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NASCAR at Miami 2018: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More

Chris Roling@@Chris_RolingFeatured ColumnistNovember 17, 2018

Kevin Harvick (4) leads the field for the green flag start during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The end has arrived for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff.

Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will crown a champion from the four-driver field of Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick coming out of an epic final cutdown race featuring Busch getting back to Victory Lane. 

Storylines abound, with a bit of revenge on the table, a driver leaving a team, two of the finalists featuring eight wins apiece and more as the challenging Homestead awaits. 

Here's everything to know about the season-ending event. 

      

Viewing Details

Where:  Homestead-Miami Speedway

When: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live

Tickets: StubHub

                      

Ford EcoBoost 400

1. Denny Hamlin (11)

2. Kyle Busch (18)

3. Martin Truex Jr. (78)

4. Brad Keselowski (2)

5. Joey Logano (22)

6. Kurt Busch (41)

7. Erik Jones (20)

8. Ryan Newman (31)

9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17)

10. Aric Almirola (10)

Full qualifying results available on NASCAR.com.

                          

2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Standings

1. Joey Logano5000
2. Kyle Busch5000
3. Martin Truex Jr.5000
4. Kevin Harvick5000
5. Chase Elliott2320
6. Kurt Busch2318
7. Aric Almirola2316
8. Brad Keselowski2309
9. Ryan Blaney2278
10. Kyle Larson2256
11. Denny Hamlin2252
12. Clint Bowyer2242
13. Austin Dillon2219
14. Jimmie Johnson2217
15. Erik Jones2207
16. Alex Bowman2196
ESPN.com

      

Drivers to Watch

Joey Logano

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Logano enters the final with a target on his back due to his questionable late-race move to steal the win at Martinsville back at the end of October. 

But this isn't anything new for Logano, and outside of the drama he simply needs to focus on the fact he finished 37th last time out. The automatic bid punched his ticket either way, but it wasn't an ideal performance right before the finale. 

Not that Logano is complaining about his standing: 

NASCAR on NBC @NASCARonNBC

"It might be the Big 3, but I like me." Joey Logano likes where he's at heading into the championship race, after gaining momentum late in the year to make it to Miami. #TeamJL https://t.co/B6i0V8PKMX

While Logano only has two wins on the season, he's as dangerous as any of the four drivers left standing. 

       

Kyle Busch

Terry Renna/Associated Press

An eighth win couldn't have come at a better time for Busch, as his triumph in Phoenix, Arizona, last time out helped him establish some serious momentum for the final after previously failing to win a race since mid-September. 

Not that Busch has had any doubts about his contention status based on oddsmakers or otherwise: 

NASCAR on NBC @NASCARonNBC

"So much for (Joey Logano's) talk." The odds are tight, but @KyleBusch and @KevinHarvick are the favorites to win the championship next week in @HomesteadMiami. https://t.co/zYXAJV7bt0

It felt like a matter of time before Busch got another win, and for fans, it certainly wouldn't feel like a surprise if Busch took down another race while winning the title. 

Though he's finished 17th or worse in three of his last seven outings, there is a runner-up finish and a win squeezed in there as well. The season itself has felt like one long trek to crowning Busch or Harvick, so all that matters now is Busch rides the recent momentum from a victory into another strong performance. 

      

Martin Truex Jr.

Terry Renna/Associated Press

Truex waves goodbye to Furniture Row Racing on Sunday, but the bigger story might be his attitude toward Logano with everything on the line. 

Still sour about the controversial bump-and-run finish in Martinsville, Truex sounds ready to give back. 

"I have a free pass," Truex said, according to ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass. "He already told me I could. He told me he's fair game. So here we go."

Both men likely have different definitions of what this means, but rest assured Truex will have the slight from a few races ago in mind if it is just him and Logano down the stretch with a championship at stake. 

Truex hasn't won since July and had his best chance at one ruined by Logano—something sure to play a central role Sunday. 

      

Kevin Harvick

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Harvick has plenty of self-inflicted controversy surrounding himself thanks to the huge L1-Level Penalty enforced by NASCAR after his win at Texas. 

What should have been an automatic bid to the final was stripped as a result, so Harvick did things the hard way by starting first and finishing fifth, getting some help from a wreck and the finish of others to slip into the final four. 

After the rally and advancement, Harvick got some good news: 

NASCAR on NBC @NASCARonNBC

#NASCAR confirms that @RodneyChilders4 will be able to celebrate with the No. 4 team if @kevinharvick wins the title. https://t.co/qk0LIEiAHe

Of course, this would require Harvick pulling off a strong performance and winning it all. But he's been on fire at 1.5-mile tracks all year, and the impressiveness of his performance while overcoming the penalty shouldn't go unnoticed. 

Adding it all up, Harvick might have to be considered the favorite even if he's technically sitting in fourth to start the event.