Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - Both the Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series come to the Homestead-Miami Speedway with a championship up for grabs.

NASCAR

Nextel Cup

Ford 400 - Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL

Is it finally time for Jimmie Johnson to throw off the "Bridesmaid" tag and become the 2006 Nextel Cup champion?

Over the last five races, Johnson has collected one win and four second-place finishes. His brilliance has led Johnson to the brink of a Nextel Cup title, something that has barely eluded him in the past.

In 2003 Johnson finished his sophomore campaign second to Matt Kenseth, but well behind him in the points race using the old NASCAR format.

In 2004 the No.48 Chevrolet driver started the inaugural "Chase" poorly, but won four of the final six events, finishing just eight points behind winner Kurt Busch.

Johnson entered last year's finale in second place, 52 points behind eventual winner Tony Stewart, but an accident left him with a 40th-place result and fifth overall.

Johnson again started this year's "Chase" in mediocre fashion with a 39th- place finish in New Hampshire followed by results of 13th and 14th.

His "Chase" began to turnaround at Talladega where his Chevy showed the speed to compete for the win. He was in second place with one lap to go when his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Brian Vickers accidently clipped the corner of his car sending Johnson and leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. spinning through the infield. Johnson finished 24th, but in his heart he knew he was ready to make a run at the championship.

He finished second the next week at his favorite track - the Lowe's Motor Speedway, home of his sponsor. Then he won on the short track at Martinsville and has finished as the runner up at Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix.

He might very easily have taken the win last week at PIR, but he showed the maturity of a champion by not making the high-risk move around Kevin Harvick which might have knocked him out of the race.

"I had to decide if I wanted to rough my car up and take a chance or think of the big picture," said Johnson.

Johnson correctly chose the latter and his reward should come sometime around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening when he hoists the Nextel Cup trophy over his head.

Johnson doesn't have to do anything spectacular to win his first Nextel Cup championship. He will take the green flag with a commanding 63-point lead over second-place Kenseth and 90 points over Harvick and Denny Hamlin.

If Johnson finishes 12th without leading a lap, or 13th while leading at least one lap he will win the title no matter what anyone else does.

Johnson already leads the series in top-10s (23) so finishing high up on the charts is something he does very well. And he will likely have three teammates (Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers) around him helping to keep him out of trouble.

"If we can just go to Homestead and do what we have been doing one more time, we'll be very happy," said Johnson on the team's website. "I can't express enough how much experience in this sport has helped me as a driver. This is my fifth year, fifth time being in a championship situation. We've been under pressure and we've been in this situation before and that's made us a better, stronger and more mature race team."

With the consistency that Johnson has shown, Kenseth's only hope is to go strong right from the start, lead the most laps, win the race and earn the maximum 190 points. Then he can only hope that something "unlucky" happens to Johnson as he has no control over the situation.

"We've been in championship form all season and now that it's crunch time, we just haven't been able to do it," said a disappointed Kenseth after the race in Phoenix.

Harvick and Hamlin, 90 points back, need a miracle. Both Johnson and Kenseth will not only have to have a mechanical problem or accident, it will have to happen early in the race.

Harvick is trying to make history, as the only driver in NASCAR history to win both the Busch and Nextel Cup Series in the same season.

Earnhardt Jr., will need all the stars to align perfectly if he is to win the championship from fifth place overall, - 115 points behind Johnson.

That will not happen as Johnson will cap off a great season with another top-10 finish and the championship.

Busch

Ford 300 - Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL

Kevin Harvick clinched the Busch Series title about six months ago (last month actually), but for some reason the races have still continued.

With the championship decided, the Busch Series has become the testing ground for both Nextel Cup drivers in preparation for their race and for young drivers trying to show their talent.

In the first category, 15 full-time Nextel Cup drivers will attempt to make the 43-car Busch field. The list is headed by six of the 10 "Chase" drivers including a rare non-restrictor-plate appearance from Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In the latter group are open-wheel drivers getting their first tastes of NASCAR and young drivers coming up through the lower ranks of NASCAR.

Juan Montoya will make his third consecutive Busch Series start (11th, 28th, 20th). So far the former Formula One star has looked solid and just had some bad racing luck.

"It got better the longer we ran, but there weren't very many long runs," said Montoya on the team's website. "It was tough to drive on new tires, but no matter what the car is doing I have to learn to drive it within its limits."

Three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr. will make his second straight start. Hornish Jr. finished 36th at Phoenix.

"Unfortunately, we never got the car where it needed to be," said Hornish Jr. on the team's website. "Heading into the race, I knew that it was going to be extremely difficult to find out exactly what the car needs to go fast, and what it needs to go fast over long runs.

"One of the reasons I wanted to come over here (NASCAR) and try it was because I wanted another challenge, and today proved to be that. We're going to go to Miami next week and try it again."

Craftsman

Ford 200 - Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL

For the 11th time in 12 years, the Craftsman Truck Series championship will go down to the final race of the season.

Todd Bodine owns a 112-point lead over Johnny Benson heading into this week's Ford 200 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. That means he can guarantee a title by finishing 28th or better.

A 28th-place finish should be pretty easy for Bodine in the 36-truck field. During the 2006 season Bodine has recorded three wins, 16 top-10s and never finished lower than 25th (Atlanta).

History is also on Bodine's side. Only twice in series history has the leader entering the season finale failed to collect the "Big Prize." Bodine's lead is the fourth largest with one race remaining, trailing only Greg Biffle's year 2000 250-points lead and those of Jack Sprague in 1997 (177) and 2001 (141).

"Knock on wood, we still have a ways to go," said Bodine, winner of last year's Ford 200. "If we have a miscue, a loose lug nut or a flat tire or someone gets into us - anything (like) that and we finish in the back and Johnny is going to win it all."

"This team has proven to be a championship caliber squad. We have done all we can do and that is all I can ask,' Benson said. "Two mechanical failures late in the season have hurt our chances at the championship."

David Reutimann is third overall, but 183 points behind Bodine and will be eliminated as soon as the green flag drops to start the race.

Ted Musgrave, Bodine's teammate won last year's title with a 19th-place finish, but in 2003 four drivers had legitimate shots at the title and Travis Kvapil came from third to win the championship.

The only thing guaranteed on Friday is that the series winner will be under Toyota power as the manufacturer has clinched its first NASCAR national title with both Bodine and Benson driving a Toyota truck.