The 2019 Ford EcoBoost 400 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on November 17, 2019, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) oval, it was the 36th and final race of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Busch won the race, claiming his second Cup Series championship.
Report
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 Verizon 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 Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Gander Outdoors 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 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.
Championship drivers Martin Truex Jr. was the first of the four drivers to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, winning the first race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville.
Kevin Harvick clinched the second spot in the Championship 4, winning the second race of the Round of 8 at Texas.
Denny Hamlin clinched the third spot after winning the final race of the Round of 8 at Phoenix.
Kyle Busch clinched the last spot in the Championship 4 based on points.
Entry list (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points. (R) denotes rookie driver. (CC) denotes championship contender
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Landon Cassill (i) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick (CC) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 8 Daniel Hemric (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Joe Nemechek (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 John Hunter Nemechek (i) Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Daniel Suárez Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ryan Preece (R) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 52 Josh Bilicki (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 53 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 77 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Matt DiBenedetto Leavine Family Racing Toyota 96 Drew Herring Gaunt Brothers Racing ToyotaOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice First practice session scheduled for Friday was cancelled due to rain. Final practice session was postponed to Saturday in place of qualifying also due to rain.
Final practice Kyle Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 31.959 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 31.959 168.966 2 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.055 168.460 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.090 168.277Official final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying for Saturday was cancelled due to rain on Friday. Points leader Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole as a result.
Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 2 4 Kevin Harvick (CC) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 3 19 Martin Truex Jr. (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 4 18 Kyle Busch (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 5 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 6 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 8 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 9 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 12 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 13 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 14 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 16 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 17 41 Daniel Suárez Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 18 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19 21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 20 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 21 95 Matt DiBenedetto Leavine Family Racing Toyota 22 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 23 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 24 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 25 8 Daniel Hemric (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 26 47 Ryan Preece (R) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 27 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 28 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 29 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 30 36 John Hunter Nemechek (i) Front Row Motorsports Ford 31 38 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 32 15 Joe Nemechek (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 33 00 Landon Cassill (i) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 34 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 35 77 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 36 27 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 37 96 Drew Herring Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 38 52 Josh Bilicki (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 39 53 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 40 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports ToyotaOfficial starting lineup
Race Note: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr. were not eligible for stage points because of their participation in the Championship 4.
Stage results
Stage One Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 19 Martin Truex Jr. (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 02 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 93 18 Kyle Busch (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 04 4 Kevin Harvick (CC) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 05 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 06 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 57 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 48 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 18 Kyle Busch (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 02 4 Kevin Harvick (CC) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 03 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 84 19 Martin Truex Jr. (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 05 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 06 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 57 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 48 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 1Official stage two results
Final stage results
Stage Three Laps: 107
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 4 18 Kyle Busch (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 402 3 19 Martin Truex Jr. (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 353 16 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 374 2 4 Kevin Harvick (CC) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 267 335 5 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 267 366 10 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 267 367 15 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 267 308 22 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 267 309 12 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 267 2810 1 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 2711 7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 266 3612 25 8 Daniel Hemric (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 266 2513 18 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 266 2814 17 41 Daniel Suárez Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 266 2315 11 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 266 2216 20 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 266 2117 19 21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 266 2018 8 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 265 1919 23 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 265 1820 21 95 Matt DiBenedetto Leavine Family Racing Toyota 265 1721 13 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 265 1622 14 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 264 1523 30 36 John Hunter Nemechek (i) Front Row Motorsports Ford 264 024 24 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 263 1325 26 47 Ryan Preece (R) JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 263 1226 28 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 263 1127 31 38 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 263 1028 33 00 Landon Cassill (i) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 262 029 37 96 Drew Herring Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 262 830 34 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 262 031 29 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 261 632 39 53 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 256 033 40 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 248 034 27 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 243 335 36 27 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 242 -48136 38 52 Josh Bilicki (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 240 -49137 35 77 Reed Sorenson Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 236 1 / -49138 32 15 Joe Nemechek (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 227 -49139 9 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 215 440 6 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 209 18Official race results
NOTE: On November 27, 2019, NASCAR revised the official race results and penalized four teams—15 (Premium Motorsports), 27 (Premium Motorsports), 52 (Rick Ware Racing), and 77 (Spire Motorsports)—with 50-point penalties for teams. As all but one of the drivers was ineligible for points, NASCAR assessed the 50-point penalties for teams (as listed), and no drivers were penalized. The four teams were charged with race manipulation. According to NASCAR officials, the match fixing was deliberately aimed to allow the Premium Motorsports No. 27 team to claim the most owner points of all teams not holding a charter, surpassing the Gaunt Brothers Racing No. 96 team in points, which is worth $175,000 more to the team in question. In the scheme, the 15, 77, and 52 teams all pulled their cars off the track early so the 27 could pass the 96 team in points.
Race statistics Lead changes: 14 among 5 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 3 for 15 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 2 hours, 48 minutes and 47 seconds Average speed:
Race manipulation
A race manipulation scheme late in the race was uncovered by NASCAR officials involving four teams (three chartered, one open) with end-of-season points and financial bonus payments. This was announced on November 27, 2019, by NASCAR's Scott Miller, who explained after reviewing data during the race, including radio communications among drivers and teams, including interviewing various competitors, that they had uncovered a deliberate race manipulation scheme to help teams with financial bonuses.