Ford 400 Championship Race - Homestead 2015
HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch capped a most improbable comeback Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, capturing the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship while winning the Ford EcoBoost 400.
Busch, 30, passed race leader Brad Keselowski on a final restart with seven laps remaining, then pulled away from fellow Chase for the Sprint Cup contender Kevin Harvick to score his fifth win of the season and secure his first premier series title.
It was also the first Sprint Cup Series championship for automaker Toyota, which entered the series in 2007.
"A dream of a lifetime, a dream come true," Busch said. "I just can't believe with everything that happened this year and all the turmoil, all the things that I went through, that my wife (Samantha) went through and the people that are around me went through. This championship is all for these guys, my wife, my family, everyone who has had to sacrifice so much to get me here to this place today, whether it was on my team right now, or on my teams in the past."
"Adam Stevens (crew chief) prepared such a great race car. Adam Stevens is my hero. I love that guy."
Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing), Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports) and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) advanced through this year's 16-team, 10-race Chase format to qualify for a shot at the title.
Read MoreBusch, 30, passed race leader Brad Keselowski on a final restart with seven laps remaining, then pulled away from fellow Chase for the Sprint Cup contender Kevin Harvick to score his fifth win of the season and secure his first premier series title.
It was also the first Sprint Cup Series championship for automaker Toyota, which entered the series in 2007.
"A dream of a lifetime, a dream come true," Busch said. "I just can't believe with everything that happened this year and all the turmoil, all the things that I went through, that my wife (Samantha) went through and the people that are around me went through. This championship is all for these guys, my wife, my family, everyone who has had to sacrifice so much to get me here to this place today, whether it was on my team right now, or on my teams in the past."
"Adam Stevens (crew chief) prepared such a great race car. Adam Stevens is my hero. I love that guy."
Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing), Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports) and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) advanced through this year's 16-team, 10-race Chase format to qualify for a shot at the title.
