THE LINE

November 7, 2012

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Autoextremist readers have enjoyed John Thawley's brilliant photographic work for years, so we're pleased once again to be able to bring you his "Best Of" the past ALMS season, in racing shots, and in "faces at the races" shots. I feel it's a privilege to display John's work, as he brings a level of intensity and creativity to his craft that is extraordinary. John and I crossed paths years ago when we were immersed in different lives, and it has been a distinct pleasure to see him thriving in an entirely different arena. Please enjoy the "Best of ALMS 2012" by John Thawley. - PMD

(Matthew T. Thacker - Autostock 2012)
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford EcoBoost Ford) finished fourth in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, but the big news, of course, was the stirring clash between Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet) and Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) for the win. Johnson prevailed in a green-white-checkered flag finish, but Keselowski served notice that the final two races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship (Phoenix this weekend followed by Miami-Homestead) could be the most exciting since the idea of the Chase was invented years ago. Johnson finished .808 seconds ahead of Keselowski, increasing his lead in the standings from two points to seven. The victory was Johnson's fifth of the season, his second at Texas and the 60th of his career. Johnson won from the pole for the second straight week. "The way we raced this afternoon, this evening - that's what's different," Johnson said, commenting on his duel with Keselowski. "That's the first time that we've really engaged at that level and raced each other that hard. To his credit, he did a nice job of getting right to the edge, and we brought home race cars. We weren't wadded up looking like a bunch of fools over there, handing the 5 (Kasey Kahne) and the 15 (Clint Bowyer) a big gift." "I knew I wasn't going to be able to execute every restart, and Jimmie did a great job on the last one," Keselowski said. "I had to choose between wrecking him and winning the race, and it didn't seem right to wreck him. "Ran him hard, and we're going to keep him honest. I know if we keep running like this that we won't be beat." Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing M&Ms Halloween Toyota) finished third.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out Michelin's racing website - "Michelin Alley" - and get in on all of the behind-the-scenes buzz. Go here. - PMD 

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