Stewart to carry SHR employees along for final NASCAR race

Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, 2015 Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch and six-time champ Jimmie Johnson are racing for the championship in Sunday’s race. It’s not what you would expect coming here. When Johnson tried to improve from 29th fastest near the end of the 20-minute round, Landon Cassill spun in front of Johnson, and the attempt was halted by caution. “We’re going to stay constant to what we typically do…obviously, we all think about what’s on the line and we know what’s on the line and we make sure that we’ve talked about everything and thought about everything that can happen and be as prepared as possible”.

“It’s not ideal by any stretch”.

“This year we seemed to have really good races throughout, and we ran consistent, and we did all the things we needed to do”, said Busch. “Qualifying isn’t my thing”. The race also marks the end of future Hall of Famer Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Sprint Cup career. For the first time, in all three series, four drivers will race in a “winner take all” race to determine the champion. Earlier this week, the winningest auto owner ever at Indy said his biggest regret is that Stewart never drove for Roger Penske in the 500. Last season started with Busch breaking his right leg and left foot in a brutal crash at Daytona.

“I was just thinking that while we were sitting here last time I had this opportunity, it was just against two guys”. Only Cale Yarborough had come close to what Johnson did and he could only win three straight. That’s been not exactly what you thought it would be just because he’s not been in the vehicle the whole time. Johnson, on worn tires, wasn’t able to post a time in the top 12, and Logano found himself bounced out by Tony Stewart. “He feels great. Everything is on track”.

Earnhardt missed half of the 2016 Sprint Cup season, dating back to July, because of concussion-related symptoms. “We’re definitely going to need to pass some cars in the race”. “I don’t see anything holding us back”. “I’m good. This is it”. “It’s not really a huge change, because 90 percent of the stuff that I’m already doing I’m still going to continue to do. I’m working toward that”. It took Busch a few races, but he eventually won at Sonoma and after winning three races in a row (including the Brickyard 400), Busch weaved through the unknowns of the new tournament system and won at Homestead to complete his comeback and win his first Sprint Cup championship.

Sauter finished fourth in the standings the last four years, but the Chase format gave him a shot at the title at Homestead. “I start my life over tomorrow”.

He credits heavily his experience in the 2014 finale for his current mindset, and flatly dismisses the idea that someone has to lose a championship race to win one.

With his second pole of the season and 17th of his career, Harvick wouldn’t mind upstaging the drivers competing for the series title.

“I went there a year ago without testing and we did pretty well, so it’s all about the preparation and the things that our team does behind the scenes, as well as just executing on race day”, Busch said.

The foursome likely won’t lag behind the front of the field for long.

Stewart has big ideas of racing all over the country next year at the tracks where he feels most at home. He has six victories on the year as is to go along with four other top-5 finishes.

“You look at these younger-generation drivers that come in and you’ve got to stack yourself up against somebody”, Busch said.

“Well, I’m not nervous or anything”. Perhaps it’s the pursuit of that historic seventh championship or maybe he’s just become representative of the respected old guard, no different than Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Walrip before him. “Other than that, no harm, no foul. I’m excited about finishing this chapter, but I’m really excited about starting the next chapter next year”.