Final four drivers hit Miami with NASCAR title on the line
DORAL, Fla. — The Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers remaining in the title hunt — Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin — have descended on south Florida to prepare for the last leg of the march toward a crown. One of them will come away with their first Cup title Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).
NASCAR's ''Championship 4'' met the news media Wednesday night at Trump National Doral. In a ballroom with rich carpeting and grandiose chandeliers, the four took the stage — Harvick and Hamlin in sports jackets with open-collared shirts and Newman and Logano in short-sleeved sport shirts — to kick off stock car's final week of a 36-race season.
After video highlights of the opening nine races in the Chase played behind them to dramatic music (Newman and Logano turned around to watch), they touched on a couple topics.
Some highlights:
Harvick: ''I'm just glad to get here tonight and not know there wasn't a fifth participant added,'' he joked. ''I didn't know if Jeff Gordon was going to be here or not.''
Harvick was alluding to the 2013 Chase, when NASCAR chairman Brian France added Gordon as an unprecedented 13th driver after the team rules scandal at Richmond International Raceway.
Hamlin: ''I've been here nine years so I've lost eight (titles).''
Talking about letting the 2010 crown slip away and what it felt like to be back in the running again.
Newman: ''I didn't know Cinderella was a race car driver.''
In response to the moderator suggesting with no wins, he was clearly the underdog.
Logano: ''This is definitely a dream come true.''
On being the youngest of the four, at 24. He can bring Team Penske its second title in three years. Teammate Brad Keselowski won in 2012.
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