Saudi- Harvick wins NASCAR finale championship

(MENAFN- Arab News) HOMESTEAD Fla.: Kevin Harvick jostled his 2-year-old son on his lap egging him on to speak into the microphone and tell the world his daddy was the NASCAR champion''Say 'We win''' said Harvick who beamed during the celebration.

Keelan Harvick clammed up in the moment and stayed quiet.

That's OK. Kevin Harvick made the only statements needed on the track making it clear that winning mattered most under NASCAR's new championship formula and his decision to bolt for buddy Tony Stewart's race team was indeed the right call.

Harvick staked his claim as the best in Sprint Cup using a relentless dash through the field in the closing laps to win Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Harvick staved off championship challengers Denny Hamlin Ryan Newman and Joey Logano and erased any concern that NASCAR would be stained with a winless champ.

Did the new Chase - one where wins not playing it safe promised a better shot at a title - work

As Harvick took one final spin with his fifth checkered flag of the season the answer was a resounding yes.

''If you want to win the championship you're going to have to figure out how to win races'' Harvick said. ''That's what it came down to was winning the race.''

Harvick who had to win last week at Phoenix just to advance into Sunday's final four wrapped up his third victory of this Chase and fifth of the season. He leaned this week on Stewart a three-time champion and Jimmie Johnson the six-time champion who moved from California to North Carolina to chase a career in NASCAR about the same time as Harvick made the move east.

Harvick's top move though was the one to Stewart-Haas Racing after 13 seasons with Richard Childress failed to produce a championship. Stewart promised Harvick he could have all the resources needed at SHR to win a championship. All it took was 36 races to prove the paring was a perfect match.

''Tony was pretty adamant that we could race for wins and championships'' Harvick said. ''That was really what it was all about. I just wasn't excited about going to work. This just gave me an opportunity to race with one of my good friends.''

Newman winless on the season finished second. Hamlin faded to seventh and Logano was a distant 16th.

All four teams were forced to make tough strategy decisions that ultimately decided their fate.

Joe Gibbs Racing decided not to pit Hamlin which moved him to second on the restart. Richard Childress Racing gave Newman two tires while Harvick crew chief Rodney Childers made the risky call for four tires.

Team Penske also had planned to give Logano four tires but a problem with the jack destroyed Logano's chances and he plummeted from sixth to 21st ending his championship bid.

Harvick restarted 12th with 15 laps to go and not much time to pick his way through traffic. As Hamlin passed leader Jeff Gordon on the restart Harvick shot past four cars to move to seventh.

Harvick got by Hamlin then Newman passed Hamlin for second and the championship became a battle of drivers who had essentially swapped seats this year. There was one more caution forcing Harvick to nail one final restart with three laps remaining and he eased his way ahead of Newman on his way to the win.

''It's so hard to win a championship at this level especially with this Chase format'' Stewart said. ''Just unbelievable how much everything has to go right.''