Therefore it comes down to this. The final race of this lengthy NASCAR season. Following 35 points spending races, the last 4 drivers that will race for the championship Sunday happen to be decided.
Considering that the removal format to decide a winner was released two years back the champion has also won the race. Odds are then the winner of this race Sunday will even wear the Cup crown. Others could triumph, but three of those previous five race winners dating back to Tony Stewart in 2011, also have won the title, so don’t be surprised if the driver celebrating a race win in victory lane Sunday, can also be celebrating his championship.
Here’s how it shakes out among the four finalists for Sunday’s 36th race of the year for your gambling or fantasy racing leagues. Driver Ratings are compiled from 2005-2016 races (23 total) among active drivers at Phoenix. The Driver Rating is a number based on a formula developed by NASCAR which unites“loop info“ components such as average running posture, average speed under green, number of workouts, and other stats. There’s a maximum of 150 points a driver can make for each race. The chances are present as of Wednesday.
1. Carl Edwards (7-1). Edwards has just two wins here along with the highest driver rating among the 4, 109.4. The only driver among the Championship 4 with multiple wins at Homestead, Edwards still has memories of losing the race, and the name, to Tony Stewart in 2011. Part of the Joe Gibbs Racing team, Edwards will be seeking salvation Sunday, and he may just get it.
2. Jimmie Johnson (7-2). Homestead is one of the very few tracks in NASCAR that Johnson hasn’t won at. He works well here though and has the second highest driver evaluation of the 4, 96.7. Johnson will be looking to make history Sunday with a title. When he brings his“A“ game and can avoid a few of the miscues the team has endured this season at times, Johnson could just pull it off.
3. Kyle Busch (5-1). Busch is seeking to defend his name, made by a win at Homestead this past year. He’s got the third highest driver rating, 95.5. However he barely made the Championship 4, and has struggled at times. However, with one final race and a chance to bring another title, and Joe Gibbs Racing behind himBusch could be in position to add another win, and another title.
4. Joey Logano (7-1). Logano is possibly the underdog one of the Championship 4. He’s never won at Homestead, gets the lowest driver evaluation among the field, 83.5. But Logano finished fourth here last year and headed the second most laps in the race, 72. Logano has been astonishing at times this year and he could certainly be a surprise Sunday by winning his first Cup title.
OTHERS: There will be a total of 36 other motorists seeking to acquire Sunday. Chief among them, Matt Kenseth (12-1). Kenseth has the second greatest driver rating one of the area, 108.4, also acquired here in 2007. Coming off a disappointing finish at Phoenix a week, Kenseth will be seeking to make a strong statement. Kevin Harvick (6-1) was also disappointed last week as he failed to make the cut for the first time because the elimination format started. He also won the race, and the name in 2014, has the fifth best driver rating, 104.3, and may add another win to his Homestead restart Sunday.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be run on Sunday, November 20. Live coverage will be on NBC starting at 2:00 p.m. ET using all the green flag coming only after 2:30 p.m. ET.
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