The Close of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series is only a few weeks away!

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Carl Edwards wins Texas and pulls within 106 points of Jimmie Johnson after dominating the race, but winning on fuel mileage, by being the slowest car on the track for the last 10 laps. For the 3rd year in a row the winner of the Atlanta race followed the very next week by winning at Texas. Carl’s win cut 77 points off Jimmie’s lead and gives hope to Carl in his quest to become the 2008 Cup Champion. However, Carl will need Jimmie to have problems in the final two races, as the greatest comeback in NASCAR history was only 86 points in the last two races of a season. Carl’s dominance of the race lasted until 65 laps to go when 3 teams took only 2 tires and 3 other teams took four tires but beat leader Edwards out of the pits on the last caution period of the day. All teams had to come back in for gas except for Carl and Jeff Gordon. Carl went the last 103 miles on 18 gallons of gas by slowing his pace to save gas. After all the teams pitted within the last 20 laps of the race, Carl had a 16 second lead over Jeff Gordon, who also slowed down to save gas (Jeff finished 2nd). Carl said after the race that he got what he wanted (the win) but not how he wanted it.

Jimmie Johnson finished 15th, one lap down, for his first non-top 10 finish in the 2008 Chase. He started the race very loose and was not able to solve the problem until he went a lap down to Edwards. In past races Jimmie has come from a lap down by receiving the ‘Lucky Dog’ award and getting back on the lead lap by being the 1st car a lap down when a caution flag came out. If Edwards had not been so dominate until the last caution flag and put cars all the way through 13th a lap down, Jimmie would have finished no worse than 8th , as he was running times equal to 8th or better for the last 200 laps.

Jimmie could be the Champion before leaving Phoenix, if he beats Edwards by 90 points and Biffle by 52 points. In both cases, he would be more than 195 points ahead of each and they could not become the champion, even if Jimmie skipped the Homestead race. In reality, Jimmie only has to gain 56 and 18 points on Carl and Greg, respectively, in order to merely start the Homestead race and still be the champion, even if he finished 43rd. Or, Jimmie can average a 7th place finish in the final two races and he will be champion, regardless of Edwards or Biffle winning both races.

David Gilliland was ‘parked’ by NASCAR after purposely hitting Montoya coming out of Turn2. Montoya had purposely bumped Gilliland twice (by his own admission) but Gilliland’s retaliation was in the side and put Montoya into the wall, and Gilliland also wrecked. Montoya was not able to continue and finished 43rd, Gilliland made two laps before they were ‘parked’ and finished 42nd.
Gilliland’s action had other effects on teams that could be very important in 2009. Marcus Ambrose finished 21st and cut 36 points off the lead of Scott Speed for the 35th spot in the points. Ambrose is now 44 points behind having the 35th spot and thus guaranteed a starting spot in the first 5 races of 2009. If Gilliland had not been parked, Speed would have been at least 1 spot worse, i.e. 3 more points down. A little thing? HUGE, IF Marcus is 36th by a mere 3 points at the end of the season.

PIT NOTE

Carl and his crew wanted to win the race they had dominated. They want to win the Championship. To run out of gas would have ended their quest for the Championship, to stop for gas would have ended their hope for a win. The only possibility of winning the race and staying in the Chase for the Cup was slowing down, saving fuel, and going further on 18 gallons of gas than any team has done this whole season, 103 miles.

Jack Roush was in Carl’s pits figuring the gas mileage. His other four cars in the race had to stop for fuel. Yet, the calculations said Carl could make it to the end, IF he slowed down. Recalculations. Questioning of the gas man on the pit stops, “Are you sure you got all 18 gallons in the tank”? Are you sure you weighed your can correctly right after the pit stop? Coaching of Carl, “you are 16 seconds ahead of Gordon in 2nd place, go slower. Let those cars pass you and disappear, they are a lap down and can’t make up a whole lap, you’ll win if you stay calm, go slow.”

Winning the race, cutting into Jimmie’s points lead, having a chance to be Champion, all centered on Carl doing the opposite of what race car drivers do. He had to slow down, be patient, control his emotions, deny his instincts, rely on facts that others were figuring, and pray there wasn’t a caution that extended the race to a Green/White/Checkered finish.

‘Winning’ in the spiritual ‘race’ also goes against the emotions and logic of mankind. The human race wants to believe that somehow they can be ‘good enough’ to please God and get to heaven. They want to believe that if they do more ‘good’ deeds than ‘bad’, God will reward them. They then define ‘good’ and ‘bad’ to get them ‘close’ and then hope God is ‘tolerant’ and will reward them with eternal life. This view allows man to be tolerant of all religions, for the logical conclusion of this view is “we all worship the same God; we just give him different names”. It is easier to accept this, for our salvation is now based on each man’s actions, not God’s.

But that is our logic, not the truth. There is one God. Every man will face Him, and be judged, regardless of the name we give him. His standard for judgment is the key. The Bible reveals that “man’s works are as filthy rags”, our ability to ‘please’ God is forever denied, for even our best efforts fall short of His Righteousness. Rewards, ‘wins’, ‘championships’ from God are not based on our ‘goodness’. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world (mankind), that he gave his only begotten Son (Jesus), that whosoever (anyone, even you) believes on Him, should not perish, but will receive ETERNAL LIFE”.

Have you believed in Jesus dying on the cross for your sins; do you believe that God the Father raised his Son for the grave, death? That is the criteria for pleasing God. Man made logic and strategy put Jesus on the cross, accepting God’s plan give you eternal life. Accept it today. Please.