When do you say, its over?

That title begs the question in two different Motorsports Series, When do you say, its over for the championship.

In the NHRA, this past weekend in Pomona was the season finale and along with that, two divisions still had points championships still yet to be crowned, the first one was in the Funny Car division with a three-way fight beteen John Force, Force's teammate Robert Hight and Ron Capps. This championship came down to if John Force won two rounds, then he would became champion. In round 2, the biggest matchup was John force vs. Ron Capps, if John wins, he clinches and he did just that, he clinched the 2006 NHRA Funny Car Championship, his 14th NHRA Funny Car Championship. With the championship already decided, it was time to race and would you have know it, John Force ended up winning the event.

In the Top Fuel Division, the same outcome for the points leader Doug Kalitta would be challeging one with second in points Tony Schumacher coming hard. For Tony Schumacher to win the championship in a come from behind fashion, he had to win the event and set a national ET record. Believe or not, Kalitta went out in round 2 and that ment that Tony Schumacher still was in the championship fight. All he had to do was win all of the racing (event) and set a national ET record...and in one of the biggest come back victories in history, Tony schumacher won the 2006 NHRA Top Fuel Championship with a record pass of 4.428 at 327.98 mph.

For the second year in a row, the NHRA series has had there championships go down to the finale and in two cases, down to the winner takes all. Next year, the NHRA will adopt a NASCAR style 8 race championship showdown. (Read more on the NHRA Showdown..)

Now in NASCAR, coming out of Phoenix following yet another domanating performance by Kevin Harvick as he swept both of the 2006 Nextel Cup Phoenix races with Jimmie Johnson finishing in 2nd place yet again, the points championship has a more open picture, there are still five contenders mathamatically in the hunt for the 2006 Nextel Cup Championship with the points leader Jimmie Johnson having a 63 point lead over Matt Kenseth. Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin in 3rd and 4th are tied with 90 points back and in fifth is Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 115 points behind.

Now thinking about the idea of any of the five contenders could win the championship in homestead, it makes me wonder why some are giving the championship away to the points leader Jimmie Johnson before the checkered flag has flown. Looking back at the NHRA's Top Fuel Championship battle that had a come from behind championship winner, we might not all be so quick to say that the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship is over.

Looking ahead to next weekend in Homestead, if Jimmie Johnson can finish 12th or better, then he will become the 2006 Nextel Cup Champion regardless of what the other contenders do, and that will cap off an already winning season for the #48 team.

See Yeah! - Championship Edition next week after Homestead.