Joey Logano Holds Off The Top 3 To Become Cup Champ

Joey Logano became NASCAR's 33rd Cup champion in the sport's 70 years and he did it by beating the season's top 3 drivers and all former champions.  Martin Truex, Jr. took the early lead on a restart 15 laps from the end of the season's final race at Miami-Homestead Raceway, but Logano passed him three laps later and couldn't be caught.

Logano led a race-high 80 laps and took the checkered flag for his third win of the season and easily his biggest victory with Truex coming in second followed by Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.  And that's the way the season playoff standings ended up.  Despite each of them winning eight races during the season Harvick was forced to settle for third and Busch finished fourth.

Truex finished with four victories during the season and it would have been five if Logano hadn't bumped him out of the way to take the victory at Martinsville.  It was that win that put Logano into the final four and Truex would have loved to return the favor in the final laps on Sunday, but he couldn't catch Logano.

It was the final race for Truex with Furniture Row Racing after a five-year run.  The defending Cup champion won 17 races in the Number-78 including eight last year.  Truex is moving to Joe Gibbs Racing next year where he'll drive the Number-19 Toyota.

After 17 years it was also the final race for Jimmie Johnson in the Number-48 Lowe's and crew chief Chad Knaus.  Johnson will have a new sponsor and crew chief next year.