Thanksgiving at the Hendricks

What would happen if Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. met for Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Rick Hendrick? What would each bring to the table for dinner?

Gordon would want to make a cranberry dish, but ultimately might decide on something more appealing to his wife, a model.

Martin would bring pies, just not pumpkin pies.

Johnson would bring the biggest bowl of mashed potatoes ever made.

And Dale Jr., he would come empty-handed.

Go to Haddock in the Paddock for more on Thanksgiving at the Hendricks, or what I like to call How Dale Jr. Got the Bird.

--Tim Haddock

Hamilton, Leffler among entrants in 69th running of Turkey Night Grand Prix

Indy Racing League driver Davey Hamilton and NASCAR driver Jason Leffler of Long Beach will be among those entered in the 69th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Thursday night.

The traditional Thanksgiving night of races include United States Auto Club National and Western Midgets races, plus national Sprint Car races. The USAC Ford Focus Midgets are also scheduled to race.

Brad Kuhn of Avon, Ind., driving for RW Motorsports, leads the USAC National Midget standings by 40 points over Brad Sweet of Alpine, Calif., driving for Kasey Kahne-Curb Racing, and by 53 points over Darren Hagen of Riverside.

Garrett Hansen of Manhattan Beach leads the Western Midget standings and is in pursuit of his first USAC Western Midget championship.

Tanner Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif., leads the USAC National Sprint Car standings. Nik Romano of Atherton, Calif., leads the Ford Focus Midget standings.

--Tim Haddock

IndyCar Series will open season in Sao Paulo

For Brazilian drivers such as Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan, the start of next year's Izod IndyCar Series will be like a homecoming.

The series said today it will open its 2010 season with a race in the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 14, the first round in the sport's 17-race schedule. The series had said this summer that it would start in Brazil but didn't immediately announce the city.

The race "affords us a unique opportunity to visit a country that has a huge passion for open-wheel racing," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for the series' parent, the Indy Racing League.

Besides Kanaan and Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, IndyCar drivers Raphael Matos, Vitor Meira and Mario Moraes also hail from Brazil. The series' other familiar drivers include 2009 champion Dario Franchitti, two-time title winner Scott Dixon, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti.

The fourth race on the series' 2010 schedule is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and next year's Indianapolis 500 will be held May 30.

--Jim Peltz

Photo: Driver Tony Kanaan, left, of Brazil talks to Danica Patrick at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last May. Credit: Tom Strattman / Associated Press

NASCAR's Rick Hendrick says Earnhardt is Job #1

After three of his four of his four drivers finished 1-2-3 in this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, team owner Rick Hendrick says his focus is on the one driver still lagging behind: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet.

"My priority now is the 88 team,” Hendrick told reporters on a conference call today. Earnhardt, NASCAR’s most popular driver, is “my primary focus here starting this week, starting Monday, really,” Hendrick said.

Hendrick's Jimmie Johnson won a record fourth consecutive Cup championship Sunday, and he was followed in the standings by teammates Mark Martin and four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

Johnson  also won seven races, Martin had five wins and Gordon won once.

But Earnhardt struggled all season, finishing 25^th in the standings. Despite getting a new crew chief mid-season, Earnhardt did not win a race, did not earn a pole position and had only five top-10 finishes in 36 races.

"We just got to be better all the way around,” Hendrick said. “I think when we do that, when Dale sees that we’ve stepped up in a lot of areas, it will give him the confidence he needs.”

--Jim Peltz

Photo: Dale Earnhardt Jr. during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Where does Jimmie Johnson rank among NASCAR greats?

Jimmie Johnson has done what no other driver in NASCAR has done: win four Cup championships in a row.

That would put him at No. 3 on my list of all-time great NASCAR drivers.

Of course Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are Nos. 1 and 2.

Here's a look at my top 10:

1. Richard Petty
2. Dale Earnhardt
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Cale Yarborough
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Darrell Waltrip
7. Junior Johnson
8. Bobby Allison
9. Neil Bonnett
10. Harry Gant

Go to Haddock in the Paddock for comments from Johnson on winning four Cup championships in a row and more on my top NASCAR drivers list.

-- Tim Haddock

Photo: Jimmie Johnson hoists the Sprint Cup trophy for the fourth consecutive year at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR)

Jimmie Johnson extends contract with Hendrick

The partnership of Jimmie Johnson and top-flight team Hendrick Motorsports, which is poised to win a record fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title, will stay in place for several years to come.

Hendrick announced today that Johnson signed a five-year contract extension that keeps him with the stock-car racing team through 2015. Hendrick also said Johnson's primary sponsor, the home-improvement chain Lowe's Cos., agreed to a three-year pact that keeps the sponsorship in place through 2013.

"We're just real excited about keeping the whole deal intact," team owner Rick Hendrick told reporters today at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, where Johnson is expected to win his fourth championship Sunday at the Cup series' final race of the season.

"The key to success I think is keeping people together," Hendrick said. "This has been a fantastic ride with Jimmie. He and I have said we'd like to retire together."

Johnson's closest pursuer in NASCAR's Chase for the Cup playoff is teammate Mark Martin, 50, who is a distant 108 points behind. Martin, a five-time winner this year, said that no matter how the season ends, "I feel really good about things. And I've had the time of my life."

--Jim Peltz

Photo: Team owner Rick Hendrick hugs driver Jimmie Johnson after Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

Schumacher vs. Johnson: NHRA has the upper hand

Tony Schumacher has won six straight National Hot Rod Assn. top fuel championships and there is little criticism about his dominance.

Jimmie Johnson is on the verge of winning his fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship and is catching heat for making a mockery out of the Chase.

What's the difference between Schumacher and Johnson's streaks? Schumacher has a legitimate rival, Larry Dixon. Johnson has no one.

Schumacher's latest championship came down to the semifinals of the season finale at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. If not for an early exit at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks ago, Johnson would have wrapped up his fourth Cup championship in a row with a race to spare.

Go to Haddock in the Paddock for comments from the drivers and read why Schumacher and the NHRA are in much better shape than NASCAR.

-- Tim Haddock

Photo: Tony Schumacher won his sixth straight NHRA top fuel championship and has a healthy rivalry with Larry Dixon. Credit: NHRA

Tracking the musical chairs in Formula One

The flurry of changes in Formula One drivers and teams continues, and you'll need a program to keep track when the season opens next year. In the meantime, here's an early condensed version:

-- Mercedes-Benz this week took over the Brawn GP team, which will be rebranded as the Mercedes GP team, with its two drivers yet to be announced. Brawn was the surprise success story this year, with driver Jenson Button winning the championship. But …

-- Button has moved from Brawn to McLaren Mercedes, where he’ll join 2008 title winner Lewis Hamilton. That means Heikki Kovalainen is out at McLaren and looking for a ride in 2010.

-- At Ferrari, two-time champion Fernando Alonso has moved from Renault to join Felipe Massa, replacing 2007 title winner Kimi Raikkonen, who reportedly now plans to take a one-year sabbatical from Formula One before deciding where he’ll drive next.

Brown wins NHRA top fuel final at Pomona

Antron Brown beat rookie Spencer Massey in the National Hot Rod Assn. top fuel final at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona on Sunday. It was his sixth top fuel win of the season.

Mike Neff won the first NHRA funny car race of his career, defeating Ashley Force Hood in the final race.

Greg Anderson won the pro stock final race, beating Kurt Johnson.

Eddie Krawiec beat Doug Horne in the pro stock motorcycle final.

Go to Haddock in the Paddock for video interviews of the drivers from Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.

-- Tim Haddock

Photo: Antron Brown celebrates his sixth win of the season in Top Fuel on Sunday, in Pomona, Calif. Credit: Teresa Long / Associated Press.

Is it time for John Force to stop NHRA drag racing?

John Force Racing driver Robert Hight won the first National Hot Rod Assn. funny car championship of his career.

Ashley Force Hood won two funny car races and was second in the NHRA funny car standings in 2009.

Mike Neff, who also drives for John Force Racing, won the first funny car race of his career at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona on Sunday.

John Force did not win a race in 2009, the first time in 22 years he has gone winless in an NHRA season.

Someone suggested that it might be time for Force to pass the torch and retire from drag racing. Force is not too keen on that suggestion.

Go to Haddock in the Paddock for comments from Force about his plans for the future and video interviews of the drivers from Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.

-- Tim Haddock