NASCAR Sprint Cup Winner 2014: Kevin Harvick Finishes Atop the Standings
Only four men had the ability to win the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup title on Sunday. On the strength of a ride to Victory Lane, Kevin Harvick beat out Ryan Newman and seized the championship at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Newman finished second in the race and had a chance to capture both the championship and the checkered flag, but Harvick got the best of a late restart and notched his fifth win of the 2014 season.
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NASCAR illustrated where the other Chase contenders wound up in Sunday's race:
Here is a look at the final Sprint Cup standings:
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 5043 | 5 | 14 | 20 |
| 2 | Ryan Newman | 5042 | 0 | 5 | 16 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 5037 | 1 | 7 | 18 |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 5028 | 5 | 16 | 22 |
A number of stoppages along the way made the epic conclusion to the NASCAR campaign all the more dramatic, per NASCAR Stats:
The Associated Press' Jenna Fryer documented what Harvick said when the reality of winning the Sprint Cup title for the first time was sinking in:
Veteran driver Jeff Burton weighed in after Harvick crossed the finish line first and the dust had settled:
Krista Voda of NASCAR on Fox pointed out how Harvick's crew chief, Rodney Childers, deserved some credit for the outcome:
Harvick has won two previous titles on the Nationwide Series (2001, 2006), yet he had never reached that pinnacle at the highest level of stock car racing. Now he can claim his status as a superstar after a year in which he led over 2,000 laps and managed to cap it off in tremendous fashion.
The new Chase format that saw a dwindling number of drivers compete for the ultimate prize yielded thrilling results, so those plans should be in place for the foreseeable future. It demands drivers to be on top constantly, especially when the stakes are highest.
In light of the exciting format and NASCAR's young drivers, the sport's future looks bright. Although he finished 16th on Sunday and fourth in the Sprint Cup standings, the precocious Joey Logano continues a promising career arc that should see him contend for the championship for years to come, and win sooner than later.
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