FIVE-STAR JOHNSON IS CASTROL DRIVER RANKINGS TOP NASCAR PERFORMER
JOHNSON RE-WRITES HISTORY BOOKS BY SECURING FIFTH STRAIGHT SPRINT CUP TITLE
23rd November 2010: Jimmie Johnson (8th) made history yet again last weekend as he clinched a record fifth straight Sprint Cup title at Homestead and assured himself of finishing the year as NASCAR?s top driver in the Castrol Driver Rankings.
Johnson recovered from some slow pitstops to finish second in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, which was enough to make sure that he beat rivals Denny Hamlin (12th) and Kevin Harvick (10th) to the championship, in order to cement his eighth place in the Castrol Driver Rankings.
Johnson?s result makes him the USA?s top driver of 2010 while Harvick hung onto his 10th spot in the Castrol Driver Rankings after finishing third at Homestead. Hamlin, who was never a factor after qualifying poorly, dropped to 12th behind Ferrari Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa (11th).
Carl Edwards (13th) made it back-to-back wins and secured a four-place rise to 13th as he passed Robert Kubica (15th), Kyle Busch (14th), Helio Castroneves (16th) and Nico Rosberg (17th). Aric Almirola (393rd) had an even bigger rise, taking a career-best fourth place and making up 69 spots as RPM?s gamble of giving him Kasey Kahne?s (39th) old seat paid off.
Edoardo Mortara (75th) re-wrote history by becoming the first man to win the Macau F3 Grand Prix in successive years and cemented his status as the category?s highest-ranked driver by retaining his 75th place. The Euro Series champion is now only one spot ahead of British title winner Jean-Eric Vergne (76th), who finished seventh on his Macau debut.
New World Touring Car champion Yvan Muller (72nd) did not win either race at the Macau season finale, the victories instead going to his Chevrolet team-mate Rob Huff (77th) and to Zengo-Dension SEAT driver Norbert Michelisz (169th). The latter became the first Hungarian to win an FIA World Championship race and moved up 54 places.
BMW drivers Andy Priaulx (86th) and Augusto Farfus (97th) both had poor weekends compared to 2009 and lost four and ten places respectively as a result. The Brazilian?s drop was the largest in the Castrol Driver Rankings top 100.
Paul Dumbrell (249th) ended a ten year wait for his first V8 Supercar victory at Sandown and the Rod Nash Ford driver then added his maiden pole position the following day to cap a 45-place rise. Championship leader James Courtney (111th) won the second race to gain nine places while fellow title contender Craig Lowndes (165th) had a dismal weekend and dropped 12 spots.