Bad Luck For Darnell And No. 96 Hall Of Fame Racing Team In Season Finale At Homestead-Miami Speedway

The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season concluded Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. Erik Darnell and the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing team were set to capture a solid finish in their final race together, however, rookie, Darnell would face challenges throughout the weekend. Despite the obstacles, Darnell rallied back each time with the support of his team. Though bad luck would hinder a solid finish in Sunday's 267-lap event, Darnell and company never gave up and brought home a 36th-place finish.

Pole winner, Jimmie Johnson led the field to the green flag. Darnell rolled off 31st and soon began to report that his Ford was lacking grip. Track bar and wedge adjustments were thrown at the No. 96 during a green flag pit stop on lap 48 in hopes of remedying the handling woes. Though the adjustments were not exactly what Darnell needed, he maintained a 30th-place running position.

As the sun set and the track cooled Darnell's handling woes eased and he managed to turn laps comparable with 15th place and ran in and around 28th position. As things were looking up for Darnell and company, a freak accident on lap 117, changed everything. While aggressively racing, the cars' of Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya made contact with each other. The contact caused Montoya's car to hit the wall. The debris as result of the contact sailed through the air and ultimately made contact with the nose of the No. 96 and thus punctured the radiator.

Darnell's No. 96 lost water pressure and was forced to the garage for a new radiator. Darnell spent 17 laps in the garage and returned to the track on lap 135 in 37th position 17 laps down. Despite the misfortune, Darnell never gave up and completed the race.

"I'm disappointed with the way things turned out today," said Darnell. "We just could never catch a break.....I mean what are the chances that a rotor would hit my car? I guess you'll have that....."

After 400 miles around Homestead-Miami Speedway Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag in first place. Jeff Burton was second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Johnson who completed the top five.

With his fifth-place finish, Johnson held off teammate Mark Martin to capture his fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship - this was the first time in the history of the sport anyone has ever achieved four-in-a-row.

The No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing team ended the season 31st in owner point standings. Drivers, Bobby Labonte and Darnell accumulated one top-five, one top-10 and four top-15 finishes this season.