Ty Dillon to pilot Germain Racing's No. 13 entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

MOORESVILLE, NC (November 28, 2016) - Beginning in 2017, Ty Dillon will take over full-time driving duties of the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Germain Racing. Dillon follows Casey Mears, a seasoned veteran who, over the last six years, has helped build Germain Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series program into a viable organization that has garnered the respect and attention of NASCAR's elite.

The 24-year old Dillon has made 17 starts in the Sprint Cup Series for several different teams, including Circle Sport/Leavine Family Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing. He scored a career-best sixth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2016 while serving as a relief driver for Tony Stewart.

"I have been preparing for this next step in my career for several years," Dillon said. "With my experience in the Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series, I am ready to drive full-time in the Sprint Cup Series. I want to thank Bob Germain and the entire Germain Racing organization for giving me this opportunity. It will be an honor to represent a brand and sponsor like GEICO which has played such a significant role in the sport for so many years."

 

Germain Racing notched two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championships and two top-10 points finishes in the NASCAR XFINITY Series before making the jump to the nation's top racing series. Since the inception of their Sprint Cup Series program in 2009, the team has established itself as an accomplished restrictor-plate program, while also achieving success at the series' road course events. With the switch to Chevrolet and the addition of Richard Childress Racing as a technical partner in 2014, they have experienced improvement at the challenging intermediate tracks. Team owner, Bob Germain, aims to continue making progress in the coming years.

 

"First of all, I want to thank Casey Mears for everything he's done for our race team over the past six years," Germain said. "He's been an integral part of our growth and a great representative for GEICO and our many partners. Bringing Ty onboard is an exciting opportunity for us and we are committed to giving him all the resources he needs to reach his full potential. He's a very talented driver and first class young man. I'm looking forward to working with him, as well as expanding our relationship with RCR."

 

RCR's partnership with Germain Racing includes technology sharing, research and development, and engineering under the Chevrolet banner. Germain Racing will also continue to utilize the highly reliable and powerful engines from ECR Engines.

 

"Ty has done an exceptional job for us at RCR in every series he has raced in," said RCR Chairman and CEO, Richard Childress. "He has won races at each level and competed for championships every year. Ty is a passionate driver and has shown that he is ready for the highest level of stock car racing. I'm proud of him and I am confident he will succeed. I have a lot of respect for Bob Germain and the organization he has built, and I know he and Ty will be successful together. I also look forward to Ty's continued involvement in RCR's XFINITY Series program."

- Germain Racing

Alamaa Makes Most Of His Opportunities

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dan Alamaa enjoys racing at Pueblo, Colorado’s I-25 Speedway so much, he races in two different divisions.

In fact, he doesn’t just race in two different divisions, he dominates them.

This year marked the third straight season that Alamaa, 46, has won track championships in both the Division I Super Late Model and Division II Grand American Modified classes at the quarter-mile bullring.

“That’s pretty big for us,” said Alamaa, who earned his second NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship at I-25 this year since the venue became NASCAR sanctioned in 2015. “The year started out with a bunch of feature wins. It was…I’m not going to say it was an easy year, but it was an event-free year. It was just a good, solid year for us.”

Thanks to five victories, Alamaa easily captured the Super Late Model track championship by more than 100 points over his closest rival, George Maldonado. The battle was a little tighter in the Grand American Modified class, where he won the title by only 80 points over Kyle Rayburn.

Racing in both classes kept Alamaa, who says he likely has more than one million laps at I-25, busy throughout the season. Both classes didn’t always race on the same night, but on nights that they did Alamaa found himself hustling between race cars during practice, qualifying and the features.

It’s not hard to imagine Alamaa being exhausted after a night of racing during the hot Colorado summers. Yet somehow he makes it all work in his favor. 

“They both don’t run on the same nights every weekend, but they did for probably half the season,” Alamaa explained. “It’s pretty tough, especially in the Pueblo heat with the desert climate. It’s usually 100 or more degrees out. It takes a toll on not only me, but my crew, who are running around setting tires and making adjustments and such. 

“Those people that call race car drivers not athletes, I’d like to see them do that once.”

Alamaa said it’s not as simple as climbing out of one car and into another. There is typically some mental adjustments that Alamaa says need to be made depending on which car he is racing. Each car drives differently and he has to remember that on his busy back-and-forth nights at I-25 Speedway.

“There is definitely some adjustment,” Alamaa said. “A Super Late Model compared to a Modified is like driving a taxi cab. Point and shoot and you pretty much go where you want it. Now a modified, having probably more horsepower and half the tire, you really have to have a finesse to it. 

“I’ve been doing it so long I’m pretty use to it. But it does take a lap or two to kind of get in the groove and make sure you’re not diving in a corner in a Modified like you’re in a Super Late Model or you’re going to end up in the fence.”

This is the second year that Alamaa, who calls Colorado Springs, Colorado, home, has earned an invite to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards on Dec. 9 inside the Charlotte Convention Center. He says it’s not only a chance to celebrate, but also visit some friends who work in the NASCAR world in North Carolina.

“It’s a chance to be able to go to Charlotte and go to the awards ceremony, but also I have a bunch of friends from Colorado that actually work out there so it is a good time to go visit them,” Alamaa said. “They work on some Cup teams, Stewart-Haas, Joe Gibbs and Penske. It’s a good connection and I have a ball out there.

“It’s something that a lot of people from this area will not get to do in their lifetime simply because there are only two NASCAR tracks in this state (I-25 and Colorado National Speedway). It’s a big deal,” said Alamaa.

Established in 1982, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series is NASCAR’s national championship program for weekly short track auto racing. 

Connecticut-based Whelen Engineering is the series’ title sponsor. Whelen Engineering is a leading manufacturer of automotive, aviation, industrial and emergency vehicle lighting. NASCAR tracks and pace cars are among the many showcases for Whelen products.

- NASCAR Home Tracks

Six Drivers Earn Most Popular Driver Awards

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The fans have spoken. 

More than 47,000 votes were cast world-wide for the 2016 NASCAR touring series’ Most Popular Driver Awards and six drivers have earned the honor of fan favorite.

The 2016 Most Popular Driver Award winners are:

• Austin Theriault (Fort Kent, Maine), NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
• Salvatore Iovino (Los Angeles), NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
• Melissa Fifield (Wakefield, N.H.), NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
• Trey Hutchens (Lexington, N.C.), NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
• Jason Hathaway (St. Thomas, Ont.), NASCAR Pinty’s Series
• Alon Day (Ashdod, Israel), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series

The list includes four repeat winners – Melissa Fifield, Trey Hutchens, Jason Hathaway and Alon Day. 

There was also nearly an historic first: Hutchens, who competed in both the K&N Pro Series East and Whelen Southern Modified Tour this year, finished a close second to Theriault in the K&N Pro East voting while taking the top honors in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour for the second straight year.

Fifield won the award for the third straight season in the Whelen Modified Tour.

Iovino emerged in front in a close three-way battle in the K&N Pro West with Jesse Iwuji and series champion Todd Gilliland.

Hathaway, who announced he was retiring from full-time competition after racing in all 121 events in series history, ran away with the award in the Pinty’s Series. 

Day, who was selected to the NASCAR Next program as one of the sport’s rising stars, won the award for the second consecutive season. 

The award was open to any driver who competed in at last half of the races in their respective series.

Monday, Elliott Sadler (NASCAR XFINITY Series) and Tyler Reddick (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) received the Most Popular Driver Award for their respective series in their awards gala at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

The NASCAR touring series Most Popular Drivers will be recognized on stage as part of the NASCAR Touring Series Night of Champions on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Charlotte (North Carolina) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Purvis Crowned Final Columbus Champion

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When it was announced earlier this year that Ohio’s Columbus Motor Speedway would be shutting down following the conclusion of the season, the question became which driver would be known as the final NASCAR track champion at the third-mile asphalt oval?

The answer to that question turned out to be 29-year-old Kyle Purvis.

 “It’s quite an accomplishment,” said Purvis of being the final track champion at Columbus, which had been owned and promoted by the Nuckles family for nearly 70 years. “The race track was actually sold to the city of Obetz, which is in Columbus, Ohio. They’re going to put rugby fields and expand their recreational center. So to be the last track champion that will ever come out of there, that is pretty awesome to say the least. 

“To be able to tell everyone you’re the last late model Division I track champion out of Columbus is awesome.”

The track championship wasn’t a forgone conclusion for Purvis, who this year drove a late model owned by reigning track and state champion Kyle Jones. Midway through the year the team actually switched cars, moving from a Hamke chassis to a Port City chassis.

The change made all the difference. 

“We were actually running a different car at the first of the season and were really struggling with that car,” said Purvis, who calls Marion, Ohio, home. “We switched cars and I started driving a Port City car towards the middle of the season.

“We did a lot better with the Port City car. We won a few races and every race we won was in the Port City car,” Purvis said. “We just started off slow in the other car at the first of the season. We struggled a little bit, but once we got the other car up and going good, that’s when we did well.”

Purvis ended up scoring two victories at Columbus, barely edging out Donnie Hill by just 10 points to win the track championship. Purvis also finished second to Hill in the Ohio state championship rankings and finished 54th overall in the National standings.

“We had one bad wreck that really dropped us out of having a shot at the state title. That’s just part of racing,” said Purvis, who carried sponsorship Farm Transport, Beach Manufacturing Company, Manley Graphics and Walker Performance Filtration. 

The 2016 season served as a continuation of success for Purvis, who last year won the track championship and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division II national championship while racing in the modified class at Columbus. Purvis said the key difference between the two cars was how smooth he had to be in his late model versus the modified.

“To be able to go from a Division II national championship and the track champion at Columbus in the modified division and then the next year be the Division I late model champion, that was pretty awesome,” Purvis said. “You just have to be a little bit smoother in the late model, while in the modified you’ve really got to get up on the wheel and drive it hard.”

Purvis, who will be among those attending the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards on Dec. 9 inside the Charlotte Convention Center, said it’s hard for him to believe this was the final season of racing at Columbus. 

Now, he admits, he doesn’t know where his home track is going to be.

“The Nuckles family did a really, really good job promoting it year to year,” Purvis said. “We call Columbus our home as far as racing and what we’re going to miss is…well we really don’t know where we’re going to call home next.”

No matter where he calls home next, you can bet Purvis will be a contender.

- NASCAR Home Tracks

Pennink Captures Championship Crown

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Rowan Pennink began the 2016 season with uncertainty, but he ended it by making a little bit of history at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway.

The Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, driver captured his second straight NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship in the SK Modified Division at Stafford this year, becoming just the fifth different driver to win back-to-back track championships at the half-mile asphalt oval.

All that happened despite the fact that 31-year-old Pennink was working with a new crew chief after the departure of Jimmy Fuller following his championship at Stafford last year. His new crew chief, Kevin Crowley, stepped right in and made sure the team never lost a step.

“We started off the year with a new crew chief this year. The rest of the team remained the same,” Pennink said. “We went into the season hoping to pick up where we left off last year and we ended up winning the first race of the year, which was a huge boost for the team and the new crew chief. We kind of never looked back. 

“We won a couple more right in a row (at the start of the year) and we just stayed out of trouble and picked up wins where we could through the season,” Pennink said. “Finishing all the laps at each race and getting top fives is what propelled us towards the championship.”

Pennink and company ended up winning six times in 17 starts this year at Stafford, four more than anyone else competing at the track in the SK Modifieds this season.

Pennink hardly ran away with the championship as throughout the season he had both Keith Rocco and Ted Christopher, who have 11 SK Modified track championships and two NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National championships between them, hot on his heels. 

“It was really a whole team effort. Everything that Bob Hitchcock and Kelly Iverson, who are the car owners, do, and all of the guys that work on that 99 car on a weekly basis do an amazing job in the shop,” Pennink said. “We ended up getting the championship and a lot of that is due to my team’s effort.”

He ended up winning the SK Modified track championship by 30 points over Rocco and a further 54 points over Christopher. In addition, Pennink was ranked eighth overall in the final NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National standings and was third in the state of Connecticut, ironically behind only Rocco and Christopher.

U.S. state and province champions are determined by the best 18 finishes at tracks within the respective state or province.

The back-to-back track championships at Stafford made Pennink a member of an elite group of drivers who have won consecutive championships at Stafford. The only other drivers to accomplish that feat are Christopher (2000-2001), Bob Potter (1991-1992, 1994-1995), Mike Christopher (1989-1990) and Jerry Pearl (1984-1985).

“He (Ted Christopher) has the most career wins out of anybody at Stafford. It is awesome to put on a list of accomplishments like that and be up there with Ted,” Pennink said. 

After taking part in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards on Dec. 9 inside the Charlotte Convention Center, where he will be honored alongside other NASCAR track and state champions, Pennink will again turn his attention to preparing for a full season of racing at Stafford. 

The goal for Pennink next year? Become the first driver to win three-straight SK Modified track championships at the Connecticut oval. He knows it won’t be easy.

“I’m definitely going to go run Stafford in the 99 car again,” Pennink said. “Hopefully we can go back there and try to make it three in a row next year.”

- NASCAR Home Tracks

Hickory Motor Speedway Releases 2017 Schedule

Hickory Motor Speedway released their schedule of events for the 2017 season today. The schedule includes all of the great NASCAR Whelen All-American Series events and the popular touring series /shows that make up the season for this historic facility. Special events for the 2017 season will be two events each for the Knights of Destruction, Pro All Star Series (PASS), CARS Racing Tour, Must See Racing Sprint Cars and the Southern Modified Race Series. The Spring Classic, Bobby Isaac Memorial and traditional Fall Brawl will be the tracks signature events again in 2017. Also on tap will be the return of the Sundown Audio Showdown on August 19th and the 3rd Annual Hickory Vintage Swap Meet and Auto Fair. Hickory Motor Speedway still has some available dates open for track rental for your events.

One new addition for 2017 will be multiple twin races for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Cars. The number of events will be the same as in 2016, however with the twin events it will give more cars the opportunity to visit victory lane this year. This will give the Hickory Motor Speedway fans an opportunity to see two Late Model races for the price of one adding value to their tickets. Another 2017 addition will be all NWAAS events moving to a 7:30 starting time on Saturday Nights.

A new wrinkle for the 2017 race season will be the addition of the Paramount Auto Group taking the division sponsorship for what will now be the Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Models. Along with this change for the Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Models will be the addition of the Paramount Kia “Big 10” Challenge moving to the Limited Late Models for 2017. Over $12,000 in additional purse and points fund monies has been added to 10 (ten) Limited Late Model Events for a points race within the regular season points races that will create additional awards for the Limited Late Model season.

“The greatest thing about the way this Paramount Kia “Big 10” Challenge is structured is that no one that runs these races will get eliminated from a chance at the Championship” Hickory Motor Speedway General Manager Kevin Piercy also stated “We are excited with the changes that are being made at Hickory Motor Speedway for 2017, we feel that these changes will present a great opportunity for businesses in the Hickory and surrounding area to get involved again with America’s Most Famous Short Track.”

With these new additions and the excitement each and every Night, the Historic Hickory Motor Speedway is the place you will want to be on Saturday Nights in 2017.

Hickory Motor Speedway is also welcoming all types of manufacturing and other facilities to give their employees an opportunity to bring their families to the track for one of our employee appreciation nights.

If you would like to market your company or participate in an employee appreciation night please contact Kevin Piercy at (828) 464-3655 or contact us by e-mail at hickorymotor@bellsouth.net

Tony Stewart takes final NASCAR ride of championship career

Dan Gelston, AP

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Tony Stewart slid out of his car in a NASCAR race for the final time and was swarmed by cameras, friends and rivals who wanted a piece of the retired champion.

Jeff Gordon, another retired great, walked over to make the loosest of plans for their free time.

"We're gonna have fun," Gordon said.

"Damn right we are," Stewart replied.

Stewart's final NASCAR race was pure fun — and even a bit emotional for the notoriously gruff driver known as "Smoke." But for all the accolades heaped and R-rated tales spun this week, Stewart made it clear he was simply a race car driver at heart to the end.

"I didn't think of anything else other than just racing the race," Stewart said.

Stewart finished 22nd on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the finish a mere footnote that capped a two-decade career stuffed with controversy and championships. He walked off with final memento: Jimmie Johnson gave his race helmet to Stewart moments after he won his seventh NASCAR championship.

The gesture was the ultimate sign of respect toward a guy known as the ultimate pure driver.

"This is probably the biggest honor you can have as a driver, to get a guy that just won his seventh championship, to get his helmet like that," Stewart said.

Earlier, Stewart sounded at peace heading into his final NASCAR race.

"Guys, it's been a hell of a ride for 18 years," he said over the radio. "Let's go out here and have one more good day."

He's had plenty of great ones through the years.

Stewart had steeled his emotions in the lead-up to his final start and kept distractions at bay and close friends nearby before the race.

His No. 14 Chevrolet was barricaded and protected by armed police officers before the season finale. His race car was essentially sitting in Turn 4, well away from the rest of the field. A banner flew nearby to tell fans where they could get a glimpse of the three-time Cup series champion.

"It's time. Let's go. I'm ready," Stewart said.

Stewart was feted with tributes all weekend by fellow drivers, fans, colleagues and every person who felt connected to him in even the smallest ways. He shed the gruff, prickly mood and became an almost happy-go-lucky guy. Stewart, clean-shaven, was all smiles as he posed for photo after photo, and hugged or wrapped his arm around crew members, and even the troops.

Homestead saluted Stewart with a coordinated "Thank you, Tony!" yell from the grandstands as the photo ops stayed on schedule.

"My last photo with the boys," a Chevy employee shrieked.

Gordon stopped by for a quick chat with Stewart. A year ago, Gordon was mobbed by so many fans that he struggled to get to his car before the finale.

IndyCar driver Marco Andretti lingered near Stewart's car, and three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves called Smoke one of racing's greatest drivers. Joe Gibbs, Stewart's former car owner, hugged Stewart on pit road after the race.

NASCAR added a ceremonial pace lap with Stewart leading the field before the race. There was a Ford truck that flew a "Thank you, Smoke. 14" banner in front of him.

His Chevrolet — with dates of each of his 49 career wins etched into the paint scheme on the bumper — took a lap down pit road, and Stewart slapped hands with crew members for all NASCAR teams.

"It made me think back to the moment when Dale Senior won the Daytona 500," Stewart said.

NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton thanked Stewart for "the character and passion you brought to NASCAR all throughout your career."

Stewart's career was given the highlight reel treatment in the pre-race drivers meeting with a colorful video of his biggest wins, playful banter and snippy one-liners. NASCAR drivers and crew members gave Stewart a rousing standing ovation. Stewart eventually stood and smiled, waiving in acknowledgment at the outpouring of affection.

Stewart is just retiring from NASCAR driving. He has an ownership stake in Stewart-Haas Racing and will continue to race all over the country next year at the grassroots level. He may not be done yet poking NASCAR's leaders.

"You understand, we still invite owners to the haulers sometimes, too," Helton quipped.

Stewart's helmet was a weathered throwback that looked as if it had been hanging in a barn on his Indiana farm for decades. It appeared rusted, said "Smoke. Unlimited Speed," and was a gritty symbol of one of the last true racers. The hood of Stewart's No. 14 Chevrolet is emblazoned with photos from his championship years next to the slogan "Always a Racer, Forever a Champion."

Stewart has yet to have his final ride.

He'll go off-road riding Monday during his annual ATV trip.

But when is his next official race?

"Stay tuned," he said, smiling. "It won't be long."

Jimmie Johnson size record-tying seventh NASCAR championship

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson had the commemorative helmet and a photographer chronicling his every move. He had even planned to run a symbolic seven miles the night before his shot at a seventh championship.

He's adamant he didn't know something special was coming.

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 as drivers with seven titles, but he was clearly not in the same league as the other finalists Sunday night.

Johnson didn't panic, keeping the same calmness he's had for 10 weeks of this historic march. So relaxed before this event, he canceled his "short run" and instead spent the night eating pasta.

And as he chased Carl Edwards, reigning champion Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, it sure seemed like there was not shot at No. 7.

"I'm sure the world felt like anybody but Jimmie Johnson was going to win the championship with 20 to go, and then it changed so quick," Johnson said.

Johnson was practically gifted his seventh title when 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.

Most of the race was spent talking about backflips, repeats or a Penske sweep because Johnson just wasn't as good as Edwards, Busch or Logano.

Then all that conversation took a back seat to a record-setting — albeit improbable — championship run. The win was the 15th for Hendrick Motorsports and seventh for crew chief Chad Knaus, who now only trails Dale Inman's 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's No. 48 Chevrolet was pulled off pit road by NASCAR shortly before the race and forced to make a last-minute pass through inspection, setting Johnson up for a mind-boggling race in which he never seemed to be a legitimate contender. He had to start last because of the inspection issue and seemingly had no shot until Edwards coughed up the title.

Petty welcomed Johnson to the VIP section of NASCAR's most exclusive club.

"They set a goal to get where they are and circumstances and fate made it a reality," Petty said. "Jimmie is a great champion and this is really good for our sport."

He also was feted by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who represented his late father in victory lane.

"I told Jimmie I wish Dad was here to shake his hand," Earnhardt said. "Dad would think he's such a bad-ass. He's such a great race car driver. How he won this thing tonight, I don't think a lot of people know, he can will himself to get (his all) out of a car when it matters. There's a lot of circumstance that played into it, but he put himself in that position."

Edwards was in position to win until a caution with 10 laps remaining set up a wild sequence that ruined his title hopes. 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.

"My heart was full because I was thinking of some loved ones like Ricky Hendrick and his influence," he said. "Something happened from above."

Johnson drove the entire 10-race Chase with a tribute helmet to Earnhardt and Petty, the Hall of Fame drivers he's been chasing since he won his sixth title in 2013. Immediately after the race, he gifted the helmet to three-time champion Tony Stewart, who retired at the end of the race.

Drivers have been giving Stewart special helmets the last month, but Johnson had earmarked this one for the driver forever known as "Smoke."

"I promised him I'd give him a helmet, I wanted to wait and see if I could give him this one," Johnson said. "He doesn't really want it. He said if I want it back, I can have it back, but I promised I'd give him a helmet."

The title was there for the taking for Edwards until the fateful sequence that changed history.

"I was racing for my life up to that point," Edwards said. "I just pushed the issue as hard as I could because I figured that was the race there. I had to push it, I couldn't go to bed tonight and think that I gave him that lane."

The benefactor of Edwards' error was Johnson, who darted through the wreck ahead of Busch and Logano. Knaus pumped his fists in joy, all too aware that they were suddenly in the game.

"That's what makes a seven-time champion — someone that fights and battles and digs and never gives up," said four-time champion Jeff Gordon, the teammate who discovered Johnson for Hendrick Motorsports. "They keep themselves in position and allowed some of those unfortunate instances to work in their favor. You can say luck, whatever you want to say, but those guys battled. They battled hard."

Logano wasn't giving up his effort, though, and headed to pit road to take on new tires for a final restart.

"This guy on a restart with five laps to go, I'll take him every day of the week," crew chief Todd Gordon said.

Logano restarted eighth but was a bull as he pushed his way through traffic and into third place, behind Johnson, after a caution forced another restart.

This time, Johnson got the start of his life and jumped into the lead. He didn't look back, only forward at his slice of NASCAR history.

"They were nowhere all day, and just kind of ran around, I don't know, probably, I'd guess sixth," Busch said. "Never really showed their hand at all and didn't really show any speed, never really led in the laps until the last one, and that's the only one that really matters."

Johnson, Logano, Edwards, Busch aim for NASCAR championship

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson attempts a drive into NASCAR history.

Kyle Busch would love to spoil Johnson's record run with a racing milestone of his own and win back-to-back Sprint Cup championships.

Joey Logano and Carl Edwards just want to join the championship club.

The four finalists have raced each other for 35 weeks - and rode bikes, played video games and shared laughs in the lead-up to the finale Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The top finisher among the four contenders will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. Under the one-race elimination format, Kevin Harvick in 2014 and Busch in 2015 both won the finale to take the title.

Johnson, one of NASCAR's greats, would stamp himself in the record book with a record-tying seventh championship. Johnson would match Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty as the only drivers with seven Cup championships.

"I know that I'm as close to this opportunity as I've ever been, but I'm not climbing in that car Sunday saying, 'I've got to win seven,'" Johnson said. "I'm saying, 'I've got to win a championship."

Johnson, Busch, Logano or Edwards could leave Florida a champion.

Tony Stewart is simply ready to walk away.

Stewart, the three-time Cup champion, ends of one racing's great careers when he retires following an almost two-decade NASCAR stint.

"There hasn't been any part of my career that I didn't enjoy," Stewart said.

Here are some other items of note for Sunday's race:

SPONSOR DISCONNECT

The championship is decided on the Sprint stage for the final time.

Sprint disconnected with NASCAR, ending its title sponsorship of the top series following this season. NASCAR heads into the offseason without a sponsor announcement, a troubling sign for the series already faced with dwindling attendance and sagging TV ratings.

Sprint's exit means NASCAR will enter a new entitlement agreement for just the fourth time since 1971, when RJ Reynolds began its 33-year sponsorship of the top series through its Winston brand. RJR pulled out after the 2003 season and Nextel stepped in until Sprint's corporate merger.

"If you look at what's going on in the NFL and the viewership, all the sponsors watch that," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "The good news is we have not slipped as much as some of the other folks."

FORD, FIRST?

Logano is trying to become the first Ford driver to win the championship since Kurt Busch in 2004.

"There's a heck of an investment we all make in this sport," said Dave Pericak, director of Ford Performance. "We wouldn't be doing that if we weren't getting a return on our investment."

Stewart-Haas Racing will field Fords next season, ending an eight-year run with Chevrolet.

"We've been so proud of what we've accomplished, not to mention an incredible run with Tony Stewart," said Jim Campbell, VP of performance vehicles and motorsports for GM.

BYE BYE, BOWYER

Clint Bowyer finishes the worst season of his 11-year career in his lone season at HScott Motorsports.

Bowyer drove a stop-gap season at HSM before he takes Stewart's ride in the 14 in 2017. Bowyer had vowed to reshape to team and leave it as winning organization. Bowyer failed to post a top-finish for the first time and trudges into the finale 27th in the standings.

Homestead also could mark the final race for HSM, which fielded cars for Bowyer and Michael Annett this season. Annett failed to record a top 10, is 36th in the standings and has been shifted to the second-tier Xfinity Series for 2017.

Without a driver, team owner Harry Scott could shutter HSM and sell its charter.

"Harry is considering a number of options for 2017. He has not made a final decision yet but will do so in the coming weeks," the team said Saturday.

OUTTA HERE

Brian Scott makes the final start of his 52-race career following his retirement announcement. Team owner Richard Petty said he was still looking for a driver in the No. 44 Ford next season. ... Tommy Baldwin Racing sold its charter this week and faces an uncertain future. Regan Smith, with one top five this year, is considering other options for 2017.

El campeón! Daniel Suarez becomes NASCAR's first foreign champ

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- El campeon!

Daniel Suarez won the Xfinity Series season finale and title at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, becoming the first foreign champion in a NASCAR national series.

The 24-year-old Mexican bested fellow championship contenders Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Erik Jones on a botched restart with three laps to go.

"It's very hard to put into words," Suarez said. "I'm speechless right now. I'm just very proud of everyone and thankful to have the family that I have, my mom, my dad. They gave me all the tools to be here right now. They put me in a car even when we didn't have the support or the racing background. They supported me, and right now we are just living a dream."

Suarez thanked fans and his native country in Spanish in victory lane. His win was the first of the weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing, which has two drivers - Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards - vying for the Sprint Cup championship Sunday.

"For us, after two years, to be where we are tonight is amazing," car owner Joe Gibbs said. "This is going to be a big deal for our sport. It's huge."

It was just Suarez's third career victory, but the most important for obvious reasons.

Sadler, who gambled by taking two tires on the final pit stop, finished third in the race and second in the standings. The former Cup driver and sentimental favorite remained without a championship at any national level in a career spanning more than two decades.

"This is by far the hardest because I feel like this is the best team I've probably ever worked with," said Sadler, who drove with an interim crew chief because his usual one was suspended. "We felt like we could come in here and compete, and we made a great pit call there at the end to get some clean air."

Sadler asked Whitt to give him the top lane on the restart, but Whitt declined.

Allgaier finished sixth, and Jones ninth. Both got stuck behind leader Cole Whitt on the final restart, and when Whitt spun his worn-out tires, Allgaier and Jones fell way behind Suarez.

"It's really frustrating," Jones said. "I don't mean to bag on the guy so much, but it's like, 'Hey, we're up here racing for the championship.' And maybe we don't even win it if he pits and lets us move up, but at least we would have had a fair shot at it. I feel like we kind of got robbed of at least our chance to race for it. Yeah, it's just unfortunate. It just wasn't a great situation altogether."

The chaos definitely benefited Suarez, who passed Sadler low and pulled away from the field. He led 133 of the 200 laps in the race.

Last year's top rookie in the second-tier series, Suarez began racing karts in Mexico and moved to North Carolina as a teenager to pursue a career at NASCAR's national level. He had to teach himself English by watching cartoons on American television and moved through NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program to land a job with JGR.

Suarez is the first D4D driver to win a championship.

Suarez has soared in his second season with Gibbs and benefited when teammate Jones, the pre-Chase favorite to win the title. As Jones struggled down the stretch, Suarez upped his performance. He won at Dover to move through the Round of 12 and was runner-up at Kentucky and third at Charlotte. Then, Suarez registered finishes of third (Kansas), fifth (Texas) and fifth (Phoenix) to set up his championship-clinching victory at Homestead.

This will surely make him an even bigger star back home. On a return trip to Mexico with NASCAR officials last month, he was celebrated like he was Dale Earnhardt Jr.

For Gibbs, it is his second driver championship in the Xfinity Series but first since Kyle Busch won in 2009.

The Gibbs organization also celebrated its fifth owner's championship in the Xfinity Series.

Sauter puts pieces of puzzle together to win first Truck Series title

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Johnny Sauter remembers well the first time he talked to GMS Racing competition director Mike Beam about making a significant career change. While at the hospital for the birth of his third child in September 2015, Sauter scurried away to the parking deck for a 45-minute chat about driving for the upstart organization.

That period in Sauter's life wound up being the rare lightning-strikes-twice instance of two life-changing events coinciding. The longtime journeyman, in the first year of his partnership with the Maurice Gallagher-owned team, realized his life's dream Friday night by clinching his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with a gritty third-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Though the bonds forged between Sauter and GMS, like his toddler-aged daughter, are barely a year old, the team was front of mind for the veteran driver after crossing under the checkered flag. He offered a rapid succession of thank-yous over the team radio, a champion at last.

"I never thought that would happen," Sauter radioed in during the cool-down lap. "This is because of you guys."

Sauter made a self-described "leap of faith" in the offseason after spending seven seasons with perennial powerhouse ThorSport Racing. During his tenure with the Ohio-based organization, Sauter regularly competed for victories and finished among the top five in series points in five of those seven years.

Yet his first discussions with GMS brought newfound energy, a near-instant comfort level and confidence in the group's dedication to building a title-contending team. Renewing his family's long-running General Motors allegiances by shifting to a Chevrolet team was also an important motivator.

"People is a big ingredient," Sauter said. "There's just a lot of little things. I could sit here all night and talk about it. It's just the whole package. I just felt very comfortable about meeting the Gallagher family. I'm not sitting up here blowing smoke, I'm telling you the truth. I felt very comfortable that night and knew that this was something I wanted to be a part of."

For Gallagher, the move to bring Sauter to the fold was nearly two years in the making. Since the operation's full-fledged launch in 2014, GMS Racing has fielded trucks for a host of several part-time Sprint Cup stars along with relative newcomers to the series, but the 38-year-old Sauter represented an element that was missing.

"Johnny was that kind of constant," Gallagher said. "He shows up with that kind of experience -- and I call him the old salt -- and you just can't put a price on that kind of been there, done that. He was terrific with the younger guys, and I couldn't ask for a better teammate. It's an investment. You do it, and you hope to have the outcome we had. You'd like to think that every investment pays off. It's hard in this business, but this one has paid off in spades."

The new partnership bore fruit with immediacy after a victory in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The team then peaked in the series' first-ever Chase postseason, with two wins in the Round of 6 clinching Sauter's title shot in style.

Friday night's performance, rallying from a 19th-place starting spot and outdueling former teammate Matt Crafton in a sterling battle down the stretch, represented a coronation for the 15-year veteran with experience in all three NASCAR national series. It also meant the first season-long laurels for Sauter since a championship in the former American Speed Association (ASA) AC-Delco Challenge Series in 2001. And it also signified a long-awaited celebration for a Wisconsin family with a rich devotion to racing.

"It's all about putting the pieces of the puzzle together," Sauter said. "Sometimes it works out, and I've always said, timing is everything. You know, I feel like the timing is good where I'm at right now."

- NASCAR Wire Service

Byron fastest in final Truck practice at Homestead

William Byron was fastest in final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice for the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead Miami Speedway with a speed of 171.778 MPH. 

Byron was followed by Daniel Suarez, Cole Custer, Brady Boswell, Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek, Jesse Little, Cameron Hayley, Ben Rhodes, and Grant Enfinger.

Bell was the only Championship contender within the top-10. Matt Crafton was 15th, Timothy Peters was 18th, and Johnny Sauter was 23rd. 

35 drivers practiced during the session. 

Newman leads first Sprint Cup practice at Homestead

HOMESTEAD, FL – Ryan Newman led opening Sprint Cup Series practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday with a speed of 175.387 MPH.

Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Joey Logano (Chase), and Jimmie Johnson (Chase) rounded out the Top-5.

Kyle Busch 8th, and Carl Edwards 9th, were the other Chase drivers who participated.

Dylan Lupton was slowest at 164.554 MPH.

The driver who would miss the race if things stayed the same is Gray Gaulding, who was the slowest of 5 drivers on open teams.

Tyler Reddick to Compete in Multiple NASCAR XFINITY Series Races in 2017

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 18, 2016) – Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today that Tyler Reddick, a current driver and a three-time winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), will pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro in multiple NASCAR XFINITY Series races in 2017. Reddick, 20, will share the No. 42 Chevrolet with 2014 NASCAR Sprint Series Rookie of the Year and 2016 member of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Kyle Larson. Veteran XFINITY Series crew chief Mike Shiplett will continue to lead the No. 42 team. 

NOTES OF INTEREST:

• Behind the Wheel: Reddick has competed in many forms of dirt and asphalt racing in his still young career. He was the youngest driver to qualify in the pole position at the Eldora Speedway World 100, the youngest driver to win at the East Bay Winter Nationals, and the youngest winner in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. He’s also the youngest driver ever to qualify for a feature race in World of Outlaws Late Model Series. 

• Making his way through NASCAR: Reddick won in his first career start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Rockingham Speedway in 2012. He competed in the NCWTS on a part-time basis in 2013 and 2014, before moving to full-time duties in 2015 and 2016. In 62 starts, Reddick has three wins, three poles, 24 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes.  He finished second in the NCWTS standings in 2015 and after a win, seven top-five and 11 top-10s in 2016, Reddick currently sits ninth in the standings.

CGR QUOTEBOARD:

• Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing:  “Tyler is one of those rare young talents that everyone here at Chip Ganassi Racing feels has a chance at the next level in NASCAR. We feel that he can learn a lot being here with our team and getting to work with Kyle as they both have very similar racing backgrounds. I am looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of one of our cars.”

• Tyler Reddick, Driver No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro: “I'm very excited to have the opportunity to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 42 XFINITY Series team this coming year. It’ll definitely be a learning curve, but sharing the car with Kyle Larson will speed up my learning process. I feel very fortunate to be a part of a winning organization and without a doubt plan to win races as well. I would like to thank every single person that has put forward an effort to help elevate my career to this point.”

- Chip Ganassi Racing

Byron leads first Trucks practice at Homestead

William Byron was fastest during opening NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice at Homestead Miami Speedway with a speed of 171.411 MPH.

Kyle Larson was second, followed by Johnny Sauter, Cole Custer, Matt Crafton, Tyler Reddick, Ben Kennedy, Ben Rhodes, Daniel Hemric, and Spencer Gallagher.

Sauter, Crafton are among four drivers competing for the championship in the season-finale. Timopthy Peters was 11th and Christopher Bell, the remaining Chase driver, was 14th during the session.

34 drivers practiced during the session.

Allgaier 'We're all even' going into Homestead

Justin Allgaier is one of four drivers left competing for the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) championship this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS).

“Going into Homestead, we’re all even," Allgaier said. "We’ve got a 25- percent chance, a one-in-four shot at winning it (the championship), the same as everybody else does. For us, you sit on the pole and you win the race, that’s all you can do. We have to do as close to that as we can. The faster we go in qualifying, the faster we are in the race. All of that makes our job a lot easier when it comes down to the checkered flag and the championship. I’m confident that our BRANDT Professional Agriculture team can go out and make it happen."

The 30-year-old driver has eight top-10 finishes in 10 starts on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

In six NXS starts at HMS, Allgaier has a best finish of 11th twice (2010, 2012). During the 2016 NXS Chase, Allgaier has posted two top-five and five top-10 finishes in six races, with an average finish of 7.7.

Sadler prepares for Final 4 XFINITY bout

Elliott Sadler enters the weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS) as one of the four eligible drivers to win the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Chase.

“We have done everything that we need to do to get ready for Homestead and we are as prepared as we can be as a race team," Sadler said. "We have saved our Darlington car which is our best car for Homestead. I have a lot of experience, I need to be a leader, and I need to stay focused. We are fortunate to be in this position to go fight three other guys for the driver championship and a few others for the owner championship. We are going to go make the most of it.”

Sadler has 10 NXS starts at HMS and has one top five along with four top-10 finishes. In 10 races at 1.5-mile tracks this season, Sadler has one win (Kentucky), four top-five and 9 top-10 finishes.

JR Motorsports race operations manager Mike Bumgarner will serve as crew chief of the No. 1 OneMain Financial team at HMS.

Still in the Hunt for 2016 NXS Owner Championship: Heading into this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, JR Motorsports is still in the hunt for its first NASCAR Xfinity Series owner championship as an organization with the No. 1 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Camaro. Owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and driven by Sadler, the No. 1 entry has three wins, 13 top fives and 28 top 10s on the season.

Full schedule for Homestead-Miami

The NASCAR Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series gather for the season-finale tripleheader at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Check out the full schedule below.


Note: All times are ET

FRIDAY, NOV. 18:
ON TRACK
-- 8:30-9:30 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS1
-- 10:30-11:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1
-- 12:30-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 2-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 3:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS1
-- 5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 6:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App 
-- 8 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (134 laps, 201 miles), FS1

SATURDAY, NOV. 19:
ON TRACK
-- 10-10:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App
-- 11:15 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, CNBC/NBC Sports App
-- 1-1:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
-- 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

SUNDAY, NOV. 20:
ON TRACK
-- 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App

- NASCAR

Crafton seeks third Truck Series title at Homestead

After starting 10th and finishing third in last weekend's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix, Matt Crafton raced his way into the series' Championship 4 to compete for his third series title at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Ford EcoBoost 200 on Friday night.

The third-place result was Crafton’s sixth top-five finish in 16 starts at PIR, and allowed the Menards driver to clinch a spot in the ‘Championship 4’ for the NCWTS finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway next Friday night.

“We just raced as hard as we could all night," Crafton said. "We just kept tuning on it, and raced smart. Timothy (Peters), he had nothing to lose, he was throwing Hail Mary’s without a doubt. We couldn’t take any chances and get ourselves thrown out. I kept an eye on him, and the 21 (Johnny Sauter). We just raced our butts off, and we’re going to Homestead.”

In 22 starts in 2016, Crafton has one pole (Atlanta), two wins, and has led 436 laps en route to eight top-five, and 15 top-10 finishes.

In 383 career NCWTS starts, Crafton has earned 12 poles, led 2125 laps en route to 13 wins, 97 top-five, and 225 top-10 finishes.

Johnson goes for record breaking title at Homestead

Jimmie Johnson will try to finish ahead of Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano to win his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Ford EcoBoost 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

If Johnson wins that seventh titlr, it will tie him with NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most Sprint Cup championships in a career.

It's definitely different, there's just no way around that," Johnson said tgis week. "The way I've won championships before, it was a 10-race, stressful environment.

"The way things unfolded for me this year, I had three stressful races worrying about points. I won Charlotte, had a couple weeks off, then I won Martinsville, had a couple weeks off, and then go back to the stress again."

Johnson has a best finish at Homestead of second, which came in 2010 when he won his fifth in a row of his six current championships. Edwards won that race.

The point is, Johnson has a chance to make NASCAR history this weekend at Homestead.

Mike Bumgarner named Sadler's Miami crew chief

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 15, 2016) -- JR Motorsports race operations manager Mike Bumgarner will serve as crew chief of the No. 1 OneMain Financial team this Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway as driver Elliott Sadler vies for the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship.

Bumgarner will fill the role normally occupied by Kevin Meendering. Meendering is serving a one-race suspension as it was determined last Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway that two lugnuts were not satisfactorily fastened to the No. 1 car at the end of the Ticket Galaxy 200. NASCAR announced the infraction and penalty following the event.

"We let Kevin ultimately make this decision because it's his team," said general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller. "Kevin chose Mike to sit in the crew chief's seat and for good reason -- he is experienced atop the pit box and very dependable. We have a great deal of confidence in Mike to give Elliott his best opportunity to win on Saturday."

As one of the drivers left standing in the XFINITY Series Championship 4, Sadler can win his first NASCAR title in Saturday's season finale. The Emporia, Virginia, native enters the race with three wins in 2016, 13 top-fives and 28 top-10s in 32 starts. He will compete against JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier and Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez.

Bumgarner, a native of Huntersville, N.C., is a 22-year veteran in NASCAR. He spent 18 years at Hendrick Motorsports, where he worked on cars for Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch. In 2007, he was crew chief on Busch's No. 5 Chevrolet, which won four races and three pole awards. Bumgarner came to JRM in 2013 as crew chief for Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet in the No. 5 NXS entry. The following year he was promoted to oversee race operations for all JR Motorsports teams.

Kenseth's title hopes erased after bizarre turn of events

By JENNA FRYER (AP)

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — As Matt Kenseth left the garage at Phoenix International Raceway, his crew chief hung his arm over the driver in an attempt to lift their spirits.

Kenseth had been two laps away from victory and a spot in next week's championship race.

Instead, he had a wrecked race car and a pink slip from NASCAR's playoffs.

"I felt so bad for him. He drove his heart out all day long and it's just one of those things that happens," said team owner Joe Gibbs.

It was a split-second decision that cost Kenseth his season, but opened the door for teammate Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, his most despised rival a year ago.

A late caution forced Kenseth, only two trips around Phoenix away from the win, to withstand a two-lap overtime shootout to collect his checkered flag. He was in the lead and on the outside of Alex Bowman when Busch bumped into Bowman.

Bowman bobbled but was still on the bottom line as he and Kenseth entered the corner. Kenseth dropped low because spotter Chris Osborne told him he was clear, but he and Bowman instead collided.

Just like that, Kenseth was done.

"It's a team effort. Win as a team, lose as a team. I can't blame Chris," Kenseth said. "I didn't see what happened. He said I was clear, so I started looking toward the corner and got turned around. So many things happen in a hurry. All I know is I was looking at the corner, trying to think about getting off turn 2 to try to go win the race."

The sequence allowed both Logano and Busch to advance into next Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But Busch was initially focused only on redeeming himself with Kenseth because he believed his contact with Bowman on the restart triggered the Kenseth crash.

Joe Gibbs Racing had four drivers in the round of eight and was vying to sweep the championship field. Carl Edwards went to Phoenix already locked into the finale, but three Gibbs drivers were vying for the remaining two slots. They dismissed all notion of cutthroat competition, and the four drivers spent Saturday morning hiking a nearby mountain together.

So Busch felt awful about Kenseth's turbulent turn.

"Right now it feels pretty (expletive), but tomorrow it might feel a lot better," Busch said. "I'm not sure, depends on what Matt's interpretation is and whether or not he can forgive. I just feel really bad about what happened there on that last restart. The 20 (Kenseth) should have been the Gibbs car to go through."

Osborne, though, accepted blame for the accident after falsely indicating it was safe to move to the bottom lane. He posted on Twitter an apology for his role in the Kenseth's Chase ending. He said this error was "on me!!"

Curiously, there's a second defining moment of Kenseth's season that also was linked to a spotter.

On the last lap of the Daytona 500, Kenseth threw a block that backfired and helped teammate Denny Hamlin win the race. At the time, Osborne was recovering from a car accident, and there was speculation that the replacement spotter contributed to Kenseth's incorrect decision to block.

Kenseth, meanwhile, failed to advance to the finale in all three of its years since the creation of the elimination format.

Logano is going back for the second time in three years and got there by winning an elimination race for the second time of these playoffs. He'll be trying to give Roger Penske a season sweep during its 50th anniversary season. Simon Pagenaud won the IndyCar title in September.

"I've never felt this good about a win before," Logano said. "There was so much on the line and everyone brings their A-game when it comes to winning championships and this team did it."

Busch finished second and earned a chance to defend last year's title. He'll meet Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, who is seeking a record-tying seventh championship, in Homestead.

Eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday were Kevin Harvick, an eight-time winner at Phoenix who had raced in the last two finales, as well as his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch. Gibbs drivers Kenseth and Denny Hamlin were also knocked out of the field.

Logano wins Phoenix as he and Kyle Busch complete final 4

via AP.

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Matt Kenseth's misfortune gave Joey Logano a chance to race for the championship.

In an improbable turn of events, Kenseth came within two laps of a spot in next week in the title-deciding finale to eliminated from NASCAR's playoffs. Logano was gifted a victory Sunday that put him in the final four after a tense double-overtime event at Phoenix International Raceway.

Kenseth had the win in hand until a late caution sent the race to extra laps. Although he cleared traffic on the restart, his teammate Kyle Busch had contact with Alex Bowman that altered Bowman's racing line.

Kenseth's spotter told the driver he was clear, but he actually cut down on Bowman and the contact caused him to crash.

Logano saw the sequence unfolding, let off his gas early, and slid into the lead after the accident. He then held off Busch in the second overtime for the win that qualified him for the championship next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Prior to Kenseth's accident, Logano was in danger of elimination.

"I'm like 'Oh, shoot, we're out,' and it was going to be so close there at the end to try to get ourselves through, and next thing you know the caution comes out and the whole game changes," Logano said. "We find ourselves as the leader and we win the race. That's NASCAR racing at its finest."

Logano won the race — the second time in this Chase he used a victory in an elimination race to advance — and will race for his first Sprint Cup title next Sunday. He'll be trying to give Roger Penske a season sweep during its 50th anniversary season. Simon Pagenaud won the IndyCar title in September.

"I've never felt this good about a win before," Logano said. "There was so much on the line and everyone brings their A-game when it comes to winning championships and this team did it.

"I feel like I just won the Daytona 500 again."

Busch finished second and earned a chance to defend last year's title. He'll meet Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, who is seeking a record-tying seventh championship, in Homestead.

JGR, which was trying to get all four of its Toyotas into the final , wound up with only two and Busch wasn't feeling celebratory. He believed his contact with Bowman triggered the accident that wrecked Kenseth's season.

"It's really unfortunate and devastating to have the race come down like that," Busch said. "That's so frustrating and aggravating, and I feel horrible."

Eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday were Kevin Harvick, an eight-time winner at Phoenix who had raced in the last two finales, as well as his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch. Gibbs drivers Kenseth and Denny Hamlin were also knocked out of the field.

"Disappointing would be the way to put it lightly," Kenseth said. "Finish that race five minutes before that, looked like we had a chance to go race for a championship. It was a big swing in 10 or 15 minutes."

Hamlin finished seventh after a bizarre decision not to pit with the rest of the field for track position. Although it gave him a brief lead, he was no match for drivers with fresh tires.

"I knew it was going to be an uphill climb," Hamlin said.

PIT ROAD PENALTIES: NASCAR picked Sunday to enforce a rule against passing the pace car when a driver dips onto pit road for a stop. Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson were both penalized for the infraction, and the punishment was holding the car for a lap on pit road.

Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were incredulous.

"I don't understand that in the least little bit," Johnson said on his radio. "This is absolutely ridiculous, NASCAR. I have no clue what I did wrong."

Johnson said he'll ask for clarification this week.

"In 15 years, that has never been a concern, and I was always told that the last thing NASCAR wanted to do would be to penalize the leader," Johnson said. "I am still baffled, and I don't know if I will stop being baffled."

BOWMAN OUT FRONT: Alex Bowman badly wants a job for next year, and his continued strong pace as the replacement driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. is giving him a solid case to present to prospective employers.

Bowman had led just nine laps in his first 79 career Sprint Cup races. Six of those laps were earlier this year driving Earnhardt's Chevrolet. A pole-winning run for Sunday's race helped Bowman lead a race-high 194 laps and was attempting to win the race before the late accident. He faded to sixth, and felt bad about his incident with Kenseth.

"I hate it for Matt. I would have raced the hell out of him for the win, but definitely don't want to do that," Bowman said. "Hate that, and it ruined our day, too. So it's unfortunate."

UP NEXT: The season finale at Homestead, where the championship will be decided. Harvick won the race in 2014 to win his championship, and Kyle Busch won last year to claim the title.