NASCAR finds itself up against the wall

My latest column in the Globe and Mail:

Jimmie Johnson's crash four laps into last Sunday's Dickies 500 may be the best thing that's happened so far in the 2009 Chase for the Cup.

Ok, maybe it's not great that many of the fans packing the Texas Motor Speedway cheered the No. 48 driver's misfortune, but having Johnson knocked out of contention early breathed some life into a boring Chase for the Cup.

The runaway leader in the Chase going into Texas threw the door wide open when he got together with Sam Hornish Jr. just three laps into the 334-lap race, trying to pass his rival on the outside. Hornish wobbled just as the reigning three-time NASCAR champion pulled alongside, sending the championship leader into the wall. The No. 48 then careened back into Hornish and spun into the inside retaining wall.

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