Rally GB, Macau, NASCAR finale
Live Text
Sort by
NASCAR - Homestead: Bit of a torrid afternoon for Kurt Busch so far this afternoon. He started second and has dropped to 16th with handling issues.
NASCAR - Homestead: Three and a half seconds covers the leading trio at the moment, which is still being led by Kenseth, who is 1.8s ahead of Johnson, with Kyle Busch just about managing to keep up.
NASCAR - Homestead: Lap 58, and if you divide that number by two you will have how many cars are currently on the lead lap.
NASCAR - Homestead: Jeff Gordon and Keselowski are proving the most entertainment at the moment as the pair battle for fourth. Gordon, who is the defending race winner at Homestead, is doing all he can to fend off his Penske rival.
NASCAR - Homestead: If Kenseth keeps this up he'll soon be claiming a bonus point for leading the most laps today. He's already got 42 in the bag.
NASCAR - Homestead: Kenseth continues to dominate and has eked out a 1.5 second gap to Johnson. If things finish as it is, Kenseth will still be 22 points short of clinching the title.
NASCAR - Homestead: Further back, IndyCar-bound Juan Pablo Montoya has gained two places on his starting position and is in 25th. While Martin, who is signing off today, is in 16th.
NASCAR - Homestead: Mathematical championship contender Kevin Harvick is currently sixth and reeling in Kurt Busch, who is falling back after his short stint at the front of the field.
NASCAR - Homestead: Johnson doesn't appear to have adopted a conservative approach this afternoon, either. He's now up to second on lap 33.
NASCAR - Homestead: Kenseth is certainly determined this afternoon as he overtakes both Buschs with ease to go back into the lead.
NASCAR - Homestead: Not for long, though, as Kurt Busch momentarily takes the lead ahead of Kyle, while title-contender Kenseth is in third.
Green flag
NASCAR - Homestead: Back to green again, on lap 28, and it's David Ragan who is in the lead.
NASCAR - Homestead: Harvick leads the way off pit road, followed by Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Almirola, Newman, Johnson, Harvick, Mark Martin, Keselowski, Earnhardt Jr.
The first five took two right-side tires only.
The first five took two right-side tires only.
NASCAR - Homestead: And everyone is diving into the pits.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Homestead: Another caution and, again, it's thanks to Kvapil who spins but manages to avoid the wall this time.
NASCAR - Homestead: Looks like Johnson's decision to take on four tyres is playing dividends as he's running well in second, having restarted in eighth.
NASCAR - Homestead: And here comes Johnson who, on lap 19 of 267, passes Harvick for second and is closing in on Kenseth. Reigning champion Keselowski is fourth.
NASCAR - Homestead: Kenseth isn't having any of it, though, and reclaims his lead, while Johnson is now running in third.
Green flag
NASCAR - Homestead: Back to green once again, as Harvick takes the lead on the restart on lap 15.
NASCAR - Homestead: Kenseth was the first to leave pit road, while Johnson took on four tyres, whereas those ahead of him took two, apart from Kurt Busch.
Dale Earnhardt Jr, meanwhile, has jumped 13 places for staying out.
Dale Earnhardt Jr, meanwhile, has jumped 13 places for staying out.
NASCAR - Homestead: Replays show that Travis Kvapil scrubbed the wall in Turn 3, causing the caution. Most of the frontrunners pit.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Homestead: Didn't take long for our first caution of the day - on lap 11 - for a necessary clean up of debris on Turn 3.
NASCAR - Homestead: Harvick's fallen back to seventh, behind Truex Jr and Hamlin. Has he lost his momentum already?
NASCAR - Homestead: Johnson's now battling with Harvick for fifth. Kenseth, meanwhile, has a 0.820s advantage at the front of the field.
NASCAR - Homestead: Championship leader Johnson is battling with Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr for sixth and comes out on tip into Turn 2.
NASCAR - Homestead: Kenseth has a slight lead over Kurt Busch, but it's very early days at the moment. Out going champion Brad Keselowski is running in third with Joey Logano on his bumper.
Green flag
NASCAR - Homestead: The green flag flies and we're racing at Homestead! Forty-three cars thunder across the line, led by Kenseth. Will he still be there at the end?
NASCAR - Homestead: Today's race is scheduled for 267 laps (400 miles).
NASCAR - Homestead: Engines roar and the 2013 Sprint Cup finale is about to (finally) get underway!
NASCAR - Homestead: Well that was an 'interesting' rendition of the Star Spangled banner by Zendaya...
NASCAR - Homestead: It's national anthem time at Homestead, and that means racing isn't far away.
Kenseth - homestead pole
NASCAR - Homestead: Here’s the full story of what happened in qualifying on Friday, in which Kenseth claimed his third pole of the season - his first at Homestead and the 11th of his career.
arrow
Kenseth has won two races out of his previous 10 pole starts.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the starting position is less important at Homestead as only once in the last four events at the speedway did the winner start better than 15th.
NASCAR - Homestead: Today’s race is also Harvick's last for Richard Childress Racing, who he has raced with for 13 years, as he goes to Stewart-Haas for 2014.
arrow
NASCAR - Homestead: Like Kenseth, Harvick needs a minor miracle if he is to claim what will be his first title.
He’s never won at Homestead, but he does enter the finale as the most recent winner in the Chase, so momentum is on his side and, as we know, anything can happen in NASCAR.
He’s never won at Homestead, but he does enter the finale as the most recent winner in the Chase, so momentum is on his side and, as we know, anything can happen in NASCAR.
NASCAR - Homestead: Kenseth has also been one of the strongest drivers all year on the mile-and-a-half tracks and, if we had to place a bet, we reckon he will bounce back from last weekend’s disaster in the desert by putting on a winning performance today.
Kenseth
NASCAR - Homestead: And what about Kenseth?
Well he’s the only one of the three championship contenders who has ever scored a victory at Homestead, and he certainly needs one of them if he wants any hope of claiming this year’s title.
NASCAR - Homestead: With such an advantage, Johnson - who starts seventh - really only needs to avoid any major incidents to be crowned champion today.
His average finish at Homestead is 15.3, so the omens are looking good for the Hendrick Chevrolet driver.
His average finish at Homestead is 15.3, so the omens are looking good for the Hendrick Chevrolet driver.
NASCAR - Homestead: This is how the standings look with just today’s race remaining:
Title contenders after 35 of 36 races:
1. Jimmie Johnson (2384 points)
2. Matt Kenseth (2356 points)
3. Kevin Harvick (2350 points)
4. Kyle Busch (2327 points)
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr (2321 points)
6. Jeff Gordon (2304 points)
7. Greg Biffle (2301 points)
8. Clint Bowyer (2297 points)
9. Joey Logano (2287 points)
10. Kurt Busch (2285 points)
(48 points maximum per race)
Full season statistics on FORIX
Title contenders after 35 of 36 races:
1. Jimmie Johnson (2384 points)
2. Matt Kenseth (2356 points)
3. Kevin Harvick (2350 points)
4. Kyle Busch (2327 points)
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr (2321 points)
6. Jeff Gordon (2304 points)
7. Greg Biffle (2301 points)
8. Clint Bowyer (2297 points)
9. Joey Logano (2287 points)
10. Kurt Busch (2285 points)
(48 points maximum per race)
Full season statistics on FORIX
title contenders
NASCAR - Homestead: Johnson enters today’s finale with a 28-point advantage over Kenseth and is also 34 up on last weekend’s winner Kevin Harvick, who is the only other driver with a mathematical chance for the championship.
Essentially, Johnson can clinch his sixth championship today by finishing 23rd or better, even if Kenseth were to win the race from pole - where he starts after qualifying quickest on Friday - and leads the most laps
NASCAR - Homestead: Yes, after 35 races we have reached the end of what has been an entertaining season and one that concludes in a championship duel between five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and 2003 title-winner Matt Kenseth.
By: Dan Cross, Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell, Marcus Simmons, Sam Tremayne, Charles Bradley
Published:
Page:
