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Homestead NASCAR: Kevin Harvick clinches 2014 Sprint Cup title

Kevin Harvick became 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion with victory in a highly dramatic decider at Homestead

The Stewart-Haas driver had to fight back from 12th place in the closing stages after taking on four tyres in the final pitstops while others changed just two or stayed out.

He made it to the front just before the last caution of the yellow-strewn race and then held off fellow title contender Ryan Newman for the win.

Harvick, polesitter Jeff Gordon and Chase protagonist Denny Hamlin all had spells in control of the event, with fourth championship hopeful Joey Logano also in the thick of the lead battle and Newman making rapid progress from 21st on the grid to join them.

The title quartet's fortunes varied through the race as their cars' handling changed through stints, leaving the outcome uncertain to the finish.

It was only the final pitstops that spread the championship pack out, with Hamlin choosing not to pit and remaining up front with Gordon, Newman leaping forward by changing only two tyres, Harvick dropping back as he changed all four and Logano's championship bid ending altogether when a jack problem dumped him right down to 29th.

Harvick made rapid progress in the next brief spell of racing between yellows, reaching seventh place before the next caution and then gaining another spot when Gordon decided he did need new tyres after all.

That left Hamlin leading from Newman going into the final 10 laps, but Harvick's fresh tyres proved ideal at the next restart and he burst through from sixth to second almost immediately.

An easy pass on Hamlin followed, and Harvick then just had to hold Newman off through one last restart and three-lap sprint to the flag to claim his first Cup title.

Second was Newman's best result of a win-less year, while Hamlin tumbled down to seventh behind Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth.

Gordon got back to 10th in a race that he had dominated at times, leading 161 of the 267 laps. Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson finished just ahead of him.

Sixteenth was the best Logano could manage. Even before his pit woe he had already fallen to the rear of the Chase group when a brush with the wall affected his Penske Ford's handling then prompted a slight pit delay while damaged bodywork was pulled clear of his tyres.

RESULTS - 267 LAPS:

Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 3h16m31.s
2 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 0.500s
3 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford -
4 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet -
5 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet -
6 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota -
7 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota -
8 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota -
9 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -
10 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -
11 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet -
12 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -
13 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet -
14 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -
15 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet -
16 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford -
17 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet -
18 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet -
19 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford -
20 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet -
21 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford -
22 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford -
23 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota -
24 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet -
25 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet -
26 Cole Whitt Swan Racing Toyota -
27 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford -
28 Brian Scott Circle Sport Chevrolet -
29 Landon Cassill Circle Sport Chevrolet -
30 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford -
31 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford -
32 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet -
33 Alex Bowman BK Racing Toyota -
34 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford -
35 Michael Annett Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet -
36 Brett Moffitt Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota -
37 J.J. Yeley BK Racing Toyota -
38 Blake Koch Go FAS Racing Ford -
39 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota -
40 A.J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet -
41 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford -
42 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing Ford -
43 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet -

FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

Pos Driver Points
1 Kevin Harvick 5043
2 Ryan Newman 5042
3 Denny Hamlin 5037
4 Joey Logano 5028
5 Brad Keselowski 2361
6 Jeff Gordon 2348
7 Matt Kenseth 2334
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2301
9 Carl Edwards 2288
10 Kyle Busch 2285
11 Jimmie Johnson 2274
12 Kurt Busch 2263
13 A.J. Allmendinger 2260
14 Greg Biffle 2247
15 Kasey Kahne 2234
16 Aric Almirola 2195
17 Kyle Larson 1080
18 Jamie McMurray 1014
19 Clint Bowyer 979
20 Austin Dillon 958
21 Paul Menard 944
22 Brian Vickers 921
23 Marcos Ambrose 870
24 Martin Truex Jr. 857
25 Tony Stewart 799
26 Casey Mears 782
27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 757
28 Danica Patrick 735
29 Justin Allgaier 636
30 David Gilliland 554
31 Cole Whitt 532
32 David Ragan 531
33 Michael Annett 531
34 Reed Sorenson 516
35 Alex Bowman 412
36 Josh Wise 405
37 Michael McDowell 255
38 Travis Kvapil 214
39 Ryan Truex 193
40 Terry Labonte 88
41 Jeff Burton 87
42 Michael Waltrip 76
43 David Stremme 75
44 Timmy Hill 62
45 Brett Moffitt 60
46 Bobby Labonte 54
47 Parker Kligerman 54
48 Juan Pablo Montoya 47
49 Alex Kennedy 47
50 Dave Blaney 46
51 David Reutimann 37
52 Boris Said 28
53 Nelson Piquet Jr. 18
54 Eddie MacDonald 9
55 Tomy Drissi 6
56 Clay Rogers 2
57 Landon Cassill 0
58 Sam Hornish Jr. 0
59 Trevor Bayne 0
60 Brian Scott 0
61 Ty Dillon 0
62 Ryan Blaney 0
63 Joe Nemechek 0
64 J.J. Yeley 0
65 Blake Koch 0
66 Mike Bliss 0
67 Regan Smith 0
68 Morgan Shepherd 0
69 Johnny Sauter 0
70 Eric McClure 0
71 Matt Crafton 0
72 Mike Wallace 0
73 Kyle Fowler 0
74 Joey Gase 0
75 Corey LaJoie 0



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