NASCAR

NASCAR's ‘Final Four' Racing For Championship Sunday at Homestead Miami Speedway

Shortly after 2:30 PM on one and a half miles of asphalt in Homestead, over 40 drivers will hit the gas for 267 laps of the Ford EcoBoost 400 – the final event of the three days of NASCAR championships taking place at the track. But while all those drivers are gunning for a win in the final event of the season, the race in South Miami-Dade is really about four drivers – the championship four.

For the last 13 seasons, the sport has used a “Race for the Championship” format to decide its winner each year. Some of the formulas have been controversial and adjusted over that time, but the current system seems to have avoided controversy during its first three years of existence.

For the last nine races, the field of 16 competitors in the chase has been whittled down to racing’s Final Four – a group of drivers that couldn’t be any different if you tried.

All eyes will be on the man in the No. 48 car, Jimmie Johnson. While Johnson has never won in Homestead, the man they call “JJ” is going to be shooting for some elite company – a seventh cup championship that would put him on a level with maybe the sports’ two greatest drivers: Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.

“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. I'm saying, I've got to win a championship,” Johnson said during Thursday’s Media Day at the Loews Hotel on Miami Beach. “I've had to answer the question, and it's something that I guess I've learned to embrace, and I'm honored to have this opportunity.”

To make history, Johnson will have to fight off three pesky challengers – including last season’s series champ, Kyle Busch. The driver of the No. 18 car finished second last week in Phoenix to earn the final spot in this weekend’s championship and is ready for a repeat after winning last year’s race in Homestead to seal his title.

“This year we seemed to have really good races throughout, and we ran consistent, and we did all the things we needed to do,” said Busch. “We scored the most points in order to get ourselves through. We weren't as flashy as maybe some of these other guys.”

For Carl Edwards in the No. 19 car, Homestead hasn’t always had the most positive of memories. In 2011, he was tied with Tony Stewart for total points after the final race, but Stewart won the title based on number of races won during the season.

“I was just thinking that while we were sitting here last time I had this opportunity, it was just against two guys. This is much more dynamic and probably in a lot of ways going to be tougher,” Edwards said. “It's different, but I feel like that experience was very good. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It was a lot of fun.”

The youngest of the four finalists, 26-year-old Joey Logano is enjoying his second time in the championship four in the last three seasons. The No. 22 driver got into the chase with a win last week, but is not letting his disappointment of not winning the title in 2014 cloud what he plans to do Sunday.

“Last week was part one of our championship, and now this is part two. I feel like I've kind of lived this once before as far as last week,” said Logano. “We're going to stay constant to what we typically do…obviously, we all think about what's on the line and we know what's on the line and we make sure that we've talked about everything and thought about everything that can happen and be as prepared as possible.”

Coverage of the Ford EcoBoost 400 begins at 1:30 PM right here on NBC 6, followed by Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football, featuring the Green Bay Packers taking on the Washington Redskins.

Contact Us