Who are the final 4 drivers left in NASCAR playoffs? And who will win it all?

Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

The NASCAR season is almost over....who will win it all?

The 2017 NASCAR season ends Sunday with the final race of the year. When drivers come to the end of the Nov. 19 race at Homestead in Miami, one of four drivers will emerge from the playoffs and get the Cup title. Who will it be?

by Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Who are the 4 NASCAR drivers remaining?

The playoff system in NASCAR makes for an exciting wind down to the crowning of the Monster Energy Cup Series champion.

The playoff round began with 16 drivers making it into championship contention, then the field began to be whittled down race after race.

Last week's race at Phoenix eliminated the Round of 8 down to the Championship 4.

The final four drivers to advance to Sunday's final race in Miami are:

Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota

Here are the playoff standings (with points) going into Sunday's final 2017 race.

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch had a slow start to the season, but finished off strong. He has three race wins, three stage wins and started 8 races on the pole.

Busch was the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and has made it to the Championship 4 three times already (in 2015, 2016 and 2017).

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Jonathan Ferrey

Why is Kyle Busch the one to beat?

Busch (seen here in the Kobalt 400 on March 10 in Las Vegas) has had one of the fastest cars all season. His No. 18 Toyota has led 1,980 laps this season--more than 300 laps than he's ever led in the one season.

His surging late-season performances also hint that he could win at Miami and take home another championship trophy.

If he did, could two championships in three years cement his legacy?

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick has just two wins in 2017, but he just won in Texas and now attempts to win his second Cup championship.

He won the title in 2014, which was a monster year for him with five wins, and was also in the Championship 4 in 2015 and 2017).

He and his No. 4 Ford could have momentum on their side.

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Why will Harvick win the championship?

Kevin Harvick is always a good bet to win in NASCAR--and especially this week in Miami, where has a proven track record.

Harvick's success at Miami points to another victory; he s the statistical leader in top-five finishes (eight), top 10s (14) and laps run (4,277) in Miami.

And Harvick is confident.

"The pressure is really on the 78 (Truex) and the 18 (Busch)," he said this week as the last race approached. "It's a lot of fun coming from behind and playing catch-up and kind of playing that underdog role is much easier than being expected to go down there and win. We expect to win."

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski slipped into the Championship 4 in last week's race in Phoenix, after getting enough points following non-playoff qualifier Matt Kenseth's win.

Keselowski has three wins this season, including his victory at Talladega.

(Brad Keselowski wins Alabama 500 at Talladega)

He and his No. 2 Ford won the 2002 Cup championship, but this is his first appearance in the Final 4 round.

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Why will Brad Kesewloski win it all?

Despite not having a win during the Round of 8 during the 2017 playoffs, Keselowski still has the potential to win the championship. He's a former Cup winner and his surprise appearance into the final round could give him momentum.

In fact, being the underdog may be providing extra motivation.

"I think I'm just glad to be in it, and we'll have a great opportunity. I'm thankful for that," he said after last week's race. "But where we're at and the way these formats go and single race like this, you just don't know what's going to happen."

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. has been exceptional all season in the No. 78 Toyota. He leads the final four drivers with wins this season; he won seven races during the 2017 season, including three during the playoff rounds.

Truex Jr. has been in the final round of the playoffs just twice--in 2015 and 2017--and hasn't ever won the championship.

Could this finally be the year?

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Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com

Why will Martin Truex Jr. be crowned championed?

All the numbers point in Truex's favor as he attempts to win the 2017 title.

Aside from his number of wins this season, he also finished strong in the playoffs--when it matters the most. He had an average 4.7 finish in the first nine races of the playoffs.

He also does well at Miami; he's had three top-5 finishes there, and six of his seven wins in 2017 were on 1.5 mile tracks.

"If I'm the favorite, perfect, I like that. I think it's a better position to be in. I was the underdog before and I finished fourth, so yeah, bring it on," he said in anticipation of the final race.

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