Jeff Gordon waits in the garage area during practice for Ford 400 race at Homestead on Nov. 21. Gordon finished sixth in the race and third in the overall Cup standings. Gordon almost became the first four-peat Cup winner back in the mid-1990s. (Photo: Associated Press)
- Asked for a master plan to derail the Jimmie Johnson juggernaut, Ryan Newman needed only one word: "Dynamite."
- Kasey Kahne remains concerned about the future of Richard Petty Motorsports. He thinks the latest merger, with Yates Racing (which will put him in a Ford, not a Dodge, next year), is moving along too slowly and has too many loose ends. His contract is up next year, and he seems likely to consider other options.
- Denny Hamlin is a man of his word. After the Nationwide race in Phoenix, he said he’d get even with Brad Keselowski at Homestead, and he did. NASCAR officials penalized Hamlin a lap after the incident, which eliminated neither driver from the Ford 300.
- Though changes have made it seem a bit convoluted, Jamie McMurray will rejoin owner Chip Ganassi next year. McMurray, Casey Mears and Reed Sorenson all had career-best point finishes while driving for Ganassi.
- Kyle Busch cited the words of management theorist Dr. Lawrence J. Peter (1919-90) to explain why he frequently refuses to talk after things don’t go his way: "Speak when you are angry, and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret."
- At present, only three drivers (with 40 or more career victories) in NASCAR history have higher winning percentages than Johnson. They are Herb Thomas, David Pearson and Richard Petty.
- It’s really not an honest measure to rank winning percentages before one’s career is over, though. Most drivers tend to win less often as they get older. As an example, in the late 1990s, Jeff Gordon once had the highest winning percentage in history. Entering the final race, Gordon’s percentage had fallen to .141 compared to teammate Johnson’s .162.
- Though the Chase consists of 12 drivers, only the top 10 will be formally honored at the annual Sprint Cup Awards Ceremonies in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 4.
- Hendrick Motorsports has never been so dominant. Johnson, Martin and Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the point standings, and two other Chase participants , Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, relied on considerable assistance from Hendrick.
- Jeff Gordon almost won four straight championships. He won in 1995, ‘97 and ‘98, narrowly losing to, yes, a Hendrick teammate, Terry Labonte, in ‘96.
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LAS VEGAS — Imagine Vegas icon Wayne Newton dropping the green flag for a race car parade on a shut down Las Vegas Strip, NASCAR pit crews performing demonstration stops in front of Bally’s and the ultra-lux Bellagio resorts and four-time champ Jimmie Johnson doing victory burnouts on Las Vegas Boulevard.
LAS VEGAS — 
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After months of speculation, open-wheel racing’s most-talked about driver,