Rally GB, Macau GP, Bahrain WEC, NASCAR finale
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NASCAR - Homestead: Hamlin is now right on Harvick for second place.
NASCAR - Homestead: Newman is through to 12th as he becomes the latest man to overtake Kurt Busch.
The closely-matched Hamlin and Logano are gaining a little on Harvick for second now.
The closely-matched Hamlin and Logano are gaining a little on Harvick for second now.
NASCAR - Homestead: Hamlin in third is a second behind Harvick and holding off Logano. He has just reported a bit of smoke in the car, but doesn't think it's anything to worry about.
NASCAR - Homestead: Harvick didn't make it too hard for Gordon to complete that pass. He doesn't have to beat Gordon today.
Now he's back in front, Gordon is running away - his lead is already 2.1s.
Now he's back in front, Gordon is running away - his lead is already 2.1s.
NASCAR - Homestead: Newman now passes Kyle Busch to make it into 13th.
Kurt Busch's slide back has stabilised in 10th.
Of those not in the title hunt, Earnhardt is now up to fifth ahead of Kenseth, Keselowski and Johnson.
Kurt Busch's slide back has stabilised in 10th.
Of those not in the title hunt, Earnhardt is now up to fifth ahead of Kenseth, Keselowski and Johnson.
NASCAR - Homestead: Gordon makes it back past Harvick into the lead, so the title pack are second, third, fourth and now 14th for Newman.
NASCAR - Homestead: Logano passes Kenseth for fourth, so now three of the top four are title contenders, with Gordon the only interloper...
...and his fans would say it's an utter travesty he isn't the fourth title contender anyway.
...and his fans would say it's an utter travesty he isn't the fourth title contender anyway.
NASCAR - Homestead: Onto lap 21, Harvick has inched out a little more of a comfort zone over Gordon.
Third-placed Hamlin can't keep up and is 2.1s back, with a cushion to the battling Kenseth and Logano.
Newman is in a big traffic pack and now 15th.
Third-placed Hamlin can't keep up and is 2.1s back, with a cushion to the battling Kenseth and Logano.
Newman is in a big traffic pack and now 15th.
Homestead
NASCAR - Homestead: Here's what the start looked like a little over 20 minutes ago.
NASCAR - Homestead: Gordon is now coming back at Harvick for the lead, while Logano is the latest to pass Busch and takes fifth.
Newman is in 16th now.
Newman is in 16th now.
NASCAR - Homestead: Busch's reverse down the top six suggests that two-tyre pitstops are only a good tactic in this one if you want some practice at being easily overtaken.
Green flag
NASCAR - Homestead: Back to green on lap 15 and a brilliant restart thrusts Harvick straight past Gordon and Busch into the lead.
Gordon passes Busch too, with Hamlin now following into third.
Gordon passes Busch too, with Hamlin now following into third.
NASCAR - Homestead: That strategy move meant Kurt Busch emerged in the lead, ahead of Gordon, Harvick, and Kenseth, then Hamlin.
A bunch of backmarkers who haven't pitted yet are mixing up the rest of the top 10 order temporarily.
A bunch of backmarkers who haven't pitted yet are mixing up the rest of the top 10 order temporarily.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Homestead: The debris is some form of cable that has come loose from the catch-fencing. That's an odd one.
NASCAR - Homestead: All the leaders are taking this chance to dive in for a first pitstop.
Almost everyone takes four tyres, but Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart opt for just two and consequently leap forward.
Almost everyone takes four tyres, but Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart opt for just two and consequently leap forward.
NASCAR - Homestead: Debris is the official reason for this caution, which has come on lap 10 of 267.
Harvick, Hamlin, Logano and Newman remain second, fifth, eighth and 17th.
Earnhardt has been on the move, passing Kyle Busch and Johnson to move into 10th.
Harvick, Hamlin, Logano and Newman remain second, fifth, eighth and 17th.
Earnhardt has been on the move, passing Kyle Busch and Johnson to move into 10th.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Homestead: And we have our first yellow. Seems to be for a track issue rather than any car in trouble.
NASCAR - Homestead: Title-chaser Logano is past Truex for eighth.
Harvick remains best placed in second, though he's not catching Gordon at present.
Harvick remains best placed in second, though he's not catching Gordon at present.
NASCAR - Homestead: The leaders are starting to spread out a little onto lap seven. Closest battle near the front is Bowyer working on Keselowski for sixth.
Johnson has just passed Kyle Busch for 10th.
A little progress for Newman - he's into 17th.
Johnson has just passed Kyle Busch for 10th.
A little progress for Newman - he's into 17th.
NASCAR - Homestead: Busch tells his Stewart-Haas team that little loss of ground was because his Chevrolet jumped out of gear.
Harvick passes Kenseth for second on lap four. Gordon is half a second ahead in the lead.
Harvick passes Kenseth for second on lap four. Gordon is half a second ahead in the lead.
NASCAR - Homestead: Busch loses a bit of ground, but then new second place man Keselowski also has a slide and falls back.
That allows Kenseth into second, and now Harvick takes third from Busch.
Hamlin, Logano and Newman are sixth, ninth and 18th.
That allows Kenseth into second, and now Harvick takes third from Busch.
Hamlin, Logano and Newman are sixth, ninth and 18th.
Green flag
NASCAR - Homestead: The green flag is out, here we go.
Gordon resists a big challenge from Kurt Busch to hold the lead.
Gordon resists a big challenge from Kurt Busch to hold the lead.
Green flag
NASCAR - Homestead: The cars are rolling for the pace laps.
Two drivers we should've mentioned in our grid rundown by the way are Earnhardt and Johnson - they share row six, definitely close enough to the front to have an impact.
This race is 267 laps, which equates to 400 miles, and it should last a little over three hours.
Two drivers we should've mentioned in our grid rundown by the way are Earnhardt and Johnson - they share row six, definitely close enough to the front to have an impact.
This race is 267 laps, which equates to 400 miles, and it should last a little over three hours.
NASCAR - Homestead: And if Hamlin is a dark horse, Newman is... well he's possibly not even a horse.
A championship for Newman will either be an amazing underdog success, or a farce that makes a mockery of the winner-takes-all format.
He hasn't won in 2014, but the championship system did still leave room for someone to creep through on very consistent points scoring, and that's exactly what Newman has done.
A championship for Newman will either be an amazing underdog success, or a farce that makes a mockery of the winner-takes-all format.
He hasn't won in 2014, but the championship system did still leave room for someone to creep through on very consistent points scoring, and that's exactly what Newman has done.
NASCAR - Homestead: Hamlin is a dark horse. The Joe Gibbs Toyotas have been quick this year, but rarely Penske/Hendrick/Stewart-Haas quick.
His only win of 2014 came at Talladega, but he did win here at Homestead 12 months ago and thinks this one-race shootout format could help him.
His only win of 2014 came at Talladega, but he did win here at Homestead 12 months ago and thinks this one-race shootout format could help him.
NASCAR - Homestead: But the other dominant force on pure pace this year has been Penske and its Fords.
Keselowski isn't in this title shootout but his team-mate Logano is, and he's taken five race wins in 2014.
Keselowski isn't in this title shootout but his team-mate Logano is, and he's taken five race wins in 2014.
Kevin Harvick
NASCAR - Homestead: Many people's money is on Kevin Harvick.
He's been ferociously fast since joining Stewart-Haas for this year, as four wins and an amazing eight poles attest - and that's not counting the many, many races where something went wrong when he was looking good for a win.
He was untouchable at Phoenix a week ago, too.
NASCAR - Homestead: The man giving the "start your engines command" does so without any inadvertent sexism (a feat not alway achieved) and 43 cars, and tens of thousands of fans, roar.
NASCAR - Homestead:
Here's how they line up:
1 Jeff Gordon
2 Kurt Busch
3 Matt Kenseth
4 Brad Keselowski
5 Kevin Harvick (title contender)
6 Clint Bowyer
7 Kyle Busch
8 Denny Hamlin (title contender)
9 Joey Logano (title contender)
10 Martin Truex Jr
Title contender number four Ryan Newman starts 21st.
Here's how they line up:
1 Jeff Gordon
2 Kurt Busch
3 Matt Kenseth
4 Brad Keselowski
5 Kevin Harvick (title contender)
6 Clint Bowyer
7 Kyle Busch
8 Denny Hamlin (title contender)
9 Joey Logano (title contender)
10 Martin Truex Jr
Title contender number four Ryan Newman starts 21st.
NASCAR - Homestead: We've been through the singing and patriotic and military phases of the traditional pre-race festivities, now we're about to get the cars rolling.
NASCAR - Homestead: What about the other 39 drivers out there? Several are pretty aggrieved not to be in title contention today, but a majority of them are also team-mates to one of the championship protagonists. Don't expect Brad Keselowski to be too muscular with Logano today, for instance.
But Hendrick Motorsports, which does not have a single driver in the title hunt, is free to play, and Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr in particular all have points to prove after their seasons fizzled out.
But Hendrick Motorsports, which does not have a single driver in the title hunt, is free to play, and Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr in particular all have points to prove after their seasons fizzled out.
NASCAR - Homestead: If you haven't been following the 2014 Cup season, this is how it's worked:
After the first 26 races, any driver with a race win plus enough of the top scoring non-winners to make a 16-man field became the title contenders.
That pack was whittled down by four after three races, with winners again going through along with the next-best in the Chase points.
That process was repeated twice more after blocks of three races, to leave just four drivers in the 43-car field eligible for the title today: Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.
And today points don't matter at all, whoever finishes highest out of that quartet is the 2014 Cup champion - and for any of them it will be a maiden title. Every past champion has been knocked out already.
After the first 26 races, any driver with a race win plus enough of the top scoring non-winners to make a 16-man field became the title contenders.
That pack was whittled down by four after three races, with winners again going through along with the next-best in the Chase points.
That process was repeated twice more after blocks of three races, to leave just four drivers in the 43-car field eligible for the title today: Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.
And today points don't matter at all, whoever finishes highest out of that quartet is the 2014 Cup champion - and for any of them it will be a maiden title. Every past champion has been knocked out already.
Welcome back to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live's final lap of 2014: the NASCAR Sprint Cup title decider at Homestead.
We've got some pretty significant live coverage still to come this year - the Formula 1 title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend and the 2014 AUTOSPORT Awards on the night of December 7 - but this is the last appearance of the year for our Race Centre Live compendium of everything happening in the non-F1 world.
And we're ending with something brand new as NASCAR revolutionises the way a championship is settled.
We've got some pretty significant live coverage still to come this year - the Formula 1 title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend and the 2014 AUTOSPORT Awards on the night of December 7 - but this is the last appearance of the year for our Race Centre Live compendium of everything happening in the non-F1 world.
And we're ending with something brand new as NASCAR revolutionises the way a championship is settled.
Only one way we could leave you at the end of Rally GB though: Mikko Hirvonen's farewell video.
See you at NASCAR o'clock.
See you at NASCAR o'clock.
So Rally GB done, Macau GP done, the WTCC season done and the WEC and V8 Supercars titles clinched.
What's next? The four-way shootout for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup crown.
AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live will be back to bring you all the action from Homestead as it happens from 8pm UK time tonight.
What's next? The four-way shootout for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup crown.
AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live will be back to bring you all the action from Homestead as it happens from 8pm UK time tonight.
Trophy
WRC - GB: And in the Junior class, it's a dominant victory for Alastair Fisher.
Trophy
WRC - GB: Job done for Al-Attiyah, he has a WRC2 title to add to his trophy cabinet.
WRC - GB: Jari Ketomaa clinches victory in WRC2, but it won't be enough for the title unless Nasser Al-Attiyah has a problem on this one.
Checkered flag
WRC - GB - Powerstage results:
Stage times:
1 Latvala 7m04.7s
2 Neuville +2.3s
3 Ostberg +3.1s
4 Evans +4.1s
5 Prokop +7.6s
6 Tanak +8.5s
Final standings:
1 Ogier
2 Hirvonen + 37.6s
3 Ostberg +1m03.6s
4 Neuville +1m14.9s
5 Evans +1m24.3s
6 Meeke +2m03.0s
7 Tanak +2m29.7s
8 Latvala +2m47.5s
9 Prokop +3m43.3s
10 Paddon +3m48.5s
11 Kubica +4m19.4s
Stage times:
1 Latvala 7m04.7s
2 Neuville +2.3s
3 Ostberg +3.1s
4 Evans +4.1s
5 Prokop +7.6s
6 Tanak +8.5s
Final standings:
1 Ogier
2 Hirvonen + 37.6s
3 Ostberg +1m03.6s
4 Neuville +1m14.9s
5 Evans +1m24.3s
6 Meeke +2m03.0s
7 Tanak +2m29.7s
8 Latvala +2m47.5s
9 Prokop +3m43.3s
10 Paddon +3m48.5s
11 Kubica +4m19.4s
Trophy
WRC - GB: A very, very relaxed drive on that stage from Ogier, who is now out in the Welsh rain celebrating his eighth win from 12 rallies this year.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Peter Mills, Gary Watkins, Marcus Simmons, Jonathan Noble
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