HOMESTEAD, Fla. — There was pushing, punching, one ambush in a darkened garage and a bloody brawl. There were thousands of hours spent analyzing the path to the Sprint Cup title as teams tried to adapt to NASCAR's new championship format. For all the hand-wringing, all the skepticism from loyal fans, all the curiosity about this new Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, NASCAR may have actually gotten it right.
1st-time champion set to be crowned
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