Weekend That Was: The end comes at Homestead (cont'd)

Lap 149

Newman, who has had a hard-luck season, is running fourth when he spins in his No. 12 Dodge. In perhaps the best move of any driver on a day when Kenseth is dominating and the race otherwise is lacking drama, Gordon drives through the cloud of smoke, going high to narrowly miss the spinning Newman..

Meanwhile, back at the Johnson pit stall, Knaus makes what appears to be a quick phone call on his BlackBerry. Is he telling someone to put the champagne on ice for the post-race celebration in South Beach?

Lap 158

Patrick Carpentier's No. 10 Dodge clips the No. 83 Toyota of Brian Vickers in the rear going down the back straightaway, setting off a chain-reaction incident that also ends the night for Johnny Sauter in his No. 70 Chevrolet, covering most of the manufacturers in the series in one swoop.

It's an interesting collection of smoking junk left on the track. Despite several decent runs where late problems not always of his own doing cost him solid finishes, Sauter is out of a ride for next season, his future uncertain. This is not how he wanted this segment of his Cup driving career to end.

Vickers has been the best of competitors running Toyotas in that manufacturer's inaugural Cup season -- but that isn't saying much. They've mostly had a tough year.

Carpentier, meanwhile, is one in a wave of drivers previously committed to careers in open-wheel cars who is attempting to make the transition to stock cars in NASCAR. As with most of the rest of them -- Montoya included, although to a lesser degree -- it is obvious he has much to learn.

Lap 162

The sellout crowd, estimated at 80,000 strong, is on its feet for the restart. Shortly thereafter, Kevin Harvick passes Kenseth for the lead.

Lap 177

Shortly after Gordon passes Martin Truex Jr. to move up to third, Kenseth passes Harvick to retake the lead. Meanwhile, Johnson is up to eighth and his lead over Gordon in the Chase is a solid 68 points. Time is running out.

Lap 194

Sam Hornish Jr., another open-wheel convert, brings out the caution after wrecking in Turn 3.

Lap 243

With 24 laps to go, Gordon heads into the pits ahead of the rest and takes four tires. But it appears to be too late.

Lap 255

Tony Stewart spins and slams into the wall coming out of Turn 3, ending his season -- frustrating except for an impressive stretch in the middle when he won three races -- in a cloud of smoke and uncertainty. This is Stewart's last season in a Chevrolet, as Joe Gibbs Racing will go to Toyotas beginning next season.

"Here," fumes Stewart on the radio, "see if you can fix it now!"

It doesn't look like his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, is very amused.

Lap 257

Photographers, reporters, fans and lots and lots of Hendrick Motorsports employees are beginning to crowd the area in and around Victory Lane, forgetting that Johnson will have to share, at least in a small part, the post-race celebration stage with Kenseth.

But it's really Johnson's night. It's Kenseth who knows his victory will be overshadowed.

Lap 265

Most of the rest of the teams are moving slowly and somewhat sadly toward the garage area. There is nothing more that can be done to enhance their seasons now.

Post-race

Truex comes barreling into the garage area and has to back up his No. 01 Chevrolet in order to get it lined up properly so his crew can get it into the hauler. When he has to put it in reverse, he backs right into the left front of rookie David Ragan's No. 6 Ford.

As fireworks and celebrations explode elsewhere at the track and team owner Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports is being interviewed on the track's giant television screens, Earnhardt pulls his battered red No. 8 Budweiser Chevy into the garage for the last time. He climbs out and takes one slow, wistful walk around it, surveying the considerable damage.

David Stremme, another driver without a Cup home for next season, pulls in next door and hugs one crew member after climbing out. He bumps chests with another, happy with an 11th-place finish. Next season Earnhardt will be driving the No. 88 for Hendrck Motorsports and Stremme will be waiting out what he hopes will be another Cup opportunity while driving in the Busch Series.

One of the first haulers to pull out into the Miami night is the No. 9 of Kasey Kahne, who allegedly grappled with a security guard earlier in the weekend. It seems like the first time all season anything with the struggling Kahne's name on it has been first in the Cup Series.

And just around the corner, a small gathering of about 15 folks who consider themselves family are huddled about Darian Grubb, the outgoing crew chief for the No. 25 Chevy of Casey Mears. After what seem a few serious, somber moments, they break up, slapping backs and hands as they head separate ways, smiling as they go.

The season -- with all its triumphs and defeats, highlights and low lights, uplifting surprises and bitter disappointments -- is over.

"We're a little emotional exactly because of that," Grubb said. "But we're looking forward to heading home and building on what we did this year for next year. We went from 35th to 15th in points. It just shows the character of this team, and I hope in some small part we have had a role in that championship for Hendrick Motorsports with Jimmie and Jeff. Some of the stuff our guys have done have helped out the organization overall. It's just a great place to work. I can't wait to get back and get started for next year.

"There is no forgotten team at Hendrick Motorsports. Mr. Hendrick knows every member of every team -- and if he doesn't he will learn your name and never forget it. I'm going to go home and get some sleep, maybe do a few errands around the house [Monday] and be right back at work on Tuesday. We have another race in 89 days."

For most, that is a rather sobering thought on this night.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.