And Then There Were Four...

Denny Hamlin has won the season finale twice (Photo: Google Images)

After facing nine races, a field of 16 drivers and a few bonehead moves from Brad Keselowski, four drivers remain to battle for the Sprint Cup title this weekend in Homestead. Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman will take to the track Sunday afternoon, fighting not only each other, but the other 39 cars on the track as well, and whoever finishes highest of those four will be the 2014 champion. 

Sounds simple right?

Well not exactly. Just like in 2011 when Tony Stewart won the race and beat Carl Edwards in a tie for the championship, the driver who wins the title will more than likely have to win the race too. And the driver who will probably stands the best chance of doing that is Kevin Harvick. He and crew chief Rodney Childers both left their respective teams last season to join Stewart-Haas Racing on the No. 4 car because they both had ambitions about winning a title. They have won a few races this year and been outrageously consistent the rest of the time when they didn't have a wreck or mechanical gremlins. When it all plays out in Homestead, Harvick will more than likely be the 2014 Sprint Cup champion.

Joey Logano is the next biggest threat. He has been almost as consistent as Harvick and also won a few races. Since leaving Dodge for Ford, Team Penske has never looked back, winning 11 races this year between Logano and teammate Brad Keselowski. Keselowski won Roger Penske his first Nascar title in 2012 and Logano stands to win "The Captain" a title of his own, which is surprising after the struggles Logano had in his first year in Sprint Cup competition at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Kevin Harvick won in his second race for SHR. Can he win in his 36th?
(Photo: Google Images)

But while there are flu drivers fighting for a title, really Logano and Harvick are the only two deserving drivers.

Denny Hamlin only made it into the Chase because he won the spring race at Talladega; the biggest crapshoot on the schedule next to the October Talladega race. Not that it wash't without merit because a win is a win no matter where it is. But this disproves Nascar's theory of trying to make winning the most important thing. Hamlin also missed the race at Auto Club Speedway because of a small fragment of metal in his eye. Yes drivers like David Pearson won titles without running the full schedule, but that was the norm back in those days when a good number of drivers didn't run all the races. To be competitive today, running all 36 races is almost a necessity. But Hamlin is proving that in many cases, consistency and being able to top ten the field to death is just as important, if not more so, than winning races.

But the best example of this is Ryan Newman. Newman has't won a race since Indianapolis last season. He made it into the Chase by the skin of his teeth and has been nothing but consistent and relied on the mistakes of other teams to advance, and a swift kick to Kyle Larson's back bumper to advance to the finale. Honestly, neither Newman or Hamlin deserve the title over Logano or Harvick. They just have not accomplished as much this year. And neither of them will stand a chance of winning Homestead, which is what it will take to grab the title.

This race should be very exciting and the championship should come right down to the wire. May the best man win.