The Sprint Cup Series race is over, and for the fifth consecutive year, Jimmie Johnson reigns supreme.
Johnson finished second in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, leading one lap and earning 175 points. That proved to be enough to overtake Denny Hamlin, who entered the final race with a slim 15-point lead in the standings, but gained only 121 points after an 11th place finish on Sunday.
Kevin Harvick, who entered the race 46 points behind Hamlin, came in third on Sunday, earning 165 points to finish third overall – and just two points behind Hamlin — in the final standings.
Although he was unable to improve his fourth-place rank in the standings, race winner Carl Edwards ran a very impressive race, earning his second Sprint Cup victory in as many weeks. Edwards led 190 of the race’s 267 laps en route to the fifth back-to-back victory of his career.
Roush Fenway teammates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle finished ninth and tenth, respectively, meaning all three Roush Fenway drivers had earned Top 10 finishes for the second week in a row. Kenseth finishes fifth in the final standings, while Biffle comes in sixth.
Johnson’s victory marks the first time in the seven-year history of the Sprint Cup that the point leader headed into the series’ final race fails to secure the championship.
Johnson’s fifth title victory pushes him past Hendricks Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon for most titles among active drivers.
