By the Numbers: Miami

Johnson vs. Edwards: 400 miles to decide the Cup

By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
November 13, 2008
11:17 AM EST

type size: + -

By now, it's crystal clear.

Jimmie Johnson leads Carl Edwards by 141 points. He can clinch his third consecutive championship by finishing 36th or better, 37th and leading one lap or 39th and leading the most laps. This won't be the last time those numbers are used.

As for Homestead, the dual between the two in the four races in which both have competed is straight up: Edwards has beaten Johnson in two races, and Johnson has beaten Edwards in two races. The killer came in 2005 (see below), which gives an advantage to Edwards.

But the glaring number is still 36.

Once has Johnson finished worse than 36th this season: 39th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May due to an engine failure.

Chase Drivers at Homestead

1. Jimmie JohnsonJohnson needs to finish 36th or better to clinch the title Sunday, and Homestead is the site of one of his six career finishes of 40th or worse. He was 40th in 2005. Since then he's finished ninth and seventh.

2. Carl EdwardsEdwards has ground to make up, and his history at Homestead is bright. His worst finish in four starts there is 14th, and two of those ended in top-five showings.

3. Greg BiffleThree consecutive victories from 2004-2006 highlight Biffle's stops at Homestead. He led all of his 173 laps in those races. The other three starts ended in 25th (2002), 35th (2003) and 13th (2007).

4. Jeff BurtonBurton has started every race at Homestead but has never won there. He has one top-10 finish in the last five races at the track, which came in last year's eighth-place finish.

5. Kevin HarvickPrior to Harvick's 19th-place finish in last year's Homestead race, he had four consecutive top-10 finishes, including a second-place showing in 2003. Average finish: 10.1.

6. Clint BowyerTwo starts and two completely different days for Bowyer. In 2006, he started 10th and finished 10th. But last year, Bowyer struggled to a 39th-place finish, 25 laps down.

7. Jeff GordonHomestead is another track at which Gordon has never won, but he's not been a slouch either. He has seven top-10s in his nine starts, and he's finished in the top five in four of the last six races there.

8. Matt KensethRoush drivers have performed solidly at Homestead, and Kenseth took his piece of the pie last year. He dominated and led 214 laps en route to victory -- his third consecutive top-10 finish there.

9. Denny HamlinThree is the lucky number for Hamlin (for the second week in a row). In three starts, his finishes have been 33rd, third and third. His average finish there: 13.0.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.No top-10 finishes for Earnhardt in eight starts at Homestead. His best finish came in his track debut when he was 13th in 2000. His last three races have ended in two 19th-place finishes and a 36th last year.

11. Kyle BuschHomestead is not a good stop for Busch. In three starts he has just one finish better than 38th. It came last year when he wound up 20th. On a positive note, he has led 29 laps at the track.

12. Tony StewartStewart won the first two races at Homestead (1999 and 2000), but recent success has been fading. His last three finishes there have been 15th, 15th and 30th, during which he has failed to lead a lap.

Five Chase Facts

0Times Carl Edwards has gained 141 points on Jimmie Johnson in his career. The most points Edwards has gained on Johnson was 127 in 2005, ironically at Homestead when Edwards finished fourth and Johnson finished 40th.

2Homestead races that were won by a Chase driver: 2005 (Greg Biffle) and 2007 (Matt Kenseth). Biffle finished second in the standings in 2005, and Kenseth finished fourth in 2007.

4.7Jimmie Johnson's average finish in the Chase this season. He has three victories (Kansas, Martinsville and Phoenix). His worst finish was 15th (Texas). He has finished 15th or better in 25 consecutive Chase races.

8.7Carl Edwards' average finish in the Chase this season. He has two victories (Atlanta and Texas). His worst finish was 33rd (Charlotte).

742Points scored by Greg Biffle in the last five Homestead races, more than any other driver.

Non-Chase Nugget

5Victories in the last six races at Homestead for Roush Fenway Racing drivers, including four in a row. Kurt Busch won for Roush in 2002, then Greg Biffle won three in a row (2004-2006), followed by Matt Kenseth's 2007 victory.

Also

POPULAR ALERTS

Create Your Own

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Chase Driver Statistics

Pos.	Driver	Starts	Wins	Avg. Finish

1.	Jimmie Johnson	7	0	13.4
2.	Carl Edwards	4	0	7.8
3.	Greg Biffle	6	3	12.7
4.	Jeff Burton	9	0	13.1
5.	Kevin Harvick	7	0	10.1
6.	Clint Bowyer	2	0	24.5
7.	Jeff Gordon	9	0	10.6
8.	Matt Kenseth	8	1	20.0
9.	Denny Hamlin	3	0	13.0
10.	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	8	0	21.3
11.	Kyle Busch	3	0	33.0
12.	Tony Stewart	9	2	12.2

Sprint Cup Series

Official Standings

Pos.	+/-	Driver	Points	Behind

1.	--	Jimmie Johnson	6561	Leader
2.	--	Carl Edwards	6420	-141
3.	--	Greg Biffle	6358	-203
4.	--	Jeff Burton	6292	-269
5.	+2	Kevin Harvick	6233	-328
6.	--	Clint Bowyer	6226	-335
7.	-2	Jeff Gordon	6151	-410
8.	--	Matt Kenseth	6091	-470
9.	+3	Denny Hamlin	6090	-471
10.	+1	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	6087	-474
11.	-1	Kyle Busch	6080	-481
12.	-3	Tony Stewart	6059	-502