Kurt Busch Wins Championship

Busch, in just his fourth season in NASCAR's biggest series, never wavered despite a championship battle too close to call through most of the race. The points lead changed several times - sometimes on consecutive laps. If the results had stayed as they were at one point late in the race, the top three drivers would have tied, and Johnson would have won based on his eight victories.

Johnson and four-time champion Gordon gave it everything they had, finishing second and third after Biffle grabbed the lead on the last restart held off Johnson for the last four laps.

"With the 97 (Busch) behind me there at the end, I knew the championship was out of the question and I was just racing Jeff for second," said Johnson, who had won four of five races before the finale.

Gordon failed to lead a lap in the race and said he knew he didn't have the car to win. Mark Martin finished 4th.