The 2017 Winston Cup Series: Martin Truex Jr. wins the Championship!

Martin Truex Jr. takes the championship banner after winning the Ford Ecoboost 400, and the 2017 title.

     He's done it! Martin Truex Jr. is your 2017 NASCAR Cup Champion. Truex held off Kyle Busch in he final laps at Homestead, to win the Ford Ecoboost 400 and lock up his first title. Truex was in tears as drove his victory lap, before heading straight to his crew on the frontstretch, and girlfriend Sherry Pollex. Truex Jr. led 78 laps at Homestead, and used strategy by pitting early to gain time on leader Kyle Busch before a late caution. The move worked and got the #78 out front, where he led the final 51 laps. Of the "Championship 4," Kyle Busch finished 2nd, Kevin Harvick finished 4th, and Brad Keselowski finished 7th.

Martin Truex Jr. and crew chief Cole Pearn lift the Monster Energy Series trophy after the Ford Ecoboost 400.

     Truex Jr. carried the hopes of a large chunk of NASCAR fans this season. In an era of elimination-style playoffs, and system-designed parity, Truex had a strong car every single weekend. Not only did he win the most 'stages' throughout the season, but won a staggering eight races - which hasn't been done since 2010. For everyone that was against NASCAR's new system this year, and the Chase/playoffs from the start, Truex Jr. was your driver. With just good old fashioned points, Truex would have won the title by 80 points over Kyle Busch, and 95 over Harvick. That's one of the biggest gaps in recent years, proving the 78's dominance. Why would anyone want to take that away? Truex is the first driver to win the 'classic' format, and the actual one since Jimmie Johnson in 2013. In addition to his 8 wins, Truex had 19 top-fives, 26 top-tens, and an average finish of 9.4...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares a moment with car owner Rick Hendrick after his final Cup race.

     It was also a fitting farewell to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who came home in 25th, three laps down. Dale Jr. was never a factor in the race, but stole much of the spotlight... He gave high-fives to the entire pit road before the race, and received coverage from NBC throughout the event. In a lengthy final interview, Dale Jr. congratulated his former teammate Truex Jr., and thanked his crew. With his retirement, Earnhardt Jr. leaves behind a gaping hole in NASCAR that will be impossible to fill. He will almost assuredly win Most Popular Driver for 2017, which would be his 15th. In his final full season, Earnhardt recorded one top five at Texas, and 8 top-tens. He started on the pole twice, at Daytona for the Coke Zero 400, and his final race at Talladega...
     While they didn't receive the same attention, several other drivers ran one last race in their current ride. Matt Kenseth, who most likely has also retired, finished with a solid 8th place run. Danica Patrick, who is out after five full seasons with Stewart Haas, crashed on lap 143 and finished 37th. And Landon Cassill and Michael McDowell, who both are currently out of a ride for 2018, finished Homestead 23rd and 24th, two laps down.

     That's a wrap for the 2017 Cup season... Stay tuned for a final look at the classic standings in the coming days, as well as a preview of NASCAR's 2018 season. Thanks for reading and enjoying my blog all year long...