On one hand, it was a celebration for all that Johnson has done right in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup as he marches towards an improbable fourth straight Sprint Cup championship in the season's final race next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
But on the other, it seemed to identify a brutal certainty for two of NASCAR's marquee drivers as once again Mark Martin's (2nd in points) and Jeff Gordon's (3rd) collective shots at NASCAR's biggest crown were figuratively going up in smoke.
Where: Martinsville Speedway Time: Sunday 1:30 p.m. EST TV/Radio: ABC, MRN Radio Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing Forecast: Mostly sunny, High 60s Distance: 500 laps (263 miles) Pole Winner: Ryan Newman 2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
The Storyline
Jeff Gordon's last, best hope to stay in Jimmie Johnson's zip code for the 2009 championship might just be Sunday at Martinsville Speedway for two reasons -- the perks from his second-place qualifying run and Jimmie Johnson's mediocre starting spot.
And for their teammate Mark Martin splitting the point difference between Johnson and Gordon in the standings, a fourth-place starting effort might also be critical to bridging the 90-point gap between the No. 48 and No. 5.
CONCORD, N.C. -- Steady rain kept cars off the track for most of the day at Lowe's Motor Speedway but there was plenty going on in the garage area prior to a scheduled rain-delayed, late-night qualifying session Thursday.
FanHouse is trackside this weekend for the Banking 500, race 5 of the 10-week Chase for the Championship, and caught up with the Chase drivers as they waited out the weather.
Jeff Gordon talked about his back, Carl Edwards announced he's going to be a father and Greg Biffle updated us on his Logano family feud and what he thinks of Michael Vick's return to the NFL.
They aren't in great shape yet, but they certainly put themselves in position to compete.
Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2 Sunday at Kansas Speedway, showing a rebound for both teams after less-than-desirable results in the first two races of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format. For Stewart, it was his fourth win of the season and drew him within 67 points of the Chase lead while Gordon trimmed a spot and 19 points off of his own Chase deficit.
For both, it also marked the first time either had gained ground on Chase leader Mark Martin in three races.
10 years ago Saturday -- Sept. 26, 1999 -- was the end of an era for Jeff Gordon.
For as long as Gordon had been a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Ray Evernham had been his crew chief. The run produced three championships and 47 wins but came to end when Evernham decided to start his own venture into Sprint Cup ownership. The questions came quickly.
Would Jeff Gordon have the same success? Or would the loss of Evernham spell the end of Gordon's reign in NASCAR?
10 years later, Gordon's success has proved that Gordon could go it alone just fine, but also leaves the question of what could have been.
We promise to throw a caution with ample time to slow down in the event of a spinning car on this Chase edition of Notes & Quotes.
Pressure? What pressure? Juan Pablo Montoya's run into the Chase for the Sprint Cup is quite the enviable position for most other drivers simply because of the expectations that the former Formula 1 driver has on his back.
Or, make that the lack of expectations.
"I mean, what's the pressure? We made the Chase," said Montoya after his third-place finish. "From now on, anything about that, it's a balance. Come here, first Chase race, put on the pole, finish second. Can I ask for anything else? Not really. A win would be nice, but that will come."
Tony Stewart has been ranked first or second in NASCAR's marquee Sprint Cup Series championship for the last 19 weeks. He's led the standings since May 31, building a comfy 100-point margin by late June and eventually an impressive 284-point edge over second place by August.
Stewart entered last Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway with a 234-point advantage in the championship.
Where: Richmond Int'l Raceway Time: Saturday night 7:30pm/EDT TV/Radio: ESPN, Motor Racing Network Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing Forecast: Mid-60s, Partly Cloudy Distance: 400 laps (300 miles) Pole Winner:Mark Martin 2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
The Storylines
25 races and 9,706 miles of racing in 2009 boils down to a 400-lap shootout Saturday night that will make the season for the 12 guys who secure a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. And for the guys that don't, well, just consider it to be the wrong end of a make-or-break scenario.
Four drivers have clinched an entry prior to the green flag, while 8 spots and 11 eligible drivers will steal the show Saturday night in Richmond. A scramble it will be.
After a slip-sliding affair in the Peach State on Sunday night, here's some Notes & Quotes from NASCAR's newest Labor Day tradition. You've got to hand it to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sunday night's race looked and felt like a breath of fresh air into the venue that has long seen attendance woes -- even while the racing has generally been well above par. Estimates from media and drivers alike put the crowd much larger than the track has seen in years.
The on-track action -- thanks mostly to a tire that wore down and slowed the cars during a run -- was second to none with some 31 lead changes. You've got to bet track president Ed Clark has a big smile on his face this week because Labor Day weekend really clicked with the 1.54-mile track. David Reutimann finished a strong 4th driving an ultra-cool camouflage-painted No. 00, but it wasn't an easy process.
NASCAR statisticians have some newly-released numbers that are guaranteed to get die-hard race fans talking.
Those numbers concern the sport's top drivers and how many all-time combined wins they have across the three major racing series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks).
At first glance, the list looks rather typical. The usual names – Petty, Allison, Yarborough, Pearson, Waltrip, etc., are on it. That's not surprising, given their prowess in the Cup Series, where they all earned most of their career triumphs.
But as you work your way down the list, one name and statistic hits you straight in the eyeballs like running head-on into the first turn at Darlington Raceway. We all know Richard Petty won 200 races (all Sprint Cup events) in his career. But look at who is No. 9 on the all-time combined wins list: Kyle Busch.
The cloudy white smoke from Jimmie Johnson's marathon victory burnout at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday seemed to have a double meaning.
Race: Tums 500
CONCORD, N.C. -- Steady rain kept cars off the track for most of the day at Lowe's Motor Speedway but there was plenty going on in the garage area prior to a scheduled rain-delayed, late-night qualifying session Thursday.
They aren't in great shape yet, but they certainly put themselves in position to compete.
10 years ago Saturday -- Sept. 26, 1999 -- was the end of an era for 
We promise to throw a caution with ample time to slow down in the event of a spinning car on this Chase edition of Notes & Quotes.
Race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400
After a slip-sliding affair in the Peach State on Sunday night, here's some Notes & Quotes from NASCAR's newest Labor Day tradition.
NASCAR statisticians have some newly-released numbers that are guaranteed to get die-hard race fans talking.
