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Drama Surrounds Driver, Owner Rookie Titles In Season’s Final Race
Who said the days of the triple-feature were over?
Three NASCAR Nationwide Series titles will be decided Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a series first.
For the first time since 2005, the driver championship comes down to the final race of the season. The driver and owner championships could be split for the second consecutive year. And the Raybestos Rookie of the Year race has its own drama.
Clint Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet) has held the driver standings lead for the last 29 weeks. He’s got a 56-point advantage over reigning series champion Carl Edwards (No. 60 Save-A-Lot Ford).
Edwards has waged a spirited comeback from a 207-point deficit eight races ago to move to within 56 points of Bowyer. The margin is the closest since Brian Vickers led David Green (No. 0 sponsordavis.com Chevrolet) by 22 points heading to Homestead in 2003.
Edwards has won the last two races and registered top-five finishes in his last eight events to put the final-race pressure on Bowyer.
But regardless of Edwards’ result, if Bowyer finishes eighth or better, he’ll claim his first NASCAR national series championship. He leads the series with 28 top-10 finishes this season.
Edwards may be chasing Bowyer, but Bowyer is immersed in his own hunt to unify the owner championship should he hang on to win the driver crown.
Joey Logano will drive the No. 20 DLP HDTV Toyota, which has a 28-point lead over the No. 2 Chevrolet of Bowyer and Richard Childress Racing. A second-place finish for the No. 20 regardless of the outcome for the No. 2 would clinch the first NASCAR Nationwide title for JGR. RCR is chasing its fifth owner championship, which would be a series record.
Bryan Clauson (No. 40 Fastenal Dodge) has a final chance to overtake Landon Cassill in the rookie of the year race. Cassill isn’t entered at Homestead Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in the No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet but has a six-point lead over Clauson. That’s Cassill’s biggest advantage of the year.
Wallace Prepares For Place Among NASCAR Nationwide Series Elite
For once, Kenny Wallace (No. 28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet) may be at a loss for words.
The normally boisterous Wallace was unusually quiet at The Milwaukee Mile this summer when he reflected on his 400th NASCAR Nationwide Series start. He could be even more reserved as he realizes another major milestone in his NASCAR career.
With a start at Homestead, Wallace will surpass Tommy Houston for second on the all-time list with 418 starts. Jason Keller (No. 27 Kleenex Ford) holds the mark at 456 starts and counting.
“It’s a feather in my cap and I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to race for so long in the Nationwide Series,” Wallace said. “This series has always been there for me. It’s been a wonderful time and I look forward to the next 82 races.”
Wallace has 772 starts across each of NASCAR’s national series, but his NASCAR Nationwide start resum is the longest.
In The Loop: Edwards A Bit Better Than Bowyer At Homestead
Over the last month, Carl Edwards has made things very interesting in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
And the statistics suggest the drama will continue at Homestead.
In winning two of the last three races, Edwards has slashed his championship deficit to 56 points with one race remaining. His statistics at Homestead are phenomenal, and he trumps driver standings leader Clint Bowyer in almost every key category.
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