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Moments after winning the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, Carl Edwards mentioned how cool it was to see Lewis Hamilton win the Formula One championship on the final lap that day.

Edwards has hopes of pulling off a similar feat in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, though that looks unlikely with just two races left and Jimmie Johnson ahead by 106 points. NASCAR is pulling for Edwards to at least make race of it. Blowouts aren't good for television ratings or attendance.

Formula One hasn't had that problem the last few seasons. Championships seem to come down to the very end, even without a playoff format.

Hamilton, 23, became the youngest driver to win a Formula One championship and the first black driver to do so. Hamilton, from England, has the potential to win many more. And while Dale Earnhardt Jr. may win most of the popularity contests for drivers in the United States, Hamilton is becoming a global phenomenon. He's showing he could contend for championships for many more years.

Hamilton won his first with a last-lap pass to move into fifth as rain fell in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Fifth was just barely good enough because Felipe Massa, who came into the race seven points back in second place, won the event. He finished one point behind Hamilton, who wasn't even sure he'd won.

"I was shouting, 'Do I have it? Do I have it?' on the radio," Hamilton said Sunday. "It was only when I took the checkered flag and got to Turn 1 that the team told me I was world champion. I was ecstatic."

Last year, it was Hamilton who ended up a point short.

In 2006, Fernando Alonso clinched his title on the last race.

There was a time when Formula One championships were not this dramatic. Michael Schumacher won five straight titles from 2000 to 2004, clinching all but one of them before the final race.

But Schumacher's retirement and progress made by various manufacturers has helped usher in a more competitive series. It has created an exciting and unpredictable series.

NASCAR wants that too. It's a big reason the Chase format and Car of Today – both works in progress – were created. Johnson's dominance has tempered the excitement of the Chase, but there are good teams that will figure out how to catch him. And when they do, NASCAR hopes it can have the fantastic finishes the Formula One circuit has enjoyed the last few seasons.

Gaining ground: Carl Edwards' win at TMS combined with Jimmie Johnson's 15th-place finish has Edwards 106 points behind in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Clinched: Tony Schumacher won his fifth consecutive Top Fuel title and his 15th event of the season (Las Vegas).

Champion: Lewis Hamilton became the youngest Formula One champion, winning by a point over Felipe Massa.

Moving up: Cruz Pedregon's win in Las Vegas put him first in the NHRA Funny Car standings.

Junior: He didn't have enough fuel to make it and then had a problem in the pits to finish 20th at TMS.

Winner loses: Felipe Massa won the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix but lost the championship by a point.

Dodge: The manufacturer didn't have anyone in the top 20 at TMS. Sam Hornish Jr. was the highest Dodge at 23rd.

Late fall: After making an early-season move, Robert Kubica struggled down the stretch of the F1 race and finished a distant third.

Rankings include drivers from all professional racing series and are based on wins, trends, contributions to the sport and not just driving ability. (Rankings from previous week in parentheses)

1. (1) Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR): Leads Chase by comfortable margin

2. (2) Tony Schumacher (NHRA): Won fifth straight Top Fuel title

3. (3) Lewis Hamilton (F1): Late-race pass in Brazil clinched his first title

4. (4) Carl Edwards (NASCAR): Has won the last two races to close gap on Johnson

5. (7) Felipe Massa (F1): Won the Brazilian Grand Prix; lost championship by one point

6. (5) Greg Biffle (NASCAR): Finished fifth at TMS and is 143 points behind

7. (NR) Cruz Pedregon (NHRA): Won in Las Vegas to take over Funny Car points lead

8. (8) Scott Dixon (IndyCar): Series champion preparing to defend title in 2009

9. (9) Jeff Burton (NASCAR): Finished 13th at TMS and is 212 points behind

10. (NR) Jeff Gordon (NASCAR): Runner-up last weekend could have some momentum.

Dropped out: Tim Wilkerson (NHRA)