Posted on by Staff Report

The Candy Man can. And did.

Kyle Busch secured his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, besting perhaps the most impressive field of championship contenders in the six-year history of the elimination-style playoffs.

Busch outran fellow finalists Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr., winning the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 on the strength of a clever pit strategy and a car that came to life under the lights. Hamlin was making his first Championship 4 appearance since 2014, while Harvick and Truex were making return trips to the finale.

RELATED: Race results

“We have a great race team and a great owner,” an emotional Busch said after climbing from his car. “Everybody always says you never give up and we’re no different,. Sometimes we may not be the best, sometimes we may not have the right track position. Today we had a really good car and I could race around and move around.

“There’s always your doubters, there’s always your haters,” Busch said smiling. “You know what? This one’s for the Rowdy Nation. You guys are the best. Thank you so much.”

Busch had claimed the series’ regular-season championship in September, building a stockpile of playoff points that guided him to his fifth straight appearance in the Championship 4 field. The 34-year-old driver also won the title in NASCAR’s premier series in 2015, the second year of the elimination format.

Sunday’s march to the title capped a brilliant — and sometimes, difficult — year for the driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota. A four-win regular season marked his fifth straight year with multiple victories in NASCAR’s top series, but Busch entered the Miami race winless since early June. That skid, plus a dominant Round of 8 from all three of his title competitors, put “Rowdy” and the No. 18 team flying under the radar for championship weekend.

“We had a cold spell there,” crew chief Adam Stevens. “It’s been well-documented, believe it or not. Quite a few questions about it. Felt a little bit like 2015 to me. Take the broken legs out of the equation. We were hot early in 2015 when Kyle came back. We didn’t win since Indy that year, then came to Homestead and got the job done.”

Busch also scored four Xfinity Series wins and five victories in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series, totals that helped him surpass 200 career wins in NASCAR national series competition in March.

The year was not without tragedy, though. Joe Gibbs’ son J.D., co-founder of Joe Gibbs Racing, died in January after complications after a long battle with a degenerative neurological disease.

“It’s been a difficult time,” Busch said. “To be able to reward them with a championship, I don’t know how much it means to them, but it’s the best I can do. I know JD was looking down on us all season long.”

MORE: Full race recap

Busch becomes the 16th driver with more than one premier series championship. Seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson is the only other active driver with multiple titles on his resume. Busch also is the first repeat champion in the elimination-style postseason.

Both championships came with Stevens calling the shots on the pit box. The 41-year-old crew chief raced dirt late models before starting his NASCAR career as a fabricator with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Busch’s first title was a story of resilience as he recovered from severe leg and foot injuries after a crash in the season-opening weekend at Daytona International Speedway. He missed 11 races but met the criteria for a playoff waiver in a big way, winning five races on his path to a title-clinching performance at Homestead.

Busch also is a former champion of what is now called the NASCAR Xfinity Series, riding a nine-win season to that tour’s title in 2009.

MORE: Hamlin has late issue

Contributing: Holly Cain

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, November 18
12:30 a.m., Glory Road: NASCAR’s Lost Tracks (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR 120: Homestead-Miami, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Monday, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, November 19
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., Wood Brothers (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Wednesday, November 20
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Motormouths, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Thursday, November 21
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Posted on by Staff Report

Every 2019 race, except the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, is comprised of three stages — Stage 1, Stage 2 and the Final Stage. The Coca-Cola 600 added a fourth stage. Drivers who finish in the top 10 in Stage 1 and Stage 2 earn additional race points, with the winner of each stage earning 10 points, second place earning nine points, third place earning eight points, etc., down to one point for 10th place. Stage 3 of the Coca-Cola 600 awards points in the same manner as Stages 1 and 2 in the other races.

The Final Stage produces the race results and awards points across the field.

Below is a cumulative running tally of how many stage points drivers have earned this year, as well as their stage wins — a stage win will provide an additional bonus point per win of the postseason.

RELATED: Stage lengths for the 2019 season

Through Miami
Note: Does not include points earned for the Gander RV Duels at Daytona

2019 TOTAL STAGE POINTS
RANK DRIVER TEAM STAGE POINTS STAGE WINS
1. Joey Logano Team Penske 358 11
2. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 326 6
3. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 294 12
4. Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing 293 9
5. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 271 6
6. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 254 5
7. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 249 5
8. Brad Keselowski Team Penske 238 4
9. Ryan Blaney Team Penske 237 2
10. William Byron Hendrick Motorsports 192 2
t-11. Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing 154 3
t-11. Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 154 1
t-13. Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 144 2
t-13. Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports 144 0
15. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 121 1
16. Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 120 0
17. Daniel Suarez Stewart-Haas Racing 100 0
18. Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 86 2
19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 71 0
20. Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing 57 0
21. Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing 34 0
22. Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing 33 0
23. Ty Dillon Germain Racing 20 2
24. Matt DiBenedetto Leavine Family Racing 16 0
t-25. Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports 15 0
t-25. Daniel Hemric Richard Childress Racing 15 0
27. Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports 7 0
28. Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing 3 0

 

Posted on by Staff Report

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Martin Truex Jr.’s early domination in Sunday’s Monster Energy Series championship race left the impression that he might just win a second title in a walk. The wheels didn’t fall off, though; they just wound up in the wrong place at a crucial time.

A pit-road gaffe during the second stage of the Ford EcoBoost 400 marked the beginning of a downward turn for Truex and the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 team, which rallied but finished second to teammate and eventual champion Kyle Busch. The event marked the second consecutive runner-up result for Truex in the season finale and the corresponding title race.

RELATED: Busch takes home second championship at Miami

“Yeah, these things don’t come around every day,” said Truex, the 2017 series champ. “Second two years in a row definitely stings a little, but the fact that we have one is still really a big deal. It’s hard to win these things. Congrats to Kyle and the 18 guys. It’s a huge accomplishment just to get here I feel like. Yes, sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. It just wasn’t our day.”

Early on, the day belonged to Truex, who led 98 of the first 120 laps before making his scheduled Stage 2 pit stop. The seemingly routine four-tire stop went awry when the tires became mixed up, something No. 19 crew chief Cole Pearn noticed nearly immediately. “I think we got the tires switched. Bring it back to me,” Pearn radioed Truex, who said he knew as soon as he sensed the car’s imbalance on the pit-access road.

That mistake knocked Truex down to 13th place, first among the cars one lap down.

“Yeah, I’ve never had that happen. No. No. I don’t even know what to say,” Truex said post-race. “No. It doesn’t drive good with the left-front on the right-front, though, I can tell you that. It’s very tight.”

Tommy DiBlasi, the No. 19’s tire specialist who joined JGR along with Truex and Pearn from their former home at Furniture Row Racing, said the crew had made no changes to the tire-changing procedures they had used all year.

“I’m not sure,” DiBlasi told NASCAR.com. “We had them laid out the same way we always have them laid out, and the tire carrier picks up the two tires that he goes over the wall with, and I guess he just accidentally grabbed the wrong one. It’s all that was. We were coming in to pit, turned around, grabbed two, went over the wall and as soon as the jack dropped, we saw that it said right-rear on the left-front, so it is what it is. People make mistakes, I guess.”

Pearn left his perch atop the pit box to consult with the rest of the crew after the stop, with TV cameras capturing an animated conversation among the group. “They were just trying to figure out what happened,” Pearn said, noting he could only recall a similar incident happening one other time, several years ago at Pocono. “Of course, no one’s got a good answer when stuff goes bad.”

Truex rallied back to the lead lap with a timely caution period on Lap 138 for John Hunter Nemechek’s lazy spin and mounted a charge back to finish fourth in the stage. But the No. 19’s strength wasn’t as pronounced as daytime racing shifted to night for the final stage, and a longer wait to make the team’s last pit stop kept Truex at a further loss with track position. 

Truex made up a small batch of ground during the final stretch, but his pursuit of Busch became a stalemate. He was 4.578 seconds back at the last checkered flag of the season.

“I think we were still really good, I just think everybody got a little bit better,” Pearn said. “They were struggling a bit more in the daytime than what we were, so yeah, we got a little bit tight there that last run. Should’ve maybe adjusted it more for that, but I don’t know. Hindsight’s 20-20.”

Sunday’s finish capped what was an otherwise stellar season for Truex, who contributed a series-best seven wins to JGR’s new single-season record of 19 victories. That overall performance gave Truex his fourth Championship 4 appearance in the last five years, but the final margin wasn’t enough to claim the main trophy.

“Tough to swallow,” Pearn said. “I feel like we put the effort in.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Busch took advantage of a mistake by the crew of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and Championship 4 competitor Martin Truex Jr. to secure the Stage 2 victory in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Stage 2 results 

Kevin Harvick, another Championship 4 driver, placed second, with Kyle Larson third and Championship 4 drivers Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top five.

Halfway through the stage, Truex Jr. — who had led a dominant 98 laps to that point — was forced to make a second trip down pit road after his team made a costly mistake during green flag stops. The No. 19 JGR crew had accidentally swapped his right and front left tires, urging Truex to immediately radio to his crew that something was wrong. The 2017 champ came back down to fix the issue, losing a lap and bowing out of immediate contention.

MORE: Pit-road mistake puts Truex lap down

Busch inherited the lead, but things once again shook up shortly after.

With 24 laps to go, the caution came out when John Hunter Nemechek spun — bringing redemption to the No. 19 crew and handing Truex Jr. the free pass to put him back in contention on the lead lap.

On the ensuing restart, Busch maintained his lead before quickly ceding to Harvick, who led for several laps before Busch re-took the lead with three laps to go for his series-best 12th stage win of the season.

Truex, meanwhile, was feverishly picking cars off in the closing laps, putting together a late Stage 2 run to put himself back into the top five and the title picture.

The Championship 4 driver that finishes highest in the Final Stage wins the championship.

Driver Team Pts
1 Kyle Busch (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing 9
3 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 8
4 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 7
5 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 6
6 Ryan Blaney Team Penske 5
7 Joey Logano Team Penske 4
8 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 3
9 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 2
10 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 1

STAGE 1

Martin Truex Jr. topped Stage 1 in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Looking for a second career title, Truex led 60 of 80 laps in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Kyle Larson, eliminated from championship contention last week at ISM Raceway, was second in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Truex’s teammate and fellow Championship 4 competitor Kyle Busch was third in the No. 18 JGR Toyota. The remainder of the Championship 4 field rounded out the top five, with Kevin Harvick fourth in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and Denny Hamlin fifth in the No. 11 JGR Toyota.

RELATED: Stage 1 results 

Harvick took the lead from polesitter Hamlin on Lap 3, pacing the field out front for 20 laps. Truex, the 2017 champ, overtook the No. 4 shortly after on Lap 21 to hold the lead the rest of the way.

The top 10 was littered with talent, as former 2019 playoff drivers Ryan Blaney, Clint Bowyer and and William Byron placed sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, and seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson placed ninth.

Driver Team Pts
1 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 9
3 Kyle Busch (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing 7
5 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 6
6 Ryan Blaney Team Penske 5
7 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 4
8 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports 3
9 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 2
10 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 1

 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — The racing on intermediate tracks has never been better; ratings are up, bucking a trend among other major sports; and collaboration between stakeholders is at an all-time high.

That was the assessment of NASCAR President Steve Phelps, who took questions from the media on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway before the Ford EcoBoost 400, the race that would decide the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion. 

“If you look at the results — I start with the competition always — our competition right now on the intermediate tracks and the superspeedways, I believe, is the best racing we’ve ever seen. I’ll start with myself as a fan. I love watching and am super excited when we get to the intermediate tracks and superspeedways, the type of racing we are going to see.”

Phelps also shared that the quality of competition has had a positive effect on the viewership.

RELATED: Full Homestead-Miami schedule

“The results from the competition side are working from a consumption standpoint,” he said. “If you look at the fans, what the fans are doing, how they’re responding to it, if you look apples to apples, our ratings are up 4% this year. All of sports is down 9%; we’re plus 4%. 

“Importantly our share is plus 9, so there are fewer people watching television in all sports, obviously, but fewer people watching television overall. So when they were watching, not only did they watch more NASCAR, from a ratings standpoint, but when they were tuned in, they were watching more NASCAR. We were taking share from someone else, which is important. That’s television.”

Phelps also extolled the unprecedented level of communication and cooperation across the stock car racing industry.

“I’ve been teased a little bit about using the word ‘collaboration’ too much,” Phelps said. “I don’t think you can use that word too much, frankly. It’s building. The collaboration of this industry is better than it’s ever been. Really excited about where that is.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that there isn’t room for improvement in the product. Phelps acknowledged that NASCAR will work during the offseason to enhance the quality of racing on tracks of one mile and shorter.

RELATED: Phelps committed to best short-track racing

That’s particularly important, given that ISM Raceway in Phoenix is set to host next year’s Championship 4 race. 

“Do I think we need to work with our industry, Goodyear, our race teams, our OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners to improve what we’re seeing on the short tracks?” Phelps asked. “I do. We’re going to do that in the offseason, for sure.”

As his first full season at NASCAR’s helm concludes, Phelps indicated there has been strong interest from other car makers in joining Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota as competing brands in the sport.

“We had some folks out in Phoenix (last week) that were interested in coming into the sport,” Phelps said. “It’s important for us. We are working hard to try to determine kind of the timing of that, what that looks like, and what that partnership would look like moving forward bringing someone in.

“The world is a lot different than it was. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible to have an OEM come in, plug in, and start to compete on the race track.”

Phelps also said that some form of electrification would be part of NASCAR’s engine architecture in the future and that the ability to attract new OEMs to the sport would be dependent on running engines that maintained relevance to those in production cars.

“This engine is going to sound significantly the same as whatever the current engine is,” Phelps said. “We’re not going to have a bunch of electric cars going around. That’s not what this is about. It’s about having a relevant engine to our OE partners, both the existing Ford, Chevy and Toyota, as well as whoever the new OEs that we’re looking at.”

RELATED: Learn about the events of Champion’s Week

With Monster Energy currently in its final year as sponsor of NASCAR’s premier series, Phelps said NASCAR anticipates announcements with respect to its new sponsorship model when the industry celebrates the new Cup champion in Nashville in early December.

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content
partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

This is it. The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship will be settled today at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin all vying for the title.

Harvick (2014), Busch (2015) and Truex (2017) each have a past championship under their belts, while Hamlin is searching for that elusive first title.

While the battle for the championship will dominate the coverage of today’s Ford EcoBoost 400, there is still a full 40-car field with non-playoff drivers racing for the best finishes possible.

As a result, we still have an opportunity to put together a winning betting card that includes non-playoff drivers.

After analyzing historical results at Homestead, as well as this weekend’s on-track activity, here are two bets I’m making for today’s MENCS 2019 season finale.

NASCAR at Homestead Best Bet Picks

*Odds via the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook at 9 a.m. ET Sunday

Kyle Larson (12-1) to Win

I wrote extensively about why I like Larson  earlier in the week, and all of those points still stand. In fact, I’m surprised to see him float to 12-1 considering his track record at Homestead.

Larson was solid in practice, running the fifth-fastest 10-lap average, but his style at this race track really won’t show up until the race. Kyle can run the wall better than anyone else, but because that line is dangerous, there’s really no reason to mess around with it in practice.

As a result, we likely didn’t see the best of what Larson has to offer, and won’t until today’s race.

Ryan Blaney (60-1)

In all honesty, I’m surprised that I like Blaney so much today. He wasn’t on my radar earlier in the week, but his speed in practice can’t be ignored.

Blaney ranked in the top five in five-, 10-, 15- and 20-lap averages in final practice.

At 60-1, I’m willing to take a shot that he’s a borderline top-five car and give our betting card a longshot with the speed to mix it up with the favorites.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter as I continue adding to my betting card for today’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead.

Posted on by Staff Report

Today, we crown a champion.

Through 35 points-paying races, plenty of triumphs and, yes, some tribulations and heartache as well, four of the top drivers in the sport will compete today for the 2019 Monster Energy Series Championship.

Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. take center stage at Homestead-Miami Speedway in today’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Before we drop the green flag, read through our comprehensive coverage to get fully up-to-speed for Championship Sunday.

The story lines


• Denny Hamlin enters the title race with plenty of momentum. It’s a far cry from last year, when he went winless. New crew chief Chris Gabehart and team owner Joe Gibbs helped rebuild the driver’s confidence. | Read more

• Kevin Harvick vs. Joe Gibbs Racing? Well, yes. Kind of. Harvick going against three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers today isn’t quite as simple as it seems. | Read more

• Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick have had a frosty relationship at times. “Rowdy” details the history between the two, and then explains how things eventually got better. | Watch video

• It’s no secret Martin Truex Jr. and crew Cole Pearn have a tremendous relationship. We dive into what makes them tick — together. | Read more

• Tony Stewart and Joe Gibbs share a long history together. Before they battle for the title — as team owners — they shared stories, and laughs, in a pre-race availability. | Read more

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

The breakdown


• Rain altered the schedule, leading to just one practice. See how each driver fared, their top lap and what they said. | Read more

• Our friends at Racing Insights took 16 statistical categories — representative of the 16 drivers in the playoffs — and ranked the Championship 4 drivers in each. The result? A no-bias view of who the favorite is. | Read more

• Denny Hamlin is the only driver in the title field to never win a championship. We rank the best NASCAR drivers to never win a title. | Read more

• While Hamlin goes for his first crown, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch all go for their second. They’d join a prestigious list of multi-time champions. | Read more

• In the elimination-style format, the eventual Cup Series champion has won the title race every year. There have been plenty of other clutch moments in these playoffs, too. | Read more

2019 Cuphero2

The stats


• Rain meant there was just one practice, and it was Kyle Busch who was fastest. See the entire speed chart. | Read more

• Canceled qualifying means Denny Hamlin, who came into the weekend as the top seed due to Round of 8 performance, starts from the pole position. | See the full lineup

• Kyle Busch seems to have good short-run speed. The longer the cars ran, though, the faster Martin Truex Jr. got. Check out our full breakdown of lap averages. | Read more

The picks


• Time to race. Each member of the NASCAR.com editorial staff makes his or her pick for the 2019 Monster Energy Series champion. | Read more

• Two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers opened as favorites in the Vegas books — catch up on the latest movement here. | Read more

• Championships can be won in Fantasy Live, too — or at the very least, bragging rights are on the line. Get the scoop on our recommended drivers to play and avoid. | Read more

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR season boils down to one final Monster Energy Series challenge with four drivers competing for the title in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Racing Insights Power Index | Weekend schedule

The home office has opinions aplenty. So here are NASCAR.com’s staff predictions for the Championship 4 showdown:

Staff Champion pick The lowdown
Zack Albert Kevin Harvick There’s something to be said for having the resources of a whole organization behind a single driver, a push that should help the most recent winner at a 1.5-mile track cash in with a second premier-series crown.
Pat DeCola Kyle Busch Busch has been my pick from Day 1 and throughout the season, so I might as well keep it now that he’s here. Everyone seems to be counting him out — and look, I get it, that winless stretch is concerning — but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this business it’s to never overlook driver No. 18. Rowdy will rise.
Marissa Fuller Denny Hamlin Denny Hamlin has proven himself time and time again — all season long — winning clutch races and having dominant performances. With crew chief Chris Gabehart in his corner, momentum coming off a huge win at Phoenix and a pole position to start, Hamlin’s hunt for redemption will land the No. 11 in Victory Lane.
RJ Kraft Kevin Harvick I picked Harvick at the start of the playoffs and I’m not backing away from statistically the best of the Championship 4 at Miami. Plus, the “Game 7” moments and “us vs. the world/JGR” mentality are things he feeds off of and thrives.
Jonathan Merryman Denny Hamlin Hamlin finally gets over the hump thanks to a spectacular relationship with Chris Gabehart and a brand-new outlook established early in 2019.
Brad Norman Martin Truex Jr. Give me a somehow-under-the-radar Cole Pearn calling the shots atop the pit box and the cool, steady hands of veteran Martin Truex Jr. to get it done when the stakes are highest.
Terrin Waack Denny Hamlin Picked Hamlin before the NASCAR Playoffs began and sticking with him now. Hamlin needed to win the Round of 8 elimination race, and he did just that to make the Championship 4. This is now the next race he needs to win, and watch it happen.
Alex Weaver Denny Hamlin The No. 11 team has J.D. Gibbs pulling them toward the checkered and the hopes of redemption for Denny. With things clicking on all cylinders, it’s no longer a “no championship” label for Hamlin after Sunday.
Chase Wilhelm Martin Truex Jr. Truex and crew chief Cole Pearn have proven time after time they’re the best when it comes to races that transition from day to night, and they seem to be the most relaxed this weekend. They’ll hoist their second championship trophy Sunday night.
George Winkler Denny Hamlin He could have folded after a 28th-place finish at Texas, but he got the clutch win at ISM Raceway to keep the dream alive and this is his year to get it done.

 

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – As Tyler Reddick celebrated a second consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series championship Saturday night in South Florida, the other three Championship 4 contenders were wondering what could have been.

The 200-lap season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway saw a handful of mistakes that ultimately hurt contenders Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell and Cole Custer.

RELATED: Official race results

The problems began with Custer when he reported a loose wheel on his No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford at Lap 58 and was forced to pit two laps later. Custer was able to use fresh Goodyear tires to earn his lap back, passing leader Austin Cindric on the final lap of Stage 2.

Custer was able to rally back in the final stage, taking the lead from Reddick under the final green-flag pit cycle with less than 40 laps remaining. The battle between the two drivers intensified in the closing laps. Reddick used his prowess to run against the wall, retake the lead from Custer and run away with the championship.

Despite bitter defeat, Custer was able to keep the positives in mind after finishing second in points in his final full-time Xfinity Series run before transitioning to the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

“It was a cool race,” Custer said. “The three of us were really close there for a while. I could match Tyler’s lap time up there, but he made a good move up there with a slide job and I just couldn’t get him back.

“I just started pushing harder to try to close the gap somehow and I just got in the fence a little bit. It sucks, but at the same time, we can move on from it and we had a good day.”

For Bell, an attempt to make his final green-flag pit stop with 41 laps remaining served as the dagger for his title chances after missing pit road. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver led 37 laps prior to the miscue.

Although Bell was able to retake the lead with the time he gained with fresh tires while Custer and Reddick made stops, he wasn’t able to keep the duo at bay. Bell had to settle for a fifth-place finish in the race and third in the final standings before he moves up to the Monster Energy Series to pilot the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota in 2020.

“It was just a miscommunication,” Bell said. “I don’t know if my spotter didn’t get told what our cue word was, but I told got the cue word to pit and then all of a sudden, I started pitting and he said, not now, not now.  But that didn’t matter whenever you get beat by 17 seconds.”

As for Allgaier, he admitted the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet lacked the necessary speed from the beginning of the race weekend in order to be competitive. Allgaier was never able to jump ahead of the other three title contenders, and scrapping the wall with less than 20 laps remaining was the final straw, finishing 14th.

“It was disappointing because we felt like yesterday in practice, the seven laps that we got, that our balance was pretty good,” Allgaier said. “We were excited about tonight because the things we worked on yesterday and in the shop and try to make better for our program, we had done.

“Unfortunately, tonight we were just way too loose and way too loose to really push at the speed those guys were running.”