Brad Keselowski clinches championship, as Jeff Gordon wins at Homestead
Nov. 18, 2012
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service
HOMESTEAD,
Fla. -- The fuel strategy that was supposed to carry Jimmie Johnson to a
sixth championship instead made a winner of his
teammate, Jeff Gordon, who triumphed in Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 at
Homestead-Miami Speedway as Brad Keselowski locked up the NASCAR Sprint
Cup title.
Gordon
crossed the finish line 1.028 seconds ahead of Clint Bowyer, his
nemesis from a week ago at Phoenix, as Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet
sat forlorn in the garage, Johnson's title hopes the victim of a pit
road mistake and a rare part failure.
Ryan Newman ran third, followed by Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle.
Aggressive
pit strategy put Johnson in position to challenge for the title, but
the race fell apart for the 48 team after the 200-lap
mark.
Able
to finish the race on one pit stop to Keselowski's two, Johnson brought
the No. 48 Chevrolet to pit road on Lap 214. Johnson, however,
pulled away from his stall with a loose lug nut, and NASCAR mandated
another stop to correct the error.
The
coup de grace came on Lap 224, when Johnson returned to pit road with
the drive line problem. The No. 48 crew pushed the car to
the garage, where it sat for the rest of the race.
Notes:
Pole winner Joey Logano started from the rear in a back-up car after a
crash in practice and finished 14th in his last race for
Joe Gibbs Racing… Matt Kenseth ran 18th in his last ride at Roush
Fenway Racing… Tony Stewart finished 17th in the 500th Cup start of his career.
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