Joey Logano claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday when he pulled away from rival Martin Truex Jr. in the final 15 laps.
Truex Jr., of course, proclaimed on Oct. 28 he would not let Logano win the championship after Logano crashed Truex Jr. to win at Martinsville. But Truex Jr. couldn't help it when Logano sped past him in the decisive race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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Among this year's championship contenders, Logano was the only driver without a title. Truex Jr. took the crown last year, while Kyle Busch won in 2015 and Kevin Harvick won in 2014. Now Logano joins the elite ranks of the sport at 28 years old.
Sporting News provided live updates throughout the race. Here's how Logano won:
NASCAR at Homestead-Miami: Championship race results, highlights, reaction
(All times ET)
6:30 p.m. — JOEY LOGANO WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP!
It feels so good.#TeamJL | @joeylogano pic.twitter.com/H7yIlCEBCC
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 18, 2018
6:29 p.m. — Two more. It's Logano's to lose.
6:28 p.m. — Logano might just do it. He's starting to pull away.
Think I heard Truex just say: “I got nothing, I’m out.”
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 18, 2018
Cole Pearn said to just keep hitting his marks and they’ll see what happens.
6:27 p.m. — Seven laps to go. Logano still in front.
6:24 p.m. — Logano makes a pass! He's in first with 12 more laps!
JOEY TO THE POINT! 12 laps to go.#NASCARPlayoffs | #TeamJL pic.twitter.com/Zu6yGDZP5X
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) November 18, 2018
6:23 p.m. — Logano is right behind Truex Jr. Wow.
6:22 p.m. — Truex Jr. pulls ahead after the restart! Fifteen more laps.
6:18 p.m. — This is setting up to be a great finish.
Race off pit road:
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 18, 2018
Kyle Busch comes out first, then Truex, Logano, Harvick, Kenseth.
Wowwwwwwww. They’re going to line up 1-2-3-4 on the restart, folks.
6:15 p.m. — Caution. Kyle Busch catches a break.
Brad Keselowski tagged Suarez and sent him for a half spin #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) November 18, 2018
6:10 p.m. — It's not looking great for Kyle Busch. He opts not to pit.
Kyle Busch’s team committing to the “we need a caution or we lose” strategy. Still staying out.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 18, 2018
The other drivers are Harvick-Logano-Truex.
6:07 p.m. — Logano beats Truex Jr. off pit road.
Logano beats Truex off pit road.
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverAW) November 18, 2018
By a large margin.
5:59 p.m. — Truex Jr. takes the lead.
49 to go: Martin Truex Jr. to the point! #NASCARPlayoffs | #TruexJr pic.twitter.com/07sxX1DsQK
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) November 18, 2018
5:55 p.m. — Here are the current standings.
Logano
— Jayski (@jayski) November 18, 2018
Truex -1 second
Harvick -2.1
KyBusch -4
5:48 p.m. — This is getting good. Sixty-five laps to go.
Truex takes the lead from Logano briefly but Logano gets back in front.
— Jayski (@jayski) November 18, 2018
5:44 p.m. — Kyle Busch has had a dismal day coming off pit road. He's back in ninth place after another debacle.
KyBusch "what the f**#$# man." ... Adam: "10-4 bud. We're all dying with you." #nascar
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 18, 2018
Kyle Busch loses four spots!
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 18, 2018
Joey Logano wins the race off pit road at a crucial time. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/lDjkm73bCh
5:41 p.m. — Larson into the wall. Caution.
5:33 p.m. — Harvick is experiencing some car trouble.
Harvick to his No. 4 team: "No grip. Won't turn. No rear grip." Currently running fourth, third among the #Championship4. #NASCAR
— Zack Albert (@zack_albert) November 18, 2018
5:25 p.m. — Logano to first. Truex Jr. to second. Brings back memories of Martinsville.
P.1 - Joey Logano
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) November 18, 2018
P.2 - Martin Truex Jr.
😳😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/F8yW0hqS4z
5:15 p.m. — Larson takes Stage 2. He's playing spoiler very well.
Caution out for the end of stage 2.
— Jayski (@jayski) November 18, 2018
Larson wins it with late pass. Then Harvick Logano Truex Almirola KyBusch KuBusch Hamlin Johnson Bowyer.
5:07 p.m. — Harvick back in the lead with 12 laps left in Stage 2.
5 p.m. — Welp. We get a caution for debris in turn 4.
4:54 p.m. — This is something to keep an eye on.
Only halfway so far. But last Cup Series race with no “natural” cautions (@MattWeaverAW term for cautions other than stage breaks) was October 2002 at Talladega. https://t.co/MIgsEOFjWd
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 18, 2018
4:50 p.m. — If you're wondering why we haven't mentioned Kyle Busch too often, it's because he's back in seventh place. There are 30 more laps in Stage 2.
4:40 p.m. — We continue to have lots of movement in the front. Now Larson and Harvick are back ahead of Logano.
Take another look at how @KevinHarvick took second place from @joeylogano.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 18, 2018
See more on the @NBCSports app: https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC pic.twitter.com/nBBtbDW1YP
4:32 p.m. — This has been a fun (and clean) race thus far.
Easily. https://t.co/TQFlJUAM3j
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 18, 2018
4:28 p.m. — Logano passes Harvick AND Larson.
Kyle Larson just slipped a bit! Allows Logano to close in and…Logano takes the lead!
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 18, 2018
4:26 p.m. — Larson takes the lead early in Stage 2.
4:17 p.m. — Harvick wins Stage 1!
Kevin Harvick wins stage 1 over Kyle Larson.
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverAW) November 18, 2018
3. Kyle Busch
4. Joey Logano
5. Martin Truex Jr.
4:14 p.m. — Kyle Larson — not in championship contention — is catching up to Harvick at the front.
35.4 to 35.1
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverAW) November 18, 2018
Larson is just eating into Harvick's lead with less than 10 to go in the stage.
Big chunks out of the lead.
4:09 p.m. — Harvick leads by five seconds.
4:05 p.m. — Championship order through 62 laps: Harvick, Busch, Logano Truex.
3:55 p.m. — Harvick moves into first place. We're 43 laps in.
Take another look at @KevinHarvick 's pass for the lead on @DennyHamlin . #Championship4 | #4TheCup pic.twitter.com/4aGB3WgymN
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 18, 2018
3:50 p.m. — Busch remains in the lead.
3:36 p.m. — After 10 laps, Kyle Busch leads championship contenders, running in second place. Logano is in third, Truex Jr. is in fifth and Harvick is in seventh.
3:30 p.m. — Green flag! Let's do this.
3:26 p.m. — Not what you like to see minutes before a championship race.
Fluid from the 95 all over the track
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverAW) November 18, 2018
"Oh man, you won't even believe it. This track is dirty as hell," Clayton Hughes tells Martin Truex.
"I don't know what the hell the pace car was thinking making us drive through this. Now we're going to restart with this all over our tires"
3:11 p.m. — FLYOVER ALERT.
FLYOVER! What a sight. pic.twitter.com/tlJKxqNWPC
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 18, 2018
2:57 p.m. — Starting positions for championship contenders.
Here's where the #Championship4 drivers will start in today's #FordEcoBoost400 : @KyleBusch - 2nd @MartinTruex_Jr - 3rd @joeylogano - 5th @KevinHarvick - 12th
— NASCAR Alerts (@NASCAR_Alerts) November 18, 2018
2:21 p.m. — We're about an hour away.
1 hour until green flag for the final race of the year. pic.twitter.com/Wz1ZosQVY9
— Jayski (@jayski) November 18, 2018
2:04 p.m. — Here's Logano talking before the race.
Joey Logano admits he was scared the first time he made it to the Championship 4.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 18, 2018
Now, he's comfortable, relaxed, and ready to race for a title. #TeamJL pic.twitter.com/trxdqyvHf8
1:18 p.m. — Can Logano get his first NASCAR Cup Series crown?
The hopes of @Team_Penske ride with @joeylogano today at @HomesteadMiami . #Championship4 | NBC | 3 PM ET pic.twitter.com/qCwidx6cg8
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 18, 2018