Johnson nears Cup record

Yarborough only three-peat champ

When Cale Yarborough won a third straight NASCAR title in 1978, he never expected that it would take 30 years for someone else to challenge that record.

Now that two-time reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson appears on the way to doing just that, Yarborough has mixed feelings about sharing the record that some thought was untouchable.

"The handwriting's on the wall," Yarborough said Monday during a telephone news conference. "It's going to happen.

"I understand that I was Jimmie's hero when he was growing up, so if he does it more power to him," the longtime NASCAR star added.

Then that old competitive streak that helped Yarborough to 83 race wins, including four Daytona 500s, showed itself.

"That don't mean I'm pulling for him," Yarborough added, laughing. "But, if he does it, I'll be in good company. I hope he feels the same way."

Johnson, 32, has not finished worse than fifth in the points since he became a full-time Cup driver in 2002. Yarborough's best years didn't come until he got a full-time ride with Richard Howard in 1973 at the age of 34. His last full season of racing was 1980.

Yarborough said he truly appreciates what Johnson has already accomplished and what he may yet do.

"Well, back in the '70s was tremendous competition," Yarborough said. "The Pettys, Bakers, Allisons, all those guys, they were all great race car drivers. Jimmie is going up against some good race car drivers today. They were good back then, and they're good today. [Winning championships is] just hard to do."

As for winning three in a row, he said, "Must have been pretty tough. Nobody's done it in 30 years. ... Thinking back, with [Richard] Petty and [Dale] Earnhardt, [Jeff] Gordon, you would think that some of those guys would have put three together within those 30 years. But thank goodness they didn't."

F1 COST-CUTTING: The governing body of motorsports and Formula One have reached a deal to cut costs for smaller teams beginning next season.

FIA president Max Mosley and Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo say the agreement will produce significant savings for 2009 and 2010. Their joint statement Tuesday provided no further details.

MASSA EXPECTS BOOST: Felipe Massa expects to receive a huge boost from the Brazilian fans in the deciding Formula One race in Sao Paulo next week.

The Ferrari driver said Tuesday after arriving in Sao Paolo that the crowd expected to pack the Interlagos track for the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Nov. 2 will give him an important advantage as he tries to erase a seven-point deficit to overall leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

Massa needs to win the race and hope Hamilton fails to finish in the top five. If Massa is second, Hamilton would need to finish out of the points.