No favorite among NASCAR championship 4 ahead of finale

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The long and unpredictable NASCAR season comes to an end Sunday with a championship race fitting for a year that saw unprecedented parity and never a clear title favorite. Chase Elliott led the standings for most of the season while winning a career-high five races and the regular-season title. But everything is equal this year, the first for NASCAR’s new Next Gen car that successfully leveled the playing field. The Cup Series celebrated 19 different winners, five were first-timers. Momentum was fleeting and shifted throughout the garage weekly and the end result is a unique final four in the winner-take-all finale at Phoenix Raceway.