Ryan Newman advanced into the final round for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship thanks to a last lap pass of Kyle Larson.
Newman needing one spot bumped into the No. 42 of Larson knocking him out of the way and making the pass.
“Coming to the finish, there were a lot of cars racing really hard,’’ Larson said in a statement provided by Chip Ganassi Racing. “I knew (Newman) was right around me and knew he needed to gain some spots to keep from getting eliminated from the Chase.
“It’s a little upsetting he pushed me up to the wall, but I completely understand the situation he was in and can’t fault him for being aggressive there. I think a lot of drivers out here would have done something similar if they were in that position.”
The move by Newman allows him to go into Homestead looking for a championship. He will need to finish ahead of Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano to make that happen.
