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HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Jimmie Johnson walked across the stage after driver introductions to find his car inexplicably missing from pit road.In a dramatic start to his race for a record-tying seventh championship, Johnson learned NASCARs inspectors had yanked his Chevrolet off the pre-race grid and sent it back through tech. The Hendrick Motorsports team had been accused of manipulating a body panel, and Johnson had to start last in the field.In less than 30 laps, he was sniffing the top-10.He come from last doing that? Joey Logano asked him team, Wow.The best was yet to come.For most of the day, Johnson was the worst of the championship contenders in a winner-take-all season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He needed only to beat three other drivers to tie Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with a record seven titles, but he was clearly not in the same league as the other finalists Sunday night.Johnson, who seemed to have sensed the last 10 weeks that he was finally going to grab that special seventh title, never panicked.I felt like something was going to happen, and I was going to be OK with it, Johnson said. For a while I came to grips with the reality of (finishing) third, fourth, somewhere in there and shaking somebody elses hand and being happy for them.Then it changed so quick at the end.Johnson was practically gifted his seventh title when Carl Edwards aggressive attempt to win the championship ended in a wreck. Johnson got the restart of his life in overtime, took the lead on the very last lap of the race, won for the first time in his career at Homestead and grabbed the final Sprint Cup trophy.The win was the 15th for Hendrick Motorsports and seventh for crew chief Chad Knaus, who now only trails Dale Inmans record eight.When I was coming to the checkered flag, I had to really look closely at it going by to make sure it was, like, `Is this really happening? Johnson said.Johnson received kind words from Petty, while Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. represented his late father in victory lane.I told Jimmie I wish Dad was here to shake his hand, Earnhardt said. Dad would think hes such a bad-ass. Hes such a great race car driver. How he won this thing tonight, I dont think a lot of people know, he can will himself to get (his all) out of a car when it matters. Theres a lot of circumstance that played into it, but he put himself in that position.Edwards seemed headed for the title until a caution with 10 laps remaining set up a wild sequence. Edwards tried to block Logano on the restart, wound up wrecked, and it was Johnson who drove through the carnage to take the championship lead.Johnson withstood two more restarts and dedicated the final two attempts at the win to the late Ricky Hendrick, who was one of 10 friends and family members killed in a 2004 plane crash.They were nowhere all day, and just kind of ran around, I dont know, probably, Id guess sixth, said 2015 champion Kyle Busch. Never really showed their hand at all and didnt really show any speed, never really led in the laps until the last one, and thats the only one that really matters.Perhaps its because Johnson had no plan. This was one of those rare days in racing when someone elses bad breaks benefited a driver who was prepared to pounce. Edwards accident gave him a chance Johnson didnt have a mere five laps earlier.It wasnt looking good, Knaus admitted. I still dont think that we necessarily had the speed that we need. The one thing that we have in our corner is we have Jimmie Johnson. He is the one that makes things happen when we dont necessarily have the race cars.When we do have the race cars that we need, he does phenomenal things.Also doubting the situation was team owner Rick Hendrick, standing atop the pit box and lamenting with 10 laps to go that it was over for Johnson. His wife told him Johnson was still going to win the race. Hendrick didnt take her seriously.When we had that last caution and he came out and took the lead, I couldnt believe it, Hendrick said. I was actually stunned because we had so many ups and downs in that race.Indeed, from last to first and the top of the record books.---More AP auto racing: www.racing.ap.orgWesley Johnson Jersey . 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Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria.Cronullas bid to host a home semi-final in the Shire has been knocked back by the NRL.The Sharks continued their relentless march towards the minor premiership - and a home fixture in week one of the finals - when they recorded their 15th straight win with a 36-4 rout of Newcastle on Sunday.Under NRL rules, the Sharks would be forced to take a home semi-final to Allianz Stadium or ANZ Stadium.The Sharks were hoping to convince the NRL to bend the rules to allow them to play a first week final at home ground Southern Cross Group Stadium, should they finish in the top two.Sharks chief executive Lyall Gorman on Monday met with NRL boss Todd Greenberg and was told the governing body would not be changing its finals stadia policy.We understand the Sharks position but we need to ensure we stage our finals in our best venues where we can cater for a big crowd in the best facilities, an NRL spokesman said.The Sharks average 28,000 for finals matches at Allianz and we want to ensure all their fans can get a seat if they host a final this year.The Sharks had argued that because the likes of North Queensland, Canberra and Melbourne would be able to play in front of their home fans, Sharks supporters shouldnt be forced to travel from the Shire to see their team play in the first week of the finals.This isnt an assault on the NRLL over where the finals series will be played but as (coach) Shane (Flanagan) pointed out, (1300 Smiles Stadium) will have one, AAMI (Park) will, Canberra would as well, Sharks chief executive Lyall Gorman said on Sunday.ddddddddddddSo why not us would be the question and what do we have to do we get one?.Veteran hooker Michael Ennis was the catalyst for the idea, saying commercially there wasnt a lot of difference between playing the games at Shark Park or Allianz Stadium.The Sharks attracted 27,031 to Allianz Stadium for their home qualifying final against South Sydney last year while Southern Cross Group Stadium has a 22,000 capacity.Ennis said all Sydney clubs should be afforded the right to host home semi-finals at their traditional suburban grounds.The home fans deserve it and they come out and support their teams, Ennis said.Were forever asking them for memberships, asking to give to the club to help fund it and do what it does day-to-day.When a semi-final comes around we tell them were going to drag it into the city.Theyve been coming here and turning out week after week and the boys have been playing their hearts out here.We deserve the advantage too so well keep fighting for it. 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