Before Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and before Jimmie Johnson was officially named the 2009 champion, the on-track action in the final race of the season was exceptional.

After Dirty Jobs host and Ford spokesman Mike Rowe gave the command, 43 NASCAR stars rolled onto the track for the last time this year. The race was wild for everyone but extra special for a few.

A handful of drivers made their final start in their current ride. Martin Truex Jr. drove the No. 1 for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for the final time before joining Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010. Jamie McMurray got behind the wheel of the No. 26 for Roush Fenway Racing; he is headed over to EGR to replace Truex in the No. 1 next year. Reed Sorenson made his final start in the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports and the young driver remains unsure of his future in NASCAR.

On top of the driver changes, many of the teams will have other changes in the off season. Kurt Busch’s current crew chief will be leaving the No. 2 team so this race was the final race for the duo. Also, Richard Petty Motorsports will merge with Yates Racing during the off season making this final race of 2009 a very bittersweet event for the current team.

After the green flag flew, all 43 drivers focused on the task at hand rather than the off-track elements of this sport. Johnson earned five bonus points for leading the first lap of the race, showing that he was determined to get his championship.

Marcos Ambrose took over the lead from Johnson on lap 10 but only held it for a few laps before Johnson got it back. Ambrose’s race day got worse from that point on and ended up multiple laps down in 35th position.

Another driver who had a rough day was Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was up in the top-10 at the beginning of the race but brushed the wall a couple times as the event progressed. His day ended with the No. 88 in 28th place.

NASCAR seemed to be a fairly heavy presence during the race. On lap 114, race leader Kevin Harvick was reprimanded by the sanctioning body about his restarts and a series of incidents involving Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya ended with Montoya being black flagged for two laps and told that if he hits any other car his season would end early.

In the end, Hamlin led multiple times including the final 44 laps to earn his fourth win of the season. After the race winner did his burnout on the front stretch and headed to Victory Lane, Johnson did his on-track celebration while the championship stage was prepared.

A misty-eyed Johnson accepted the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series trophy and other championship spoils alongside his crew chief Chad Knaus. The duo made NASCAR history by winning this 4th consecutive championship.

Hendrick Motorsports swept the top-three positions in the point standings with Johnson earning the title, Mark Martin finishing 2nd for the 5th time in his career and 4-time champion Jeff Gordon ending up 3rd.

Team owner Rick Hendrick was absent from the victory celebration. He was back home in North Carolina with his family as his niece awaits a liver transplant. Knaus held up a message to the team patriarch to let him know that he was in their thoughts.

Now that the 2009 season is over, NASCAR drivers, teams and fans look to 2010 and what the new season has in store.

Only 74 days until the Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

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