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.
While Goodyear is celebrating the end of the season in Homestead, pronouncing it a ‘good year’, they are already manufacturing tires for the New Year and preparing for new season testing.
In a thrilling green-white-checkered finish, Matt Kenseth, behind the wheel of the No. 20 GameStop/Rock Candy Toyota, held both Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson at bay to win the 20th annual Ford EcoBoost 300.
For Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 23 DipYourCar.com Toyota for BK Racing, this season has been one of firsts and lasts. One of those firsts, in the last race of the season, is that he is competing at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the very first time in his career.
Jeff Gordon, who fell out of championship contention last week, scored his first ever pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the 200th pole for Hendrick Motorsports. And with that he also announced that he fully intends to pursue the spoiler role in the NASCAR race season finale.
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet and the likely Rookie of the Year, took a moment to reflect on rookie lessons learned as he met with the media at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the site of the last NASCAR racing of 2014.
In a wide-ranging State of the Sport press conference, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France discussed everything from the new Chase format, the sanctioning body’s domestic violence policies, fights in the sport, and the drivers who may be crowned champion this weekend.
As the final four prepare to thunder to their fate at Homestead, not everyone is thrilled with the new format to determine the Cup champion. Again and again I read how appreciative some are for NASCAR allowing them to do other things on a Sunday afternoon than watch a sport they have abandoned.
The new playoff style Chase format was designed to put the emphasis on winning. Win and you’re in. Depending upon who you ask, it has brought out the best or the worst in the drivers.
The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion from Johnston, Iowa, led a race-high 21 of 86 laps and outdueled Ty Majeski, Kaden Honeycutt and a pack of eight competitors on the final lap to become the 130th competitor to win in the Truck Series division.
Kaden Honeycutt (fifth) earned the most stage points and delivered another top-five finish in the Chase to lead Toyota in Friday night’s NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The 2024 Truck Series champion from Seymour, Wisconsin, posted a pole-winning lap at 177.389 mph in 53.983 seconds for his third Truck pole of 2026, first at Talladega and the 14th of his career.
Rackley W.A.R. will end its NASCAR Truck Series program at the conclusion of this weekend's Chase event at Talladega Superspeedway and following a six-year campaign.
