iNSIDE SCOOP: One More Time, For All the Marbles

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Well, here we are on the morning of the last NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of 2014.

There are four drivers with a chance to hoist the NASCAR Sprint Cup, none of whom have ever had the opportunity before. All eyes will be on them, all day and all night, and it seems like the Kentucky Derby around here.

Each horse...er, driver...has his own way of dealing with today. Kevin Harvick is his usual self, a little quieter perhaps, but still confident. Denny Hamlin is Alfred E. Neuman, with his "What, me worry?" kind of vibe. Joey Logano is a little nervous, but then, he usually seems to be. Ryan Newman seems to be enjoying the attention while plotting how to win the title that escaped him in 2003.

It will all come out in the wash tonight.

Will one of them move somebody, like Newman did to Kyle Larson last week at Phoenix? Will somebody take someone else out? Who knows? It could happen. It might not. That's why you run the race.

If I had to handicap this, and I do, I really do, I'd put it this way: it's Harvick's to lose, Logano's to win and Hamlin and Newman's to steal.

You might remember that Logano has a history with Harvick, and a painful history with Hamlin. Harvick used Logano up for a whole season not too long ago, and Hamlin got sent to the crash house at California because Logano was still mad about Bristol. Could that have an effect tonight? Sure it could.

Newman has a history of being a tough guy to pass. That could certainly come into play tonight, especially in the latter stages. 

Hamlin has the ability, if all is right with the world and he has the focus he has had at times in his career. Remember, in 2010 when he came to Homestead with the lead and his best shot at winning the title, he spun early and never recovered, handing Jimmie Johnson his fifth title. Mike Ford was his crew chief then, and he was a lot different than Darian Grubb, his current crew chief. Hill was Vince Lombardi; Grubb is Tom Landry. Hill was raw emotion; Grubb is calm and cool. Grubb also has a championship ring, won in 2011 with Tony Stewart...minutes before being bus-chucked in favor of Steve Addington.

Logano has been the best on 1.5-mile tracks this season, but that doesn't mean he necessarily will be tonight. History is on his side, but when has history ever won a title?

Whatever happens tonight, it will be the culmination of a watershed season for NASCAR's top series. The new format did what it was supposed to do: earn buzz during a time of year when football is king. The brouhahas at Charlotte and Texas didn't exactly hurt, and as far as I know, everybody in the media spelled NASCAR correctly. That's what you want, and they got it.

With the coming horsepower reduction, it might be even better next year. We'll have to wait and see.

So to those about to do battle for all the marbles, we salute you...and look forward to seeing how it all turns out.