Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17, 2013
Photo – Getty Images

A forgettable 2013 season for Denny Hamlin ended on a high note Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami. Despite dismal performances throughout the year, Hamlin was able to bring a little light to his season with a win.  This victory will continue Hamlin’s streak of seven straight seasons with at least one win. Momentum going into the off-season may not add up to anything soon, but it could allow the No.11 to shine once 2014 gets underway.

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, celebrates in Champions Victory Lane after winning the series championship after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17, 2013
Photo – Getty Images

It wasn’t just Hamlin celebrating in Miami, however. Jimmie Johnson was hoisting his sixth Sprint Cup after the race. Johnson escaped potential trouble throughout the day to secure a high enough finishing place for the championship. Johnson’s flawless Chase performance receives the credit for the title as the last ten races need perfection for the championship and the No.48 team did exactly what they needed.

Throughout the day, it was Johnson being chased in the points by Matt Kenseth. Kenseth needed to do one thing in the race  – dominate. The first half of the race went that way, but Kenseth couldn’t regain the the same feel toward the end. Kenseth’s pit crew did all they could do with fast, finesse, and flawless pit stops. In the closing laps of the race, Kenseth was toward the front, but a tough battle with Dale Earnhardt Jr. allowed Hamlin to pull away and the win slipped out of Kenseth’s grasp.

Earnhardt Jr. had one of his best days this season with a car that looked capable of winning. He first led on lap 140 and then made it back out front at different points throughout the race. The lead was his on the last restart with 28 laps to go, but Hamlin eventually made the winning pass. Another great performance by Earnhardt Jr. closes out a Chase where he started slow, but eventually caught fire en route to placing fifth on the season

The only time Johnson saw trouble throughout the day was after a caution and on a restart with 79 laps left to run. Jeff Gordon couldn’t getting going and created an accordion effect stringing back to Johnson, causing the No.48 to wiggle and lose lots of ground. Johnson recovered, but didn’t return to the front where he ran for most of the race.

A bizarre situation brought out the eighth caution of the day. Paul Menard’s car caught fire in the right-rear part and as he pitted, the right rear tire blew out. That sent the tire outward with a loud explosion along with black smoke came smoldering around the crew. After the incident, there were no injuries.

Denny Hamlin was too strong at the end of the race as he set sail with the laps winding down. This was Hamlin’s first victory of the season and his first trip to victory lane since New Hampshire in September 2012.

Johnson took care of his car toward the end as he raced toward his sixth title. Once there, he and his No.48 team were ecstatic. This is Johnson’s sixth title in eight years and this puts him on track to tie Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty’s seven titles in 2014.

The remarkable 2013 season comes to a close with a deserving champion. Jimmie Johnson and his team put everything together this year and their reward is another Sprint Cup trophy. The off-season looms ahead, but there are only 97 days until the Daytona 500.

Results via ESPN.com