Finally, NASCAR's merger mania comes to an end

HOMESTEAD, Fla., Nov. 22, 2015 -- Fireworks pierced the South Florida night sky as the new champion stood on the makeshift stage, hugging his silver trophy. It had been a long journey for Joey Logano, from all those teen-aged expectations to those trying first few years on NASCAR's premier circuit to this, the manifestation of greatness that so many had thought possible. Flashbulbs popped and confetti floated and giant champagne bottles were uncorked as the young driver held the Sprint Cup victoriously over his head.

At last, he stepped to the microphone. "I'd like to thank my teammates," the new champion said. "All 34 of them."

Indeed, it was a watershed day in more ways than one. The evening marked not only the first championship for Logano, but also the first for NASCAR's new megateam, the result of all the sponsorship shortages and declining manufacturer support that forced one merger after another. The 35-car behemoth -- officially called Hendrick-Earnhardt-Roush-Stewart-Childress-Haas-Penske-Petty-Gibbs-Toyota Motorsports with Felix Sabates, but known as HERSCH for short -- came to Homestead-Miami Speedway with the title virtually secured. Logano needed only an 18th-place finish to claim the championship, and despite his poor qualifying effort, he got it after each of his teammates dutifully moved out of the way.

The new organization has been controversial, to say the least. Detractors say having so many cars under one roof naturally has an adverse effect on competition, while the co-team owners involved claim it was the only way for them to remain competitive. The result has been starting fields featuring a few single-car holdouts like Robby Gordon, a handful of start-and-parkers, and 35 vehicles competing under the HERSCH banner. Carl Kiekhaefer's record of 16 consecutive victories by a single organization -- a mark set in 1956 and thought unbreakable -- went down in race No. 17. (Continued)