Chase for the Sprint Cup

Kevin Harvick moved into the third round of NASCAR's championship race with a victory Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where tempers flared after the race and two drivers had to be restrained from fighting Brad Keselowski.

Kansas Speedway lived up to its reputation for whittling the field of championship contenders Sunday as four Chase drivers finished 22nd or worse in a race that was plagued by tire problems. The victory went to Joey Logano, who earned an automatic berth into the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Jeff Gordon won the third race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship for an automatic spot in the 12-driver field that advanced to the next round.

Joey Logano helped Team Penske strengthen its grip as the organization to beat for the Sprint Cup Championship, pulling away on an overtime restart to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and advance to the second round of the Chase.

Brad Keselowski routed the field Saturday night for his fourth win of the season, a victory that gives him the top seed in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Back on top with only two NASCAR legends left to catch, Jimmie Johnson won his sixth Sprint Cup championship in eight years Sunday to stake his claim as one of the most dominant competitors in sports history. Now looming large in Johnson's windshield is the mark of seven titles held by Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.

Matt Kenseth had one of those rare seasons in which everything seemed to go right every time he got behind the wheel of his car. Until the one day he couldn't afford for anything to go wrong.

Jimmie Johnson is the leader again in the Chase for the Sprint Cup title after a dominating victory Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

Jeff Gordon used an unprecedented chairman's selection to get into the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship 48 hours before the opening race. Now Gordon is trying his hardest to parlay that exemption from NASCAR chairman Brian France into a fifth title.

Denny Hamlin promised he would be a factor in Sunday's NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway, and he went out and proved it by leading a parade of drivers who smashed the track qualifying record.