NASCAR Cup Series

Team Penske announced today that it has reached a multi-year extension with Discount Tire, the world’s largest tire and wheel retailer, to continue as a key marketing partner with the team. Discount Tire will remain a primary sponsor of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang for at least 24 races in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and serve as an associate sponsor for both the No. 2 and No. 22 Ford Fusions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Cole Whitt led his BK Racing teammates to the checkered flag with a 26th-place finish in the No. 26 Speed Stick GEAR Toyota Camry at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Competing in the final race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Whitt was followed by Alex Bowman in the No. 23 DipYourCar.com Toyota Camry who finished 33rd, and JJ Yeley who finished 37th in the DipYourCar.com Toyota Camry.

Watching the Cup finale was like watching most Nationwide races. Few of the participants actually matter. You have your winner, you have those who actually are competing for the prize, and then you have the odd spectacular, special moment. Sunday’s race marked the end of ESPN’s run, which meant no more Allen, no more Dale, no more Andy, no more Rusty, no more Brad, and no more Nicole. A special moment, indeed.

As the Florida sun faded to darkness at Homestead-Miami Speedway and a first-time champion was crowned, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the season’s final race, the Ford EcoBoost 400.

Trevor Bayne’s 57th and final ride in the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion ended prematurely when contact with another car just 60 laps shy of the finish of the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway damaged his car too much to continue on.

Richard Childress Racing teammates Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Austin Dillon finished second, fourth and 25th, respectively.

After battling back from being two laps down, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove his Fastenal Ford to a 22nd-place finish in the 2014 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Greg Biffle looked to be on his way to a solid finish in the season finale Ford EcoBoost 400 when his forward progress was derailed by a flat tire. The flat tire sent Biffle into the outside wall, then to the garage for repairs. The team repaired the damage and Biffle returned to the track to cross the finish line 41st and finish out the season 14th in the Championship standings.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, is the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion following his victory in the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It’s not often that a driver can double down in NASCAR but Kevin Harvick did just that, winning the Ford EcoBoost 400 as well as the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. This was Harvick’s 28th victory in 502 Cup races, his fifth victory of the season and his first victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway.