Apparently there’s no point watching the final two races of the 2012 Sprint Cup season.

The good news is Jimmie Johnson’s win last week ensured me a third straight winning season. The bad news is that many are now just handing Captain Lowe’s his sixth Sprint Cup in seven years.  Here are three reasons why that’s way too premature.

Clumsy Behavior:

Teams are coming out of the woodworks to get ready for 2013. Some of these teams are, at best, unreliable. Cut tires, petty feuds (Danica Patrick never finds trouble) and random cautions can and do impact championship contenders. Just check out these Phoenix collisions.
 
Flipping Phoenix:
The new Phoenix is really new. Past history hasn’t held up in the two races since the new surface arrived. Because this is the second to last race of the 2012 Sprint Cup schedule, teams are going to work on setups to maximize their positioning for 2013. Some teams will do well; some will be garage fires. This can create wrecks and cautions that can collect contenders.

Roger Penske:

A Sprint Cup title is the one thing Penske doesn’t have. This is Dodge’s last dance, for now, in the Sprint Cup. Even though Brad Keselowski is one man wolfpack on the track, Roger Penske will throw anything he has into the next two weeks. That dedication ought not be underestimated.

Up 222 fake dollars going into the weekend, here are my fake picks for the sake of entertainment alone.

28 fake dollars on Jimmie Johnson at 4/1
Johnson owned the old Phoenix. This is the new Phoenix. But even though everyone is just handing the 2012 Sprint Cup to the #48, the team isn’t handing the title to themselves. Champions don’t back off in the second to last race.

22 fake dollars on Brad Keselowski at 5/1
Say what you want about how much the Blue Deuce talks or what he says, it’s been refreshing to not see him back down. This has the potential to be racing’s biggest rivalry. It can become racing’s biggest rivalry with a win this week. Champions don’t back off in the second to last race.

Here’s what the Spread thinks. Enjoy the race Sunday, and insert random catchphrase here.

Jimmie Johnson 4/1
Brad Keselowski 5/1
Denny Hamlin 6/1
Kyle Busch 8/1
Kasey Kahne 8/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Tony Stewart 12/1
Clint Bowyer 12/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 12/1
Mark Martin 15/1
Greg Biffle 20/1
Matt Kenseth 20/1
Martin Truex Jr 20/1
Kevin Harvick 20/1
Carl Edwards 25/1
Ryan Newman 50/1
Joey Logano 50/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Sam Hornish Jr 100/1
Jeff Burton 100/1
Marcos Ambrose 100/1
Kurt Busch 100/1
Aric Almirola 200/1
Bobby Labonte 300/1
Regan Smith 300/1
Juan Montoya 300/1
Jamie McMurray 300/1
Travis Kvapil 300/1
Danica Patrick 300/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 50/1