Harvick now has Cup title shot

FORT WORTH, Texas — Kevin Harvick and the Stewart-Haas Racing team had already been preparing for NASCAR’s finale. With another win at Texas, they now know they will be racing for a Cup title in two weeks.

Harvick won the fall race at Texas for the third year in a row Sunday, again securing one of the championship-contending spots for the Nov. 17 season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

After starting from the pole, Harvick led 119 of 334 laps and paced a 1-2-3 finish for Stewart-Haas. He had gotten to Texas fifth in points, below the cutline for a championship run.

Harvick led six times in the No. 4 Ford, including the final 21 laps and 73 of the last 80, and finished 1½ seconds ahead of teammate Aric Almirola. Daniel Suarez, the Stewart-Haas driver still unsigned for next season, was third.

With Martin Truex Jr. already locked in for the final four at Homestead, the final two spots for the title run will be determined next week at Phoenix. At least one driver will get in on points.

In Austin, Texas, Lewis Hamilton wrapped up his sixth career Formula One championship with a second-place finish at the U.S. Grand Prix, a race he led late until surrendering the position to Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in the final laps.

The 34-year-old British driver moved with one of the record seven titles won by Germany’s Michael Schumacher. Hamilton has won the last three championships and locked this one up with two races left.