[mabarker1]

Grandstands, premium seating sold out for Ford Ecoboost 400: Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer announced that the grandstands are sold out for the Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday, November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In addition, premium seating areas in Champions Club, Speedway Club and the Pit Box are sold out as well.
"The response this year among our fans has been tremendous, both to the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format as well as the opportunity to come to Miami and witness history," Becherer said. "The fans who will be here at our track not only will be treated to a terrific weekend of racing, but also an unforgettable overall experience with all of the entertainment and amenities that we have planned. For those who want to see some great racing, we encourage people to come out to the Camping World Truck Series race (Ford EcoBoost 200) on Friday night and the Nationwide race (Ford EcoBoost 300) on Saturday. Many of the drivers who will be competing in the Sprint Cup race on Sunday also will be taking part in the first two races over the weekend."
Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman each will have a chance to claim the 2014 Sprint Cup Series championship at the Ford EcoBoost 400 as they will compete amongst a full field of 43 cars. Whichever driver among the Championship 4 finishes the highest on Sunday will be crowned the champion. Although the Ford EcoBoost 400 is now sold out, fans of some of the most popular drivers on the Sprint Cup Series circuit will have a chance to see those same drivers earlier in the weekend. Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson are scheduled to take part in the Ford EcoBoost 300 on Saturday while Busch and Larson will compete in the Ford EcoBoost 200 on Friday. Fans will also have the opportunity see one of the top young drivers on the NASCAR circuit in the Ford EcoBoost 300 as Chase Elliott takes the wheel for the first time since clinching the Nationwide Series Championship following the race in Phoenix last weekend. At 18 years of age, Elliott is the youngest champion ever in any NASCAR series. Tickets remain available for the Ford EcoBoost 200 on Friday and the Ford EcoBoost 300 on Saturday. For more information on tickets, call 305-230-5255 or visit homesteadmiamispeedway.com.(HMS)(11-11-2014)

[mabarker1]

"Bonsai" predicts Hamlin as the champ: The season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 race may be taking place this Sunday, but South Florida got a taste of Vegas when Zoo Miami's "Bonsai," a binturong, became the official Zoo Miami "Wildlife Prognosticator," picking the winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Choosing from the four cars of #4-Kevin Harvick, #11-Denny Hamlin, #22-Joey Logano and #31-Ryan Newman, Bonsai had a tough decision to make as to who he thought would take home the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. After thorough consideration, Bonsai picked the #11 car of Denny Hamlin to take home the Championship. Bonsai is a unique animal found in the tall forests of Asia that can reach a weight of close to 50 pounds. They are primarily arboreal and are excellent climbers feeding on a variety of small mammals, birds, insects and fruits. Commonly called a "bear cat," they have thick black fur and a long prehensile tail with sharp claws. They are active both day and night and give off a scent that smells very much like popcorn. Their biggest threat in the wild is habitat destruction due to deforestation.(South Dade News Leader)(11-12-2014)