Gordon, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Truex head to Miami; Dale Jr. wins

Had the caution flag for Harvick’s wreck come out a second earlier or a second later, Earnhardt would have won the Talladega race and would have advanced into the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Busch is guaranteed equaling the best placing of his Sprint Cup career, having finished fourth overall in 2013. This indicates a level of maturity for a driver who has a tendency to fiery outbursts and it could finally be the turning point his backers have looked for.

It was a weird race.

A pair of fans sit in the rain as they wait for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Phoenix worldwide Raceway, Sunday, November 15, 2015, in Avondale, Ariz.

The caution came out for only the second time on Lap 197 when Joey Gase and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun out in Trun three. And if it starts to rain at an inopportune time, then boohoo.

Meanwhile, Earnhardt had no guilt in celebrating the win.

“We’ve just been in planning mode for trying to be in the Chase and planning mode for trying to make it to Homestead as a team. I’m just really proud of everybody and we’re going to go down there and just do like we’ve done and race as hard as we can”.

There you have it. After 35 races in 2015, the Final Four has been set.

“We had an idea that the rain was in the area, but all the circumstances that played out at the end of the race are just kind of luck, I think”, Earnhardt told NASCAR.com post-race.

The race, originally scheduled for a 12:45 p.m. start, was delayed by rain throughout the afternoon and evening.

Harvick, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and pole sitter Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.

The rain might have been an ally for Logano, who was behind Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick during the caution.

After the race Sunday, a reporter pointed out to Gordon that he’s closing in on 25,000 laps led during his racing career, and can get there with 80 more next weekend.

Instead of racing for a long-awaited championship next week in Miami, Edwards will be playing out the string on a solid-just-not-great season. A playoff demise not exclusively his own doing, but largely because Matt Kenseth made a decision to take Logano out two weeks previous at Martinsville Speedway. “That’s the way the Chase is”.

One can’t help but wonder, though, what might have happened if NASCAR brought everyone back Monday morning to finish the race. “In the big picture, we are racing for the championship next week”.

The season finale at Homestead may not have the Penske team, but will have the sport’s other three strongest teams represented.

According to the oddsmakers at BetDSI, Kevin Harvick is the favorite to win this race, as he has 7/2 odds. Three of the four teams are Chevy entries and it’s not a surprise Chevrolet clinched the manufacturer’s championship at Phoenix. The driver with the highest finish among the four Chase contenders will be declared the champion.

That leaves Truex – the man who, by all means, should not be in this position. Ingrid 1/8Gordon’s wife3/8 and the kids got there the next day and we immediately went out to the stables where they were at and visited with them.

“The cool thing is we are going there to celebrate regardless of that moment and that day and sharing that with the people that have supported me over the years and are closest to me”.