Old points format results in close finishes

The Chase-for-the-Sprint-Cup format didn't end up producing as close of a points battle for NASCAR's elite series as the old season-long format did for the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series.

Jimmie Johnson cruised to the Cup title with 69 points to spare, but in the Truck Series, pit strategy on the final stop of the final race on Friday at Homestead essentially decided the championship.

Johnny Benson didn't stop, and Ron Hornaday Jr. did. Benson finished seventh and won the title by seven points, the closest finish since 1998. If Hornaday, who finished eighth, had been able to pass Benson, he would have won the title by one point.

The Nationwide Series race wasn't quite as close, but still there were just 21 points separating Homestead winner Carl Edwards and new champion Clint Bowyer. And there was a different car-owner champ in Nationwide, as Joe Gibbs Racing, with its No. 20 entry being driven by several different drivers this season, beat Bowyer's car owner Richard Childress by 12.

Ironically, Benson won't be defending his title in a Toyota owned by Bill and Gail Davis, who got their first NASCAR crown in their 21st year in the sport. He already has announced that he's moving on, but he hasn't said where he'll be racing next year.

— Rick Minter, Cox News Service