Llinyn Johnson Falters, eto, a mordeithiau Keselowski i bencampwriaeth

Brad Keselowski (dde) yn derbyn llongyfarchiadau gan Brif Swyddog Gweithredol NASCAR Brain Ffrainc yn Homestead ar ôl i Keselowski ennill ei bencampwriaeth Cwpan Sprint gyrfa gyntaf.

Efallai na fyddai wedi bod yn orffeniad dramatig, cyffrous i dymor Cwpan Sbrint NASCAR 2012 – prin – ac nid oedd y tiwb ar gyfer y bencampwriaeth chwaith.
Datblygodd yr hyn a allai fod wedi bod, ac i rai dymi a ragwelwyd yn fawr, rhwng Brad Keselowski a Jimmie Johnson yn rhith-gystadleuaeth.
Gwelodd Johnson, a ddaeth i mewn i'r Ford Ecoboost 400 yn Homestead yn chwilio am ei chweched pencampwriaeth gyrfa, ei obeithion yn codi mewn mwg, yn llythrennol, pan ddioddefodd ei Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet ben cefn wedi'i losgi.
Eisteddodd allan 34 lap olaf y ras a gorffennodd 36^Bwydo.
Roedd 20 pwynt y tu ôl i Keselowski pan ddechreuodd y ras, ond pan oedd ar ben, gostyngodd i'r trydydd safle yn y safleoedd, un safle y tu ôl i Clint Bowyer – a ymgymerodd â Johnson gyda'i orffeniad yn Homestead.
Osgoidd Keselowski unrhyw broblemau o'i fath. Yn hytrach, mordeithiodd i 15^Bwydo-lle gorffen – a ddaeth â'r teitl iddo beth bynnag a wnaeth Johnson – i ennill teitl cyntaf ei yrfa
Cyflawnodd y gamp mewn 125 o'r Cwpan Sprint, yn ail yn unig i Jeff Gordon, a enillodd ei bencampwriaeth gychwynnol mewn 93 yn dechrau.
Wrth siarad am Gordon, gwnaeth y ras yn fwy palatable i Hendrick drwy gymryd ei fuddugoliaeth gyntaf yn Homestead a'r 87^Bwydo o'i yrfa, yn drydydd ar restr bob amser NASCAR.
Hawliodd Keselowski, 28, y bencampwriaeth yn ei drydydd tymor llawn yng nghystadleuaeth y Cwpan yn unig, sy'n ei glymu â Gordon, a enillodd yn 1995. Enillodd Dale Earnhardt, yn ei ail flwyddyn yn 1980, bencampwriaeth yn gyflymach nag unrhyw yrrwr arall yn hanes NASCAR.
Os oedd y ras Homestead yn gymharol wag o ddrama, roedd ganddi fwy na'i chyfran o linellau stori diddorol, os nad diddorol, ynghyd â rhywfaint o eironi.
Jeff Gordon yn cael cusan gan ei wraig Ingrid ar ôl iddo ennill y Ford Ecoboost 400 am ei fuddugoliaeth gyntaf yn Homestead ac am yr 87fed tro yn ei yrfa.

Er enghraifft, daeth Keselowski â pherchennog y tîm cyn-filwyr Roger Penske, sydd wedi bod yn rhan o NASCAR ers 23 mlynedd, ei bencampwriaeth car stoc gyntaf.
Mae'n ymddangos yn anodd credu, o ystyried bod Penske wedi ennill 15 o bencampwriaethau Indianapolis 500au a 23 mewn sawl math o chwaraeon modur.
Y teitl oedd y cyntaf i Benske ac, efallai, yr olaf ar gyfer Dodge. Yn eironig, cyhoeddodd y gwneuthurwr yn gynharach y tymor hwn y byddai'n dod â'i gyfranogiad NASCAR i ben ar ôl tymor 2012.
Nid oedd Dodge, a oedd unwaith yn stondin mewn cystadleuaeth, wedi ennill teitl ers 1975 pan enillodd Richard Petty, o bell ffordd, ei yrrwr marquee, yr hyn a elwid bryd hynny'n bencampwriaeth Cwpan Winston.
Mewn Dodge yn '75, enillodd Petty 13 ras a chafodd 21 rhediad o'r pump uchaf mewn 30 ras. Enillodd y teitl gan 722 o bwyntiau o flaen Dave Marcis, a oedd hefyd yn gyrru Dodge.
Yn ddiddorol, roedd Penske yn berchennog car NASCAR yn 1975, er na fyddai ei gyfranogiad llawn amser yn dechrau tan ychydig flynyddoedd wedyn.
Penske wedi'i gae – o bob peth – Matador Motors Americanaidd, a yrrodd Bobby Allison i dair buddugoliaeth.
Yn 1975, roedd Keselowski naw mlynedd cyn cael ei eni. Ar ôl i Gwpan 17 o'r 17 ddechrau gyda phedwar perchennog tîm gwahanol o 2008-2009 – enillodd Keselowski gyda James Finch yn '09 – y gyrrwr o Rochester Hills, Mich., gyda Penske yn 2010.
Enillodd Keselowski deitl Cyfres Nationwide y flwyddyn honno a roddodd ei deitl NASCAR cyntaf o unrhyw fath i Penske.
Ac yn 2011, rhoddodd Keselowski rybudd cryf bod ei seren ar gynnydd gyda thair buddugoliaeth a phumed safle yn y safle olaf.
Eleni, gwnaeth Keselowski yn dda ar yr hysbysiad hwnnw. Enillodd bum ras ac roedd yn Rhif 1 mewn pwyntiau am bump o'r wyth wythnos yn arwain at Homestead.
Ymchwydd i'r awenau ar ôl i anffawd afreolus daro Johnson.
Ar ôl ennill yn olynol yn Martinsville a Texas, mae Johnson wedi'i chwalu yn Phoenix, a helpodd Keselowski i fynd i mewn i Homestead gydag arweinydd pwyntiau digid dwbl.
Yn sicr, helpodd hynny ei achos, ond teimlai Keselowski yn hynod hyderus y gallai ei dynnu i ffwrdd.
"Roeddwn i'n teimlo'n dda am ble'r oeddem yn dod i mewn i'r ras hon, ond dydych chi byth yn gwybod," meddai Keselowski. "Ond roeddwn i'n gwybod y gallen ni wneud hynny.
"Mae gen i'r tîm gorau mewn rasio ac rydw i wrth fy modd yn bod yn rhan ohono. O'r brig i lawr, Roger, Paul Wolfe (prif griw), pawb arall, y criw a'm teulu, mae hynny'n golygu cymaint.
"Doeddwn i ddim yn gallu gwneud hynny heb gefnogaeth pawb ar y tîm. Dyna pam roeddwn i mor hyderus ac maen nhw'n haeddu'r clod yn fwy na fi."
Ni allai Johnson, a oedd yn arwain saith pwynt dros Keselowski nes i'w ddamwain yn Phoenix gostio 13 pwynt iddo, ond meddwl tybed beth allai fod wedi bod pe na bai camgymeriad pwll (unwaith eto, yn ddi-dâl i'w dîm) a methiant mecanyddol wedi penderfynu ei dynged.
O ganlyniad, roedd angen i Keselowski orffen dim ond 15^Bwydo i ennill y teitl, a wnaeth, wrth gwrs.
"Dywedais ar ddechrau'r wythnos nad yw 15fed yn gilfan, ac yn sicr fe'i cefais mewn sefyllfa," meddai Johnson, a oedd, ger diwedd y ras, wedi'i leoli ei hun i arwain y strategaeth milltiroedd tanwydd. "Fe wnaeth e'n ddiddorol iawn yno ar ddiwedd y peth yma.
"Pe na gallem fod wedi cael y camgymeriad ar Ffordd y Pwll ac yna methiant y gêr ar y diwedd . . . Doedden nhw ddim wir yn dal yn union beth ddigwyddodd ond dwi'n gwybod bod olew o dan gefn y car.
"Felly eto, siomedig, ac roedden ni'n iawn yno mewn sefyllfa ac yn rhoi pwysau ar fel yr oedd angen. " Ond mae gen i lawer i ymfalchïo ynddo eleni ac felly hefyd y tîm ras hwn, ac mae angen i mi ddiolch i bawb yn Hendrick Motorsports."
Er bod enillydd ras Homestead yn aml yn cael llai o rybudd na'r pencampwr newydd, cafodd Gordon sylw dyledus am ei fuddugoliaeth am iddo ennill dros Bowyer, a ddinistriodd wythnos yn gynharach yn Phoenix.
Ysgogodd y digwyddiad hwnnw sgrech rhwng criwiau Bowyer a Gordon ac arweiniodd at ddirwyon, colli pwyntiau a phrawf i Gordon.
"Roeddwn i'n gwybod bod gennym gar rasio gwych yn mynd i mewn i'r ras," meddai Gordon. "Ar adegau doeddwn i ddim yn meddwl bod gennym gar buddugol, ond rydych chi'n gwybod beth, fe wnaethon ni chwarae'r strategaeth yn berffaith. Mae hon yn ffordd wych i ni ddod â'r tymor hwn i ben.
"Yr wythnos diwethaf, y peth rwy'n difaru a'r peth yr oeddwn yn ei wneud yw fy mod wedi caniatáu i'm dicter a'm hemosiynau fy rhoi mewn sefyllfa i wneud dewis gwael.
"Roeddwn i'n teimlo bod angen delio â Clint, ond nid dyna'r ffordd iawn i fynd ati, yn sicr nid yr amser iawn. A'r hyn rwy'n ei gasáu fwyaf amdano yw bod dynion eraill yn ymwneud ag ef ac roedd yn effeithio ar eu diwrnod."
Rhediad ail le Bowyer oedd ei 10^Bwydo ymhlith y pump uchaf, sydd hefyd yn cynnwys tair buddugoliaeth yn yr hyn a fu'n dymor cyntaf stellan gyda Michael Waltrip Racing.
Gorffennodd Bowyer yn ail yn y ras bencampwriaeth, 39 pwynt y tu ôl i Keselowski ac un pwynt – ynghyd â miloedd o ddoleri – cyn Johnson.
Mae llawer o gefnogwyr yn croesawu pencampwriaeth Keselowski am sawl rheswm: Roeddent wedi blino ar arglwyddiaeth pencampwriaeth Johnson; nid oeddent yn hoffi ei bersonoliaeth ac, mewn rhai achosion, yn chwalu tuedd canfyddedig ei dîm i blygu'r rheolau.
Ond mae'r teimlad hefyd bod Keselowski yn dod â chwa o awyr iach i NASCAR. Mae'n newydd, mae'n alltud ac mae'n amlwg ei fod wedi arddangos talent rasio. Mae'n ddigon ddigon mai dyma'r cyntaf o lawer o deitlau.
Mae'n debygol y byddai'n well gan Keselowski gymryd y cyfan gam ar y tro, ac am reswm da.
"Yr ymrwymiad hwnnw sydd wedi mynd â mi o lefel y ddaear i gyrraedd yma," meddai Keselowski am ei benderfyniad i lwyddo. "Dydw i ddim yn gwybod, efallai mai dyma lle byddaf yn rhoi'r gorau i'r gwaith neu efallai y byddaf yn syrthio i lawr.
"Rwyf am fod y gorau a dyna sy'n ei wneud mor galed, ond dyna sy'n ei wneud mor wych ac mor gamp. Pan fyddwch yn cael llwyddiant, rydych yn gwybod nad yw'r holl guys eraill hynny am eich gweld yn llwyddiannus.
"I ryw raddau, mae bod y gorau yn ddilysiad o bopeth rydych chi'n ei wneud a pham cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon."

Attachment 3363Brad Keselowski (right) accepts congratulations from NASCAR CEO Brain France at Homestead after Keselowski won his first career Sprint Cup championship.

It might not have been a dramatic, exciting finish to the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season – hardly – and neither was the tussle for the championship.
What could have been, and for some a much anticipated, duel between Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson evolved into virtual no-contest.
Johnson, who came into the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead seeking his sixth career championship, saw his hopes go up in smoke, literally, when his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet suffered a burnt rear end.
He sat out the final 34 laps of the race and finished 36^th.
He was 20 points behind Keselowski when the race began, but when it was over, he dropped to third place in the standings, one position behind Clint Bowyer – who overtook Johnson with his runnerup finish at Homestead.
Keselowski avoided any such problems. Instead, he cruised to a 15^th-place finish – which brought him the title regardless of what Johnson did – to win the first title of his career
He accomplished the feat in 125 Sprint Cup starts, second only to Jeff Gordon, who won his initial championship in 93 starts.
Speaking of Gordon, he made the race more palatable for Hendrick by taking his first victory at Homestead and the 87^th of his career, third on NASCAR’s all-time list.
Keselowski, 28, claimed the championship in only his third full season in Cup competition, which ties him with Gordon, who won in 1995. Dale Earnhardt, in his second year in 1980, earned a championship faster than any other driver in NASCAR history.
If the Homestead race was relatively devoid of drama, it had more than its share of interesting, if not fascinating, story lines, along with some irony.
Attachment 3364Jeff Gordon gets a kiss from wife Ingrid after he won the Ford Ecoboost 400 for his first win at Homestead and for the 87th time in his career.

For example, Keselowski brought veteran team owner Roger Penske, who has been part of NASCAR for 23 years, his first stock car championship.
It seems hard to believe, given that Penske has won 15 Indianapolis 500s and 23 championships in several forms of motorsports.
The title was the first for Penske and, perhaps, the last for Dodge. Ironically, the manufacturer announced earlier this season that it would end its NASCAR participation after the 2012 season.
Dodge, once a stalwart in competition, had not won a title since 1975 when Richard Petty, by far its marquee driver, won what was then known as the Winston Cup championship.
In a Dodge in ‘75, Petty won 13 races and had 21 top-five runs in 30 races. He won the title by a whopping 722 points ahead of Dave Marcis, who also drove a Dodge.
Interestingly, Penske was a NASCAR car owner in 1975, although his full-time participation wouldn’t begin until a few years afterward.
Penske fielded – of all things – an American Motors Matador, which Bobby Allison drove to three victories.
In 1975, Keselowski was nine years before being born. After a fledgling 17 Cup starts with four different team owners from 2008-2009 – Keselowski won with James Finch in ’09 – the driver from Rochester Hills, Mich., hooked up with Penske in 2010.
Keselowski won the Nationwide Series title that year which gave Penske his first NASCAR title of any kind.
And in 2011, Keselowski gave strong notice that his star was on the rise with three wins and a fifth place in the final point standings.
This year Keselowski made good on that notice. He won five races and was No. 1 in points for five of the eight weeks leading to Homestead.
He surged into the lead after uncharacteristic misfortunes struck Johnson.
After consecutive wins at Martinsville and Texas, Johnson crashed at Phoenix, which helped Keselowski enter Homestead with a double-digit points lead.
Certainly that helped his cause, but Keselowski felt supremely confident he could pull it off.
“I felt good about where we were coming into this race, but you never know,” Keselowski said. “Still I knew we could do it.
“I’ve got the best team in racing and I’m just so thrilled to be a part of it.From the top down, Roger, Paul Wolfe (crew chief), everybody else, the crew guys and my family, that means so much.
“I couldn’t do it without the support of everybody on the team. They are why I was so confident and they deserve the credit more than I do.”
Johnson, who held a seven-point lead over Keselowski until his crash at Phoenix cost him 13 points, could only wonder what might have been if a pit error (again, uncharacteristic for his team) and mechanical failure had not decided his fate.
As a result, Keselowski needed to finish only 15^th to win the title, which, of course, he did.
“I said at the beginning of the week 15th isn’t a lay‑up, and I certainly had him in position,” said Johnson, who, near the end of the race, had positioned himself to take the lead by fuel mileage strategy. “He made it really interesting there at the end of this thing.
“If we could have not had the mistake on pit road and then the gear failure at the end . . .Didn’t really catch exactly what happened but I know there was oil under the back of the car.
“So again, disappointing, and we were right there in position and putting pressure on like we needed to. “But I have a lot to be proud of this year and so does this race team, and I need to thank everybody at Hendrick Motorsports.”
Although the winner of a Homestead race often gets less notice than the new champion, Gordon received due attention for his victory because he won over Bowyer, whom he deliberately wrecked a week earlier in Phoenix.
That incident prompted a scuffle between the Bowyer and Gordon crews and resulted in fines, the loss of points and probation for Gordon.
“I knew we had a great race car going into the race,” Gordon said. “At times I didn’t think we had a winning car, but you know what, we played the strategy perfectly. This is a great way for us to end this season.
“Last week, the thing that I regret and the thing that I messed up on is that I allowed my anger and my emotions to put me in a position to make a bad choice.
“I felt like that Clint needed to be dealt with, but that wasn’t the right way to go about it, certainly not the right time.And what I hate most about it is that other guys were involved with it and it affected their day.”
Bowyer’s second-place run was his 10^th among the top five, which also includes three wins in what has been a stellar first season with Michael Waltrip Racing.
Bowyer finished second in the championship race, 39 points behind Keselowski and one point – along with several thousand dollars – ahead of Johnson.
Many fans welcome Keselowski’s championship for several reasons: They were tired of Johnson’s championship dominance; they disliked his personality and, in some cases, disdained his team’s perceived propensity for bending the rules.
But there is also the feeling that Keselowski brings a breath of fresh air into NASCAR. He’s new, he’s outspoken and has clearly displayed racing talent. This could well be the first of many titles.
Keselowski likely prefers to take it all a step at a time, and for good reason.
“It’s that commitment that’s taken me from ground level to get up to here,” Keselowski said of his determination to succeed. “I don’t know, maybe here is where I’ll top out or maybe I’ll fall down.
“I want to be the best and that’s what makes it so tough, but that’s what also makes it so great and such an accomplishment. When you do have success you know all those other guys don’t want to see you be successful.
“To to some extent, to be the best is a validation of everything you’re doing and why participate in a sport.”