Best of the 2012 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup

Ingrid Vandebosch kisses her husband Jeff Gordon in victory lane as their son Leon looks on.

Brad Keselowski hoists a beer as he is presented with the Sprint Cup Series championship trophy.

The No. 2 crew lines the pit road wall to congratulate Brad Keselowski for clinching the 2012 Sprint Cup championship.

Jeff Gordon celebrates with a burnout after winning the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Clint Bowyer (15) and Jeff Gordon (24) race for the lead during the closing laps of the Ford EcoBoost 400.

With less than 50 laps remaining, crew members push the No. 48 Chevrolet to the garage, ending Jimmie Johnson's championship bid.

Rrivers race through the front stretch during the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Kyle Busch led a race-high 191 laps and finished fourth.

Marcos Ambrose, front left, and Brad Keselowski, front right, lead the field at the start of the Ford EcoBoost 400.

Kid Rock, center, performs a concert before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson, his daughter Genevieve Marie, and wife Chandra stand for the national anthem prior to the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Kevin Harvick celebrates with his crew in victory lane winning after winning the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Kevin Harvick takes the checkered flag at Phoenix International Raceway to score his first victory of the year in the season's penultimate race.

Ryan Newman (39), Mark Martin (55), Danica Patrick (10), Kurt Busch (78), and Paul Menard (27) crash on the front stretch during the final lap of the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Danica Patrick (10) gets thrown onto the wrecked car of Paul Menard after a crash on the final lap of the AdvoCare 500.

Sprint Cup drivers speed down the backstretch at Phoenix International Raceway during the AdvoCare 500.

Jeff Gordon, center, intentionally wrecks Clint Bowyer (15) during the closing laps of Sunday's AdvoCare 500. Joey Logano (20) also is caught up in the fray.

A NASCAR official looks over Clint Bowyer's wrecked car as it rests on pit road after a collision with Jeff Gordon during lap 312.

Police break up fights in the garage area between crew members after an on-track incident with Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon. Gordon wrecked Bowyer in the closing laps of the race, eliminating him from Chase contention.

Tony Stewart (14) pits after spinning in Turn 2 during lap 280.

Jimmie Johnson's crew works on the No. 48 Chevrolet in the garage after Johnson slapped the Turn 4 wall on lap 235.

Martin Truex Jr., left, and Kyle Busch lead the field as the green flag waves to begin the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Flames erupt from Kurt Busch's car, right, as a crash on the final lap of the race takes out Busch and Paul Menard, center, among others.

Jimmie Johnson fires the commemorative Turnbull pistols in victory lane after winning the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson crosses the finish line to win the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. With the win, Johnson takes a seven-point lead in the standings.

Sprint Cup points leaders Jimmie Johnson (48) and Brad Keselowski (2) bump each other during the closing laps of the AAA Texas 500. Johnson and Keselowski finished first and second to maintain their 1-2 spots in the standings.

Mark Martin hits the wall after contact with Carl Edwards on lap 331 of the AAA Texas 500 in 2012, setting up a green-white-checkered finish.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stops for fuel and tires during a pit stop in the AAA Texas 500. Junior finished seventh.

Debris flies as AJ Allmendinger (51) slides through the infield after colliding with Carl Edwards, rear, on lap 109.

Brad Keselowski (2) clips a tire carrier from Danica Patrick's crew as he leaves his pit stall.

Jimmie Johnson, front right, and Greg Biffle, front left, lead the drivers as the green flag flies for the start of the AAA Texas 500.

Cast members of the television show "Dallas," (from left) Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Jordana Brewster and Jesse Metcalfe, give the command for drivers to start their engines at Texas Motor Speedway.

A parachute jumper carrying the Texas state flag descends on the track before the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The weight used to balance the flag fell onto Kevin Harvick's No. 29 car.

Jimmie Johnson celebrates after winning the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. With the win, Johnson took a two-point lead over Brad Keselowski in the Chase standings with three races remaining.

Jimmie Johnson does a burn out after winning the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway for his fourth victory of the season.

Jimmie Johnson crosses the finish line and takes the checkered flag to win the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Denny Hamlin (11) gets a push from the tow truck after an electrical problem caused his car to stop on the front stretch during lap 391 of 500. Also pictured, David Ragan (34) drives by.

Marcos Ambrose (9) spins for the second time of the race in Turn 2 as Ken Schrader goes low to avoid a crash.

Greg Biffle comes in for a pit stop during the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Juan Pablo Montoya (42) spins out as Jimmie Johnson manages to pass him on the low side of the track during the Tums Fast Relief 500.

Chase drivers Brad Keselowski (2) , Kevin Harvick (29) and Dake Earnhardt Jr (88) come around a turn at Martinsville Speedway. Keselowski finished sixth, Earnhardt 21st and Harvick 32nd.

An overhead view of Martinsville Speedway as drivers race during the Tums Fast Relief 500.

Martin Truex Jr., left, talks to team owner Michael Waltrip prior to the start of the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., left, acknowledges fans as he rides with Brian Vickers during driver introductions at Martinsville Speedway.

Matt Kenseth is awash in confetti after winning at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. Kenseth has four races remaining with Roush Fenway Racing before he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2013 season.

Matt Kenseth won the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday for his third win of the season -- his second in the Chase.

Crew members work on Jimmie Johnson's Chevrolet after he spun and hit the wall when a pass attempt failed. Johnson salvaged a ninth-place finish and trails Brad Keselowski by seven points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Greg Biffle (16) drives below Jeff Burton (31) who hits the wall on lap 83. Biffle would later slam into the wall on lap 174. Biffle finished 27th and Burton 28th.

Aric Almirola hits the wall after an incident in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. He climbed from his car without assistance and was cleared at the infield care center.

Kyle Busch spins out after an incident in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Busch finished 31st Sunday.

Clint Bowyer leads a pack of cars into turn 1 during the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Bowyer finished sixth and remains fourth in the Chase standings.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer (15) takes the checkered flag to win the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer celebrates in victory lane after winning the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Jeff Burton (31) and David Reutimann (34) spin and crash during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers come in for a pit stop during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Jeff Gordon (24), Tony Stewart (14) and Carl Edwards (99) race for position during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kurt Busch (78) and Ryan Newman (39) race during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Greg Biffle (16), Brad Keselowski (2) and Denny Hamlin (11) race for the lead during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Matt Kenseth takes the yellow and checkered flags to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Kenseth escaped a 25-car crash on the last lap to pull away for the win.

Tony Stewart (14) flips over Clint Bowyer (15), Paul Menard (27) and Kasey Kahne as he triggers a 25-car crash on the last lap of the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) gives teammate Jimmie Johnson a ride to the start-finish line after Johnson's car was totaled on the last-lap crash at Talladega.

Matt Kenseth celebrates with his crew after winning the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Drivers race four-wide into turn two during the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Jamie McMurray (1) spins out on lap 182 of 189 during the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. McMurray led nine times for 38 laps.

The fans rise as the drivers get up to speed on the start of the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Brad Keselowski (2) races past the checkered flag to win the AAA 400. He took the points lead from Jimmie Johnson and leads by five heading to Talladega Superspeedway.

Brad Keselowski celebrates in victory lane after winning the AAA 400.

Jimmie Johnson (48), Kyle Busch (18) and Brad Keselowski (2) lead a group of cars during the AAA 400.

Matt Kenseth (17) is involved in an incident in front of Landon Cassill (83) during the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway, the Chase's third stop.

Denny Hamlin hoists the trophy after his win in the Sylvania 300. Jimmie Johnson finished second to take the points lead.

Tony Stewart (14) leads Jeff Gordon (24) and Kyle Busch (18) during the Sylvania 300 in New Hampshire.

Jimmie Johnson (48) and Denny Hamlin (11) work through race traffic during the Sylvania 300.

A B-52 bomber flies over the track before the start of the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.

Brad Keselowski celebrates in victory lane after winning the GEICO 400. It is his fourth victory of the season.

Brad Keselowski grabs an American flag and does a burnout after winning the GEICO 400 to take the points lead.

Jimmie Johnson (48) leads Aric Almirola (43) and Matt Kenseth (17) at the start of the GEICO 400.