Auto News 5

The first TV spot for the BMW i3 all-electric car started airing last weekend across Europe, where it will hit the market on November 16th.

Titled “Decisions,” the commercial opens over the skyscrapers of Chicago, and then follows the i3 and a BMW i8 as they make their way downtown.

As we told you this summer, the BMW i3 will go on sale in Canada in the first half of 2014 starting at $44,950.

Source: BMW Group

Looking for a unique car? This 1993 Jaguar XJ220 may be for you. It was never registered and has only 150 original miles -- all of which came during post-production tests.

The silver 2-door coupe was initially purchased by a car collector for £420,000, then sold to another collector who didn't register the car, either. It features a 3.5L engine and manual transmission.

Interested?

Jaguar XJ220. (Photo: HR Owen)

Source: HR Owen

After making its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Kia GT Concept will reportedly wind up on an assembly line in the near future.

“We have plans to build a GT -- we spoke about it at our global marketing conference in Singapore,” Kia's vice-president of overseas marketing, Soon-Nam Lee, said to Auto Express. “We'll be mainly targeting the end of 2016 or early 2017.”

With sporty premium styling both inside and out, the Kia GT Concept features ultra-thin sport seats and pillar-less rear “suicide” doors.

The production model will probably come in FWD configuration instead of RWD, although AWD could be available.

Source: The Detroit Bureau

Photo: Kia

Me: I write about cars. Because of this, I get the same question over and over: “How did you get this gig, and how do I get in on it?” It's not easy; and it takes patience, knowledge, and passion. And, you have to be into S&M as well.

Patience is something we're born with and, to a certain extent, can gain. I've seen a number of newcomers, fresh out of school, jump on the bandwagon and immediately expect Jags, Porsches, and trips to Monte Carlo. If you do manage to stick it out this way, you truly belong in the business, but the fact is that I've witnessed some fall flat on their faces shortly after thinking they'd hit the big time. Everybody needs to pay his or her dues.

Knowledge comes with patience, and a desire to learn. It is one thing to be able to fire off all the specs for a 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferruccio's life history, but it is quite another to actually understand what you are saying. Reading up and repeating what was read will only take you so far. Learn about cars, learn how they work; gain knowledge, and most importantly, never stop learning.

Finally: passion. I could have included writing skills, but I myself consider my abilities to be average on my best days. One can learn how to write, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to “write.”

Passion is what brings it all together and makes it possible. My mother-in-law is passionate about plants. She can revive them all and make them grow with little or no effort; it is within her to do so. She also makes a mean apple pie...

Passion is what makes it all seem so easy. If you're a budding auto journalist, or journalist in any other discipline, and doing the job is tedious and frustrating then you're doing it wrong or are in the wrong business. You can't make it happen, it just is.

There are exceptions to every rule, obviously. Some have a command of the written word that I can scarcely comprehend, others are gifted with memory, while others still can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk -- they all manage to get by.

I won't pretend and say that a little bit of luck doesn't help, because it does. The fact remains that this career, like all careers, has to be earned through dedication and hard work. And I wasn't kidding about S&M: It's 11:48 p.m. and I'm just finishing up this blog now so that I can file it via email by deadline so that, technically, it won't be late...

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

The all-new 2014 Honda Civic Coupe will make its world debut at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas during a press conference scheduled for November 5th. This comes just one year after the Civic received major improvements.

Details about the 2014 Honda Civic Coupe and its technical changes will be announced in the coming weeks.

SEMA attendees will also get to see an impressive array of customized automobiles and motorcycles, as well as the 210-km/h “Mean Mower” lawn tractor.

Source: Honda Canada

Photo: Honda

Pickups are the backbone of North America. Pickups could be credited as being the most instrumental tool that built both the modern US of A and Canada. Their importance on our automotive landscape is paramount.

For the recuperating Big 3, their pickups are a sign of strength of enduring presence of health. The more they manage to put on the streets, the deeper their pockets are and the better the bottom line gets. In fact, the condition of the economy is often mirrored by pickup take rates. If business is bad, sales decline. If sales decline, business is bad...



Workhorse
Thousands upon thousands of small- to medium-size companies depend on their work trucks, their pickups. They are their livelihood and, in many cases, their most valuable asset. It is with this in mind that manufacturers continue to improve upon the old recipe that is a pair of frame rails, a bed, and a cabin. In fact, so good and well-rounded have pickups become that many, if not most, find double duty as both family and "heavy" duty vehicles.

The rate at which modern pickups have evolved is as rapid if not more so than the average automobile. No longer are pickups unrefined, crude, and loud. Save for an exception or two, other than the ability to tow a house and carry all of its furniture, these trucks are usable on a daily basis -- without compromise.

Competition never lets up
2013 was a very big pickup year. With only five manufacturers playing in the full-size segment, and all making important announcements or changes to their offerings, the time was ripe for a comparison test.

With the notable exception of the Nissan Titan (Cummins diesel engine coming next year), the four players in this game were the GMC Sierra (very much new), the Ford F-150 (facelift and trims), the Toyota Tundra (facelift and more) and Ram 1500 (new engine and more).

Test days
The evaluation of these rigs took place over two days and involved a number of exercises. Day 1 was dedicated to on-road driving experiences and some very mild off-road shenanigans.

Day 2 was trucking day. We loaded each truck up with bails of hay and hitched them to a trailer. The results of these tests were highly conclusive and genuinely made the better trucks shine while the others suffered.

Here we have the final scores along with a breakdown of the highs and lows for each truck. They are ranked in order and, frankly, we were not surprised to see who came out on top; however, we did expect more from some especially given the way some were spec'd out. Read on.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

Continue reading 2013 Pickup Comparison Test (+video)

On October 28th, 1942, in the midst of World War II, the state of Utah decided to reduce its speed limit to 35 mph (56 km/h) in an effort to save tires and gas. Enforcement of the so-called ''Patriotic Speed Limit'' began on November 10th.

A study by the National Safety Council showed that 46% percent of cars driven by war workers had at least one tire with the tread worn smooth; 23 percent with at least two tires worn smooth; and 11 percent with at least three.

The old speed signs were stored until the limit was raised in 1943.

Meanwhile, car accidents in Utah dropped 35% from 1941-1943, and fatalities decreased by almost 50%.

Source: Mystery of Utah History

Today we'll put you behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car and explain what needs to be done to start a race.

In an article posted on F1-Monitor, published by High Power Media, our friend Craig Scarborough explains the procedure of starting an F1 car.

Since 2008, fully automatized launch control has been banned. Today, the driver alone must manipulate the throttle and clutch paddles to achieve the best start.

It all begins during the pre-race warm-up lap as the driver executes a certain number of burn-outs. This brings the tires and clutch up to operating temperature, essential for both for the friction qualities of the carbon clutch plates and the thermal expansion of the clutch plates moving the bite point.

The "Start" switch and BP (Bite Point) button are clearly visible. (Photo: Ferrari)

Near the end of the parade lap, the driver is asked by the engineers to perform a Bite Point Find (BPF), a process initiated by pressing on a button on the steering wheel. The clutch is released and the electronics detect the drop in engine revs and the clutch position is recorded in the software.

The clutch paddles are then reset to match the bite point position.

The car is steered in neutral to its starting position. Moments before the start, the driver will then pull in both clutch paddles and selects first gear, while holding the revs at around 13,000 rpm.

When the lights are on, both clutch paddles are partially released to a pre-set position, which moves the clutch to the bite point.

Romain Grosjean performing a start at the exit of the pit lane in Montreal. (Photo: René Fagnan)

To start the car, the driver lets go one clutch paddle, which releases the clutch part way between the bite point and fully released, and can modulate the throttle to manage wheel spin or avoid stalling.

Once the car is moving forward and wheel spin has significantly decreased, the driver releases the second clutch paddle. Now the clutch is fully engaged and the full engine power is passing into the transmission.

From Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

In 2013, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to road course racing for the first time in 13 years at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario.

The exciting 64-lap contest was won by 17-year-old Chase Elliott of Dawsonville, GA, who became the youngest race winner in Series history. Chase, son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bill Elliott, was competing in only his sixth career Truck Series race.

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is pleased to announce that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be returning to the famous 3.957 km road course on Labour Weekend (August 31) with the Chevrolet Silverado 250.

Photo: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

"After a successful inaugural event this past Labour Day Weekend, we're thrilled to welcome back the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," said Myles Brandt, President and General Manager of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

"This season's inaugural Chevrolet Silverado 250 was an important milestone in Canadian racing history. We set out to create an unforgettable experience for fans, corporate partners as well as everyone associated with the Truck Series and I am confident we did so. All of us at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park are ready to make next year's even more successful."

"We're looking forward to returning to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's Sr. Vice President of Racing Operations.

"Our inaugural event this summer in front of a packed house of enthusiastic fans was one of the most exciting races of this season. Road-course racing on an international stage like CTMP is a thrill for our drivers. They're already circling the date on their 2014 calendars."

For more information about the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visit online at http://www.nascar.com/trucks

BMW recently uploaded a video and pictures of its all-new 2 Series Coupe, which will go on sale next year after its public debut at the NAIAS in Detroit.

Photo: BMW

Heir to the 1 Series Coupe, this new model is 72 mm longer, 26 mm wider, and rides on a 30 mm longer wheelbase.

A hand-picked selection of engines accompanies the 2014 BMW 2 Series Coupe including gasoline and diesel options. The 220i Coupe is rated at 184 hp, while the M235i Coupe produces 326 hp.

Canadian specs and prices have yet to be announced.

From wrc.com

Robert Kubica's victory Sunday in the WRC 2 category of Rally de Espana was sufficient to clinch the world title in his maiden season.

The Pole dominated the Spanish mixed-surface event, leading from the first stage to take victory by 5min 15.8sec from Saudi Arabian Yazeed Al Rajhi. 

Robert Kubica, Citroën, in Spain. (Photo: WRC)

It was the fifth WRC 2 win of the year for Kubica, who drives a Citroen DS3 RRC, and gives him an unassailable lead in the championship ahead of November's final round in Wales. 

“This wasn't the target at the start of the season but somehow I knew that if I was able to learn quickly on gravel I could do a good result,” he said. 

“I was pretty sure that on tarmac I was quite competitive but the rallies in the World Rally Championship are completely different to each other. In the end we managed five wins and one second place from the six rallies that count for the championship - so all good.” 

Robert Kubica, 2013 WRC2 world champion. (Photo: Citroën Racing)

Last week, Jaguar Land Rover Canada helped present the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada's (AJAC) 2013 Automotive Journalist of the Year award to Michel Crépault of L'annuel de l'automobile and Auto Passion magazine.

Lorraine Sommerfeld of the Globe and Mail finished second, while our very own Justin Pritchard came in third place.

The panel of judges, which consisted of Geneviève Bonin, Jacques Grenier, and Robert Bragg, noted that “the information [Justin] provided was easy to understand and the test drives were realistic providing insight into the driving experience.”

“This award was founded over 25 years ago by Jaguar and it is always a thrill to be able to honour Canada's top talents in automotive journalism,” said Barbara Barrett, Communications Manager at Jaguar Land Rover Canada. “Our Jaguar and Land Rover brands are premium and exclusive brands. As a result, it's so appropriate that we recognize the premium journalism published by this exclusive group of Canadian automotive journalists. Congratulations to all entrants and award winners!”

Source: Jaguar Land Rover Canada

Red Bull Racing driver, Sebastian Vettel has become the youngest-ever four-time Formula 1 world champion at the Indian Grand Prix Sunday.

The German ace is only the fourth person in history to achieve four titles.

Vettel claimed the race with a two-stop strategy and his latest victory also means that Vettel has now won all three Indian Grands Prix held so far.

Mercedes AMG's Nico Rosberg finished second ahead of Romain Grosjean in a Lotus.

A brilliant 13-lap opening run on Pirelli soft tires brought Grosjean up from 17th to fifth, and he then built on that with a superb 47-lap run on mediums which took him up to third and the final podium position.

5.

Sebastian Vettel, race winner and world champion in New Delhi. (Photo: WRi2)

4.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W04. (Photo: WRi2)

3.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari F138. (Photo: WRi2)

2.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E21. (Photo: WRi2)

1.

Romain Grosjean partying with Sebastian Vettel on the podium. (Photo: WRi2)

From ROC

The superstars competing at the 2013 Race Of Champions will have a new beast to tame after the Ariel Atom Cup joined the line-up of cars for the event, to be held at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium on December 14-15.

The Ariel Atom is a road-legal high-performance sports car made by a company from Somerset, Great Britain. Unusually for a road car, the Atom is exoskeletal - meaning its chassis is visible from the outside - and it has no roof or windows. Its suspension is derived from single-seater racing cars and its performance is similarly racy: indeed the Ariel Atom 500 held the lap record round the BBC Top Gear test track until earlier this year.

Four brand new Ariel Atom Cup cars have now been specially prepared with custom-built rear wings to take on the Race Of Champions parallel track in Bangkok in the hands of a host of driving greats.

Photo: ROC

The Atoms join a line-up that includes a range of powerful cars such as the Audi R8 LMS, VW Scirocco Cup and the Toyota GT86. ROC 2013 will also feature the Euro NASCAR plus traditional Race Of Champions favourites like the KTM X-Bow and the ROC car.

Most of this year's cars are travelling to Thailand from Europe by sea, leaving this week. The four Atoms plus all their support equipment and spares were loaded onto two 40-foot shipping containers in the British town of Leamington last week.

Also on the ship are the four KTM X-Bows, which had previously been transported over from Hamburg, plus the legendary Audi S1 rally car and the three stunt cars used by Terry Grant. The ROC cars, Euro NASCARs and Michelin tires are setting sail on a different ship, the ‘APL Paris', from Rotterdam.

Racer magazine has learned that Italian race car manufacturer Dallara will supply the next-generation chassis of the Cooper Indy Lights series.

Andersen Promotions recently revealed that three chassis manufacturers were in the running to earn the 2015 Indy Lights chassis contract.

Racer says that the final decision reportedly fell in Dallara's favour based on offering the lowest sale price of those who submitted bids, low spare parts prices and, as a key concession, the company's willingness to create three-year finance plan to lessen the upfront costs of ownership.

Dallara has a brand new production plant based in Indianapolis, IN.

Andersen Promotions must now unveil the name of an engine supplier for this new car.

Several manufacturers, including AER, Chevy, Honda, Mazda, and others have negotiated with series' officials, and news of which small-displacement turbo engine will be used could follow directly behind the chassis announcement.

From GMM

F1's attention will turn from Sebastian Vettel's fourth title to the inside of a courtroom early this week.

Reports say that while German prosecutors have not decided whether the bribery affair will go to criminal trial, a separate civil action will get underway in London on Tuesday.

Bloomberg news agency said German prosecutors "may be watching for anything that will help their case", as media company Constantin sues F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone for $171 million for the alleged bribing of jailed banker Gerhard Gribkowsky.

"It's not ideal, it would be better if it wasn't happening, but we can't change the court system," Ecclestone, who is scheduled to appear and give evidence in the trial, said.

Former Minardi team owner Paul Stoddart said he is backing the British magnate, who turns 83 on Monday.

"I've not seen an ounce of credible evidence that proves he is guilty," he said. "F1 will be much poorer the day Bernie is not there."

Pickups are the backbone of North America. Pickups could be credited as being the most instrumental tool that built both the modern US of A and Canada. Their importance on our automotive landscape is paramount.

For the recuperating Big 3, their pickups are a sign of strength of enduring presence of health. The more they manage to put on the streets, the deeper their pockets are and the better the bottom line gets. In fact, the condition of the economy is often mirrored by pickup take rates. If business is bad, sales decline. If sales decline, business is bad...

Workhorse
Thousands upon thousands of small- to medium-size companies depend on their work trucks, their pickups. They are their livelihood and, in many cases, their most valuable asset. It is with this in mind that manufacturers continue to improve upon the old recipe that is a pair of frame rails, a bed, and a cabin. In fact, so good and well-rounded have pickups become that many, if not most, find double duty as both family and "heavy" duty vehicles.

The rate at which modern pickups have evolved is as rapid if not more so than the average automobile. No longer are pickups unrefined, crude, and loud. Save for an exception or two, other than the ability to tow a house and carry all of its furniture, these trucks are usable on a daily basis -- without compromise.

Competition never lets up
2013 was a very big pickup year. With only five manufacturers playing in the full-size segment, and all making important announcements or changes to their offerings, the time was ripe for a comparison test.

With the notable exception of the Nissan Titan (Cummins diesel engine coming next year), the four players in this game were the GMC Sierra (very much new), the Ford F-150 (facelift and trims), the Toyota Tundra (facelift and more) and Ram 1500 (new engine and more).

Test days
The evaluation of these rigs took place over two days and involved a number of exercises. Day 1 was dedicated to on-road driving experiences and some very mild off-road shenanigans.

Day 2 was trucking day. We loaded each truck up with bails of hay and hitched them to a trailer. The results of these tests were highly conclusive and genuinely made the better trucks shine while the others suffered.

Here we have the final scores along with a breakdown of the highs and lows for each truck. They are ranked in order and, frankly, we were not surprised to see who came out on top; however, we did expect more from some especially given the way some were spec'd out. Read on.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

Continue reading 2013 Pickup Comparison Test

From GMM

F1's uneasy relationship with its tire supplier Pirelli became even more strained in India.

At the tail end of the Italian marque's highly controversial 2013 campaign, the tire situation was stark in India as the soft or 'option' tire failed to last more than a few mere laps.

"Teams say the blistering here is worse than it has ever been in the Pirelli era," the BBC's Andrew Benson said on Sunday.

The situation was so alarming that Pirelli, having only a tentative green-light by the FIA to stay in the sport beyond 2013, issued a recommendation to the teams that the soft tire not be used for more than 15 laps on Sunday.

The FIA refused to enforce it, on the grounds that some teams have the advantage of being better able to manage Pirelli's heavily-degrading tires.

Photo: Pirelli

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said Sahara Force India driver Adrian Sutil, for example, made the soft tire work for almost 20 laps on Sunday for his one-stop strategy.

The report said sporting director Otmar Szafnauer, who admitted stretching the tire's life to 19 laps was "remarkable", also 'shook his head' at Pirelli's recommendation.

Pirelli boss Paul Hembery said afterwards in an official statement: "We are disappointed to see that some teams went against our recommendations and used the compounds for longer than we advised them to do."

In India, Pirelli renewed its threat to quit F1 if teams do not agree to more pre-season running prior to 2014, but the BBC reports that the tire supplier is refusing to pay for that testing.

"It's fair to say that Pirelli is not exactly winning many friends in F1 at the moment," Andrew Benson added.

From GMM

Red Bull will have EUR 25,000 less in its coffers for the championship party in Abu Dhabi, after the FIA toasted Sebastian Vettel's title win on Sunday with a penalty.

The German was fined and reprimanded after breaking 'parc ferme' protocols and doing donuts on the front straight when he secured his fourth consecutive world title by winning in India.

But the FIA said it only decided against levying an even harsher penalty "due to the special circumstance".

Sebastian Vettel became 4 times world champion in India. (Photo: WRi2)

Vettel, of course, had equalled the feats of Alain Prost (4), Juan Manuel Fangio (5) and Michael Schumacher (7), who all also won at least four titles.

"Phew," Vettel said, puffing his cheeks out in emotion, when compared to those greats. "I am way too young to understand what it means."

He muddied his emotion even more by constantly swigging on his magnum of podium champagne throughout the FIA press conference, and more drinks would follow.

"We will celebrate a little bit," Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko told German media, "with Sebastian's favourite drink." It is jagermeister "with lots of Red Bull". Bild newspaper said the party raged in a hotel until about 2am.

The bigger party will wait a few days.

"Most of the team flies out tonight or tomorrow morning," Marko said in the Buddh circuit paddock. "We're planning a proper celebration for Abu Dhabi."

It was actually a stressful grand prix for the team. Teammate Mark Webber laughed bitterly as he returned to the paddock following his alternator failure, as his Red Bull is usually the one that breaks down.

Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, Sebastian Vettel, 2013 world champions. (Photo: WRi2)

Team boss Christian Horner doesn't agree with that assessment, though, insisting that a cool look at the statistics shows that both Webber and Vettel "have had an equal amount of issues and failures".

Indeed, Vettel said the team was also worried about his RB9 in India.

"I wasn't allowed to use the drinks bottle in the race," he revealed, "we switched the KERS off, we did everything to try to save energy at the end. The cars are built on the limit."

Development of the 2013 car will now finally stop altogether, amid suggestions Red Bull could be on the back foot for 2014, given key rivals like Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren have been working on the all-new rules for next year for quite some time.

"It's not a disadvantage," team supremo Dietrich Mateschitz told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper, "because any development this year can also be something good for next year."

Still, as team boss Christian Horner pointed out, "Every driver in the pitlane would like to be in one of our cars at the moment," he is quoted by Agencia Estado news agency.

Vettel was born to succeed at the wheel of one of the energy drink-branded cars.

"At the beginning there were many in the team that thought Vettel was not the right thing for us," Marko recalled on German television Sky.

Vettel added: "He (Marko) said, 'Give the boy a chance'. I'm glad it worked out."

Sebastian Vettel, winner in India with Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2)

He remains under contract for 2014 and 2015, and Prost - the only other holder of four titles - thinks Vettel could go on to match Fangio's record next season.

"The rules are changing," the famous Frenchman told RMC, "so the drivers who are the most involved will undoubtedly have an advantage. And great engineers like Adrian Newey are best able to manage these changes. It is quite possible we will see Red Bull and Vettel dominate for quite some time."

It must, however, be tempting for Vettel to bottle his Red Bull successes and turn soon to a new challenge with another team.

"He can't stay at Red Bull forever," Prost agreed, according to Der Spiegel. "On the other hand, if he is always getting the best car at Red Bull, why would he change just to make the fans happy? He should only change if he wants a new challenge for himself."

After winning his fourth title on Sunday, however, Sebastian Vettel admitted for the first time that recent bouts of booing had affected him.

"I didn't find it easy," he told Bild newspaper, "especially when I had done nothing wrong. My girlfriend (Hanna) really helped me with that."

Meanwhile, another title was won on Sunday, when former F1 driver Robert Kubica clinched the second-tier world rally championship (WRC2) in Spain.

Jeff Gordon's convincing victory at the half-mile Martinsville, VA track was his way of saying that he's still in the title hunt.

Gordon's eighth win at the track tied him with spring winner, Jimmy Johnson, who finished fourth for most wins at the paper clip-shaped track. And it was his 88th NASCAR Sprint Cup victory and first of the year.

“Man, what a great race car,” Gordon said. “I thought we'd given it away a couple of times there; and I'm just so proud of how we fought. We had great pit stops and just that never give up attitude. I thought I got too loose there at the end, running with Matt (Kenseth). Every time he slipped the tires I just tried to let off a little bit.”

Gordon passed Kenseth with 21 laps to go and easily held off Kenseth for the win.

“Right now there are two that are in it. Our job is to go to Texas and make it three," said the four-time series champion

Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet SS, winner in Martinsville. (Photo: NASCAR)

Of course he was referring to Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson who are now tied in the points standings with only three races remaining in the Chase to the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Kenseth, who considered Martinsville his worst track, had a career-tying best finish of second place after leading the most laps and struggling with the handling of his Toyota.

"I have nothing to complain about, just you always feel bad when you're leading at the end and your crew puts you out front and you can't hold on to win,” said Kenseth. “So, I'm disappointed about that. But, just Jeff's (Gordon) experience here got me. I'm just not that experienced running upfront here and I had something that was working but I was kind of hurting the rear tires and I hurt the front tires too. Just went away from me there at the end.”

Clint Bowyer finished third and five-time series champ, Johnson, who finished fourth tired to contain his disappointment at not taking home another race trophy.

“Just like it's been,” Johnson said. “ It's been a great battle with the No. 20 car (Matt Kenseth) and the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) is really showing that he wants to be a part of this deal, as well; and there are some other guys back there kind of close. So, it's going to be a dogfight to the end. The way that I would want to go racing for a championship, and I know that's exactly what the fans want to see.”

Photo: NASCAR

Gordon, who was added as the thirteenth driver in Chase, after a NASCAR ruling following the Richmond race, is now 27 points behind the leaders in third place followed by Kevin Harvick, who finished eighth is 28 points back with three races remaining.

“Good tracks in three weeks, “said Harvick who joins Stewart-Haas Racing next year. “We just have to do what we have to do.”