So it comes down to this. The final race of the lengthy NASCAR season. Following 35 points spending races, the final 4 drivers that will race to the championship Sunday have been decided.
Considering that the elimination format to decide a winner was released two years back the champion has even won the race. Odds are then that the winner of the race Sunday will even wear the Cup crown. Others can triumph, but three of those previous five race winners dating back to Tony Stewart in 2011, have also won the title, so don’t be surprised if the motorist celebrating a race triumph 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 this year for your gambling 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 data” components such as average running position, average rate under green, variety of workouts, and other stats. There’s a maximum of 150 points a driver can earn for every race. The odds are present as of Wednesday.
1. Carl Edwards (7-1). Edwards has just two wins here and the maximum driver rating one of the 4, 109.4. The only driver among the Championship 4 with a number of wins at Homestead, Edwards still has memories of losing the race, and the title, to Tony Stewart at 2011. Section of the Joe Gibbs Racing team, Edwards will be looking for redemption Sunday, and he may just get it.
2. Jimmie Johnson (7-2). Homestead is one of those very few tracks in NASCAR which Johnson hasn’t won at. He works well here though and has the 2nd greatest driver rating of this 4, 96.7. Johnson will be looking to make history Sunday with a seventh title. If he brings his”A” game and can avoid a few of the miscues the group has suffered this year at times, Johnson could pull it off.
3. Kyle Busch (5-1). Busch is seeking to defend his title, made by a win at Homestead this past year. He has the third highest driver evaluation, 95.5. But he barely left the Championship 4, also has struggled at times. But with one last race and an opportunity to bring another title, and Joe Gibbs Racing behind himBusch could be in position to add another triumph, and another name.
4. Joey Logano (7-1). Logano is possibly the underdog among the Championship 4. He’s never won at Homestead, gets the lowest driver evaluation among the area, 83.5. However, Logano finished fourth here last year and led the 2nd 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 motorists seeking to win Sunday. Chief among them, Matt Kenseth (12-1). Kenseth has the 2nd highest driver evaluation among the area, 108.4, and acquired here in 2007. Coming off a disappointing finish at Phoenix last week, Kenseth will be seeking to make a powerful statement. Kevin Harvick (6-1) was also disappointed last week since he failed to make the cut for the first time since the elimination format started. He also won the raceand the title in 2014, has the fifth best driver evaluation, 104.3, and may add another win for his Homestead restart Sunday.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford EcoBoost 400 in Homestead-Miami Speedway will be conducted on Sunday, November 20. Live coverage will be on NBC beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET with the green flag coming just after 2:30 p.m. ET.
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