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Drivers pushing for strong finish

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The Associated Press

Published: November 14, 2009

AVONDALE, Ariz. - Jimmie Johnson has such a stranglehold on the championship that it's out of reach for every driver besides Mark Martin. And his only chance would likely require a major stumble by the points leader.

So what incentive does that leave for the rest of the drivers in the final two races of the season?

Quite a lot.

Everyone in the field has their own motivation to finish the season strong. Some drivers want a win, while others are trying to improve their spot in the final standings.

Then there is Martin, who needs no impetus to race hard each week.

"I'm going after it every week," he said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "Every time I strap in that race car, I'm going after it. ... I'm going to the extreme limits. It's everything I got, points or no points. If it's just practice, I like being on the top of the scoreboard even in practice. We're digging as hard as we can go."

That's got to be his mentality as he heads into Sunday's race trailing his Hendrick Motorsports teammate by 73 points in the standings.

But he's the only one with a realistic chance at catching Johnson, raising questions as to what's still out there for everyone else in the field.

Only 14 drivers have been to Victory Lane this season, leaving the bulk of the field hungry for victory. Among them is Juan Pablo Montoya, who has six top-four finishes in the last 10 races but hasn't won since 2007.

"We are trying to run as good as we can every week," Montoya said. "It doesn't matter whether we're in contention or not. ... It would be nice to try to get a win this year."

TRUCKS: Ron Hornaday won a NASCAR-record fourth series championship with a fourth-place finish Friday at Phoenix.

Hornaday started the race with a 197-point lead over Matt Crafton and needed only to finish ahead of Crafton to lock up the title.

Hornaday overcame an early pit road penalty, giving him his first championship since 2007. Hornaday also won titles in 1996 and 1998.

Kevin Harvick won the race.

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