There are still a lot of storylines to follow
Now, I know we are having one of the closest NASCAR Sprint Cup points races in a long time with only one race to go.
What I hope doesn’t get overlooked is all the other storylines coming out of Phoenix International Raceway and those from Homestead-Miami Speedway that don’t involve Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick.
For instance, you saw Carl Edwards in his Ford break a 70-race winless streak last Sunday. In addition, he not only won the pole at Phoenix, but also the Nationwide race on Saturday. It was the 17th Cup win of his career.
If that's not enough good news, he is fourth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
So does this mark the resurgence of Roush Fenway Racing, especially when you factor in that Edwards’ teammate, Matt Kenseth, has quietly moved into fifth place?
Will folks start talking and speculating about Carl as a real contender for the 2011 crown?
Like we saw with Richard Childress Racing in just one year, does this mean Roush Fenway in 2011 will make the same comeback to glory?
We have one race left in the 2010 season and everyone wants to win.
The guys still out there with goose eggs in the win column — drivers like Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton among others — don’t want to end up winless this season.
You also have the prestige of winning the last race of the year because it’s what folks will be talking about until we roll into Daytona International Speedway in February.
Don’t overlook the points race for the top 35 in owners points, either. Being in the top 35 in owners points gets you that guaranteed starting spot for the first five races next season, so there is a lot of pressure and a storyline to follow there as well.
You also have drivers auditioning for jobs next year, plus teams who need a great run in Homestead to hopefully sell to a sponsor or keep one.
So my point is, there will be a lot of drama and storylines playing out at Homestead that have nothing to do with Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick.
This also isn’t a weekend where a crew chief or even crew members can simply try to “mail it in” and get the season over with.
There are a lot of folks watching from sponsors, to owners, drivers and crew chiefs. You really need to work harder than ever this weekend.
A lot of decisions will be made during the offseason and the last race of the year is basically your offseason resume. How you work and act at Homestead will be remembered when they are making those tough decisions.
Think about it like there are scouts out there watching you for free agency in the offseason.
What happens if Richard Petty Motorsports does implode as expected? They have a lot of quality people who can be picked up by teams. So there are a lot of things being watched when we get to Homestead this weekend.
That’s why it’s a really exciting time this weekend.
Think about the big picture.
Think about all the drama, intrigue, frustration, tension, paybacks, unknowns, etc., to be mixed up this weekend.
The other thing I love is that, for the first time in five years, Jimmie Johnson doesn’t have to simply crank his engine up to be the champion.
It’s going to take the dropping of the checkered flag before it is all said and done and only then will we know who our champion is.
If it was only a two-man race, if one had problems, the other would take the crown. That’s the beauty of our three-man race. If one has problems, there are still two that have to fight it out.
I can’t wait until Sunday.
It’s going to be like Christmas come early because I am going to be on the edge of my seat watching this all play out.