Nascar: final stretch

Phoenix, this weekend, hosts the penultimate race of the Sprint Cup Series season, before the grand finale at Miami Homestead. At the top of the general classification, Jimmie Johnson is still the undisputed leader, with a good lead over Mark Martin. However, in Texas, by making a mistake on the third lap, the Hendrick Motorsport driver allowed his direct opponents to restart and get closer in the standings. The Phoenix race will therefore be decisive. If Johnson finishes in the Top 5, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to catch up with him.

But further down the standings, the battle also rages, with teams finishing in the top 35 places at the end of the season qualifying for the Daytona 500, the first race of the next season. Before Phoenix, John Andretti and Front Row Motorsports are in 36th position, 72 points from the last automatic qualifying place for Daytona 2010. It is currently Scott Speed ​​and the Red Bull Racing Team who occupy 35th place, 12 points behind Robby Gordon.

If the season finale will be played in Miami, it is in Phoenix that there is a risk of definitive gaps widening, at the top and bottom of the rankings, or of seeing positions tighten. First answers this Friday, with the qualifications taking place from 17:30 p.m. (1:30 a.m. Saturday French time). The race will take place on Sunday, from 14:30 p.m. (22:30 p.m. French time).