The 2007 NASCAR season is quickly coming to a close with one more race to be run before three series champions will be crowned in Homestead, Fla. Ford Championship Weekend takes place at the Homestead-Miami Speedway November 23-25 and all eyes will be turned toward the championship battles taking place in the Craftsman Truck and Nextel Cup Series as Carl Edwards has already wrapped up the NASCAR Busch Series title.
While the focus in Homestead will be on who wins the Nextel Cup Series title, some of the attention will be directed elsewhere in the Nextel Cup garage as a number of teams are looking to end the season on a high note and prepare to go into the off season with something on which they can build. Michael Waltrip Racing is one such organization and given the way the last few weeks have unfolded, a finish alone would be considered a small triumph.
The last few weeks have been anything but kind to the trio of Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) teams. After only Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann were the only two MWR drivers to qualify for the Nextel Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, both drivers were forced to retire early from the event for a variety of reasons. Reutimann's day ended early after an engine failure while Jarrett's day came to a premature end as the result of an accident.
The biggest disappointment for MWR was going to Phoenix International Raceway last week without placing any of the three teams in the starting lineup for the weekend's Nextel Cup Series race. As a result, making the race in Homestead and finishing would be a great improvement for the organization.
"To say it's been a struggle is probably an understatement," Jarrett said of the last few weeks of the season. "Given how much our intermediate track program has improved I think it's safe to say we're excited about the opportunity that Homestead presents to us next weekend. It'd be nice to go down there and qualify solidly for the race and then be somewhat competitive on Sunday."
Making a final and competitive stand is an important goal for MWR at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ironically enough, a solid performance at the South Florida track would be a morale boost going into the off season but at the end of the day, Sunday's Ford 400 also marks the final race for the old body style of race car that has been raced in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the last several seasons. Beginning in 2008, the Car of Tomorrow becomes the "Car of Today" as it is the only car that will be raced beginning at the Daytona 500 moving forward.
"That will be a big deal," Jarrett said of the finale for the old body style. "It's the end of an era for this series. What that means for the future of the sport and the level of competition remains to be seen but it will be a big moment for the sport."
At the end of the day the focus for the Ford 400 is the championship battle that comes to a climax next weekend. Jeff Gordon will be vying for his fifth career cup series championship while Jimmie Johnson is hoping to score a second consecutive Nextel Cup title.
"That will be very interesting to watch," Jarrett said of the title fight. "You have obviously two very good teams – probably the best in the sport at this time – and two drivers who just don't make mistakes. You know if Jimmie hadn't won the championship last year it'd be hard to bet against Jeff Gordon because he knows what it's like to compete for and win a championship. With that experience under his belt now it's hard to count Jimmie out."
