Homestead Race Report FINAL RESULTS: 1. Matt Kenseth, Ford 2. Kurt Busch, Dodge 3. Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet 4. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet 5. Carl Edwards, Dodge 23. Bobby Labonte, #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge 34. Kyle Petty, #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge OVERVIEW: Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team coasted to a 23 place finish in Sunday’s 400-mile season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. The cars engine expired on the last lap, but Labonte was able to get back around to cross the line on the last lap. The dramatic finish for the team secured them 18 in championship points. It’s the first time since 1999 that the team has finished the year in the top 20. They finished the season with three top-10 finishes and completed over 95 percent of their laps. “The guys worked hard all season,” said Labonte. “We’re going to look at this as another step towards growing and getting better. We did some good things this season, but we can improve. I appreciate all the support from everyone.” Jimmie Johnson won his second consecutive NASCAR Nextel Cup championship Sunday night at the 1.5-mile Speedway. Matt Kenseth won the race, but it was Johnson, who beat Jeff Gordon by 77 points for the championship, who took all the glory. Kenseth dominated Sunday’s race. It was his last with his long time crew chief Robbie Reiser who will move to a GM role within Roush Fenway Racing in 2008. The duo hit on the perfect setup once the sun set during the twilight event. Kenseth lead the majority of the race and was never really challenged. All Johnson had to do was finish 18 or better on Sunday to secure the championship. He finished seventh, only three spots behind Gordon. Gordon ran strong all afternoon, but Johnson did as well- not opening any doors for Gordon. Johnson didn’t make any mistakes on the track and his team did their job in the pits. Johnson will celebrate his second championship in New York City at the annual NASCAR Nextel Cup award banquet in two weeks. Kyle Petty and the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge team finished 34 in Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale at the Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. Petty finished the 2007 season inside the top-35 in Nextel Cup owner points and is locked into the first five races of the 2008 season. 1.5-mile ovals, like Homestead, had been one of the strong suits for Petty this season. His best finish of the season came at the Lowe’s (N.C) Motor Speedway when he finished third in the Coca-Cola 600. Handling, however, proved to be a premium at Homestead because the race began during the day and concluded in the evening. Early in the event, Petty was among several racecars that were having problems in turns three and four. The sun beamed down on that part of the racetrack longer than anywhere else, which caused the surface to have less grip. As the sun fell, the track gained grip and helped Petty with his handling issue. Unfortunately the leaders had set such a fast pace that Petty was down a couple of laps by the time the car came around to his liking. “We’ve had a good season,” said Petty. “As a team, we should be proud of ourselves in how we fought and stayed inside the top-35 in owner points. Homestead wasn’t quite the finish to the season that we were looking for, but we have a lot of positives that we can build on for next season. Now we’ll go into the off-season program and get the Dodge Avenger ready for Daytona.”