The 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on November 16, 2014, at Homestead–Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. Contested over 267 laps, it was the 36th and final race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, and the tenth and final race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. This race marked the final NASCAR broadcast for ESPN, ending an eight-year stint covering the sport; as well as the final NASCAR broadcast for Allen Bestwick, who had covered the sport since 1986. He would remain with ESPN and ABC calling IndyCar races the following season. Kevin Harvick held off Ryan Newman to score the victory and score his first ever championship. Chevrolet clinched its twelfth consecutive manufacturers championship. Newman was second while Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard, and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top five. The top rookies of the race were Kyle Larson (13th), Justin Allgaier (15th), and Austin Dillon (25th).
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Background Homestead–Miami Speedway is a motor racing track located in Homestead, Florida. The track, which has several configurations, has promoted several series of racing, including NASCAR, the IRL IndyCar Series, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, and the Championship Cup Series. From 2002 to 2019, Homestead–Miami Speedway hosted the final race of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Ford Motor Company sponsored all three of the season-ending races, under the names Ford EcoBoost 400, Ford EcoBoost 300, and Ford EcoBoost 200, respectively. The weekend itself was marketed as Ford Championship Weekend. The Xfinity Series (then known as the Nationwide Series) held its season-ending races at Homestead from 1995 until 2020, when it was moved to Phoenix Raceway, along with NASCAR's other two series.
This was the final NASCAR race for driver Marcos Ambrose, who returned to V8 Supercars in his native Australia the following season. It was also the final NASCAR race for crew chief Steve Letarte, who would leave Hendrick Motorsports, where he had worked since he was 16, and move to the broadcast booth for NBC Sports in 2015. After four decades of being a crew chief and winning races in four decades, Jimmy Fennig retired from the sport after the checked flag flew. “Racing is what makes him tick and the competition,’‘ Matt Kenseth said of Fennig. “It’s hard to argue that Jimmy isn’t one of the best crew chiefs in the garage. There’s not many people that have been in the sport as long as he has and remained relevant and competitive as long as he has. I’ll never forget when we won the Daytona 500 in 2012 and he was smiling and said, ‘The last time I was here was 25 years ago with Bobby Allison – that was the last time I won the Daytona 500.’ When you think about that and all the changes that this sport has had with technology and the cars and engineering and all that stuff compared to where we started, it really says something about somebody that's still that competitive today.” “Jimmy somehow finds more time in the day and finds a way to work harder than almost anybody I’ve ever met," Carl Edwards said. "He cares as much or more about winning than anyone I’ve ever been around, so to me Jimmy has been a huge positive influence on me and my driving and he’s a friend.’’
Entry list Forty-three drivers were entered for the race.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski (PC2) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick (CC) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Tony Stewart (PC3) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (PC5) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Trevor Bayne (i) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano (CC) Team Penske Ford 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC6) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Cole Whitt (R) BK Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman (CC) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Blake Koch (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 33 Brian Scott Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch (PC4) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC1) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 66 Brett Moffitt Identity Ventures Racing Toyota 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing FordOfficial entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional (CC) Chase Contender
Practice and qualifying Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 30.167 and a speed of . Jeff Gordon won the pole with a new track record time of 29.876 and a speed of . “I'm really excited about the pole. I don't know that I've ever been on the pole here and to get the 200th for Hendrick is cool," said Gordon. I think the way we are looking at this weekend is we want to close out the season the absolute best we can. It has been a tremendous season. The No. 24 team has been incredible this year. We are disappointed that we aren't in this thing for the championship, but that's not going to stop us from trying to go out to win the pole and win the race." “This is going to be a race that you are going to go through some changing conditions,” said Kevin Harvick of the 400 miles that wait on Sunday. “Today was really about trying to get a solid starting spot. And we were able to do that with my Budweiser team. Just really proud of my guys. We had a really good day today. Just got to keep doing what we have to do and see where it all falls on Sunday." “A buddy of mine once said it isn't where you start, it is where you stop. We have got half of them beat to start, we'll keep digging with the Caterpillar Chevrolet. We just struggled there a little bit." Ryan Newman said of his qualifying effort. Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 30.845 and a speed of . Brian Scott blew his engine early in the session and started from the rear since this change took place post-qualifying. Ryan Newman had to replace the front splitter after hitting a piece of debris. Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 30.822 and a speed of .
Qualifying PosDriverTeamManufacturer124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.89430.10029.876241Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet29.88129.80229.895320Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota30.04330.09829.95142Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord29.79530.01330.00154Kevin Harvick (CC)Stewart–Haas RacingChevrolet29.83230.01330.009615Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota30.09630.11030.068718Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota30.02030.10530.087811Denny Hamlin (CC)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota29.98930.09830.109922Joey Logano (CC)Team PenskeFord29.83630.13630.1241078Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingChevrolet29.96430.06830.1561188Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet30.20430.10030.2801248Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet30.14030.00630.5631355Brian VickersMichael Waltrip RacingToyota30.29530.167—1451Justin Allgaier (R)HScott MotorsportsChevrolet30.16830.178—1599Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord30.22730.201—1627Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.25730.202—179Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord30.26030.205—1843Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord30.24130.235—191Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet30.14430.235—2016Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord30.16330.256—2131Ryan Newman (CC)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet30.05730.296—2217Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord30.16230.344—235Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet30.25230.375—243Austin Dillon (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet30.08530.392—2547A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet30.298——2621Trevor BayneWood Brothers RacingFord30.314——2742Kyle Larson (R)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet30.315——2814Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet30.333——2913Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet30.390——3033Brian ScottRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.476——3134David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord30.489——3210Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet30.496——3340Landon CassillHillman-Circle Sport LLCChevrolet30.622——3483J. J. YeleyBK RacingToyota30.629——3538David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord30.672——3636Reed SorensonTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet30.745——3798Josh WisePhil Parsons RacingChevrolet30.760——3895Michael McDowellLeavine Family RacingFord30.773——397Michael Annett (R)Tommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet30.877——4032Blake KochGo FAS RacingFord30.882——4123Alex Bowman (R)BK RacingToyota30.934——4226Cole Whitt (R)BK RacingToyota31.009——4366Brett MoffittIdentity Ventures RacingToyota31.069——
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