Kyle Busch wins first NASCAR championship at Homestead

Harvick finished second while Keselowski was third, Joey Logano was fourth and Kyle Larson was fifth. He wound up missing just 11 races and returned to his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota right before his 30th birthday and right before wife Samantha gave birth to their first child, a son. In part because the start of the race was delayed 90 minutes by rain and track drying, the Gordon lovefest went on and on and on.

NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch will undergo two surgeries on his legs this winter as he attempts to avoid complications in his recovery from his crash at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year.

Harvick failed in his bid to win back-to-back Sprint Cup championships, settling for yet another runner-up finish. Busch held his ground as the cars got back up to speed and was able to use the momentum of the high lane to clear to the race lead, and never looked back. NBCSN provided a simulcast of the race, focused on the four drivers still eligible for the championship, and post-race coverage moved exclusively to the cable network. Harvick, who finished second in the race and in the Cup standings, never seriously challenged after the final restart.

Kyle Busch watched the season opener from a hospital bed, his pregnant wife and his dogs by his side.

All of the leaders went to pit road during the caution.

He won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim the title, and knocked Kevin Harvick from his perch as reigning champion. But he simply didn’t have a auto fast enough to stay up with Busch at the end. However, Busch easily cruised to victory lane, ending a historic season for Busch and NASCAR. “It’s pretty unbelievable!” Busch said. “It’s the dream of a lifetime”.

Busch’s tour on Monday included appearances on ESPN SportsCenter, FS1 RaceHub, NASCAR America and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Harvick was relaxed this week in Florida and publicly defused talk he was the favorite to defend his championship. In displaying a self-awareness rare in ultra-successful athletes, he left on his own terms, and awash in respect and praise from fans and peers who surrounded his No. 24 Chevrolet before the race.

After 797 races, 93 wins and four championships, Jeff is ready to retire, but he won’t be leaving the track.

At the start of the Chase, a confident Harvick said about the dominant Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, “We’re going to pound them into the ground”. Joe Gibbs won a total of thirteen events, easily more than any other team.

California-born Gordon is credited with expanding NASCAR’s popularity to a much wider audience. It was the only time all three titans of NASCAR racing – Gordon, Petty and Dale Earnhardt – ever competed against each other in the same event.

The fat lady has sung, and the final chapter of the 2015 NASCAR season is now complete. In August, after a brake line issue contributed to a disappointing 41st-place finish in the 43-car field, Gordon’s chances of making the Sprint Cup playoff were fading.

Truex was among those who stopped by to offer support, reaching over the top of his vehicle to shake Gordon’s hand.

The title was the fourth for JGR and its first since Tony Stewart in 2005. His last victory was three weeks ago at Martinsville.

Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and title contender Martin Truex Jr.rounded out the top-12 finishers.