OMNISPORT

Kyle Busch took a dominant car to victory in the Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway in Phoenix on Sunday, but he was not the only winner.

Busch's victory, his eight of the season, earned him an automatic spot in the Championship 4 playoff finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18.

But, joining Busch in that title showdown will be the other two members of the 'Big Three' of 2018. Kevin Harvick finished fifth to qualify for the finale, and defending NASCAR Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. (14th) also qualified.

Joey Logano had already earned a spot in the finale thanks to his victory last month at Martinsville.

Busch did not have to win to earn his spot, and he could have played it safe on Sunday, but he went out and led 117 laps en route to his 51st career victory.

"I'd like to think this gives us a lot [of momentum]," Busch told NBC afterward. "But talk is cheap. It's an awesome team, an awesome group at Joe Gibbs Racing."

Several other drivers made strong bids to qualify for the Championship 4. But, Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott saw their playoff chances vanish when they were involved in a multi-car crash on a restart with 43 laps remaining.

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola, who needed a victory to qualify for the finale, had a shot. He started second on a restart behind leader Kyle Busch with 12 laps remaining, but could not keep up. Almirola finished fourth.

Brad Keselowski finished second, while Kyle Larson finished third. Matt Kenseth, driving his next-to-last career race, finished seventh.