earnhardt
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home