NASCAR Cup Series

Everything you need to know about Sunday's championship race at Homestead

Published Nov. 22, 2015 9:00 a.m. ET

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The day has finally arrived. It is championship Sunday for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and at the end of the day the 2015 champ will be crowned. Four drivers have a shot at hoisting the Sprint Cup trophy; veteran Jeff Gordon, defending series champion Kevin Harvick, comeback kid Kyle Busch and underdog Martin Truex Jr.

There are no points on the line for the four title contenders, so the champion will be determined by the highest finishing of the four drivers. They do not necessarily have to win the race, they simply have to beat the other three championship contenders.

Each of the four drivers going for the title has a compelling and incredible storyline.

Gordon is going for his fifth championship title in the final race of his Hall of Fame career. Emotions will be running high, and all weekend long the driver of the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet has been the center of attention from fans, media and even former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who wished him luck on Twitter. If he could accomplish the feat, it would truly be one of the biggest days in the history of the sport.

Harvick is looking to repeat as Sprint Cup champion, and would be the first back-to-back champ under the current winner-takes-all Chase format. The No. 4 team has consistently been one of the strongest teams for the last two season, but have fought through adversity and staved off elimination time and time again to get to the title fight.

Busch was seriously injured in the season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway back in February. After hitting a unprotected concrete wall with no SAFER barrier, he missed the first 11 races of the Sprint Cup season. He made an incredibly fast recovery, won four races once he was back in the car, and has consistently worked his way to the title fight.

Truex's story is one for the underdogs. Throughout his Sprint Cup career, the New Jersey native has routinely gotten the short end of the stick. His Furniture Row Racing team is a single-car operation with a much more limited budget based out of Denver, Colorado. In addition to the challenges of going up against the biggest teams in the sport, Truex has also had to fight through the adversity of his longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex's battle with cancer.

At the end of Sunday's race, one of these four drivers will write their names in the NASCAR history books, while the other three will wonder what could have been. However, there are also 39 other drivers in the field for Sunday's race, and many of them would like to end the 2015 season on a high note with by celebrating in Victory Lane.

Without any further ado, here is everything you need to know about Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Green flag:

3:15 p.m. ET

Tune-in:

11:30 a.m. ET: "NASCAR RaceDay" (FS1)

3 p.m. ET: Sprint Cup Seris Ford EcoBoost 400

10 p.m. ET: "NASCAR Victory Lane" (FS1)

11 p.m. ET: "FOX Sports Live" (FS1)

Forecast:

Weather may play a big role in Sunday's championship race. According to weather.com, there are scattered thunderstorms throughout the morning in the Homestead area. That will change to cloudy this afternoon, with thunderstorms likely. The high temperature will be hear 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds from the West South West at 10 to 15 miles per hour. The chance of rain is 100 percent. With the race set to start at approximately 3:15 p.m., the percentage of rain for the three o'clock hour has dropped to zero percent.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said earlier this week that the sanctioning body would not change the race procedure if weather hits, meaning if the race passes the halfway point and rain hits the track, the race may end before the advertised distance. This will definitely be a story to watch throughout the day.

Grand marshal/Command to start engines:

Hoda Kotb

Honorary race official:

Congressman Carlos Curbelo

Honarry starter/Wave green flag:

Mark Fields, president and CEO, Ford

Honorary pace car driver:

Joe Hinrichs, EVP and president, Ford

Color guard:

482nd Fighter Wing Base Honor Guard

Invocation:

Pastor Sammy Flores, Christ Fellowship