Emotions running high in season finale at Homestead
This is it.
Nine months after the season kicked off at Daytona International Speedway, teams head to the track for the final race of the season. Although teams obviously enter the race carrying the setbacks and triumphs of the previous 35 races, to some it must feel like it all comes down to today.
After all, there's still a lot at stake. While many have written off Jimmie Johnson's fourth consecutive championship as a foregone conclusion, he still has to finish 25th or better today - less depending on the performance of teammate Mark Martin - to snare the title. And behind him there's a lively battle for position among the Chase For The Sprint Cup drivers.
Drivers and teams bring a wide range of emotions into today's race.
Some drivers are trying to end their season on a high note because it's their final race of this season. Others are attempting to do so in an effort to catch the eye of a team owner hiring for 2010.
Some want to show the latest step has been taken in their improvement for 2010. Others just want this race to be over and a year of struggle to finally come to an end.
All are at Homestead-Miami trying to gain as much ground as possible.
And, whether they admit it or not, all will probably be glad to get a little bit of a breather in the next few weeks as they begin to once more study notes and data in an effort to improve when the 2010 season starts.
Which, by the way, isn't that far in the future. Drivers leave Homestead knowing that the next points race, the Daytona 500, is just 84 days away. And that's really not that long.
