So it comes down to this. The last race of the lengthy NASCAR season. After 35 points paying races, the final 4 drivers who will race to the championship Sunday have been decided.
Considering that the removal format to pick a champion was released two years back the winner has even won the race. Odds are then that the winner of the race Sunday will even wear the Cup crown. Others could win, but three of the previous five race winners dating back to Tony Stewart in 2011, have also won the title, so don’t be shocked if the motorist celebrating a race win in victory lane Sunday, can also be celebrating his championship.
Here’s how it shakes out one of the four finalists for Sunday’s 36th race of the year for your betting or fantasy racing leagues. Driver Ratings are compiled from 2005-2016 races (23 total) among active drivers in Phoenix. The Driver Rating is a number based on a formula developed by NASCAR which combines”loop info” elements like average running position, average rate under green, variety of fastest laps, and other stats. There’s a maximum of 150 points a driver can earn for each race. The odds are current as of Wednesday.
1. Carl Edwards (7-1). Edwards has 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, along with the name, to Tony Stewart in 2011. Part of the Joe Gibbs Racing team, Edwards will be seeking redemption Sunday, and he might just get it.
2. Jimmie Johnson (7-2). Homestead is one of the few tracks in NASCAR that Johnson hasn’t won at. He runs well here and has the 2nd highest driver evaluation of this 4, 96.7. Johnson will be looking to make history Sunday with a title. When he brings his”A” game and may prevent some of the miscues that the group has endured this year occasionally, Johnson could just pull it off.
3. Kyle Busch (5-1). Busch is looking to defend his name, earned by a win at Homestead this past year. He’s got the third greatest driver evaluation, 95.5. However he hardly left the Championship 4, and has struggled sometimes. However, with one last race and an opportunity to add another name, and Joe Gibbs Racing behind him, Busch could be in position to add another win, and yet another title.
4. Joey Logano (7-1). Logano is possibly the underdog one of the Championship 4. He has never won at Homestead, has the lowest driver rating among the field, 83.5. However, Logano finished fourth last year and headed the second most laps in the race, 72. Logano has been astonishing at times this season and he could certainly be a surprise Sunday by winning his first Cup title.
OTHERS: There will be a total of 36 other drivers trying to acquire Sunday. Chief among them, Matt Kenseth (12-1). Kenseth has the second greatest driver evaluation among the area, 108.4, and won here in 2007. Coming off a disappointing finish at Phoenix last week, Kenseth will be looking to make a strong statement. Kevin Harvick (6-1) was also disappointed a week since he failed to make the cut for the first time because the elimination format started. He also won the raceand the title in 2014, has the fifth greatest driver evaluation, 104.3, and could add another win for his Homestead resume Sunday.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford EcoBoost 400 in Homestead-Miami Speedway will be run on Sunday, November 20. Live coverage will be on NBC starting at 2:00 p.m. ET with the green flag coming just after 2:30 p.m. ET.
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