NASCAR at Dover 2015 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights and Reaction

Sunday's NASCAR action at Dover International Speedway in Delaware marked the final Challenger 16 race in the 2015 Sprint Cup. Twelve drivers are still alive in the Chase, and in the AAA 400, Kevin Harvick emerged with the checkered flag in a dominant performance.

Harvick led a whopping 355 of 400 laps at Dover and needed the win to secure a spot in the second round of the Chase races. He totaled 581 laps led in the first round, yet it would have been all for naught if he hadn't finished first.

An intriguing subplot took place as bubble driver Jamie McMurray battled Dale Earnhardt Jr. down the stretch for a spot in the second round. In the end, Junior came out on top, edging McMurray for third place to secure the 12th and final berth for the Contender Round.

Check out the round of 12 standings after Sunday's race:

Jeff Gluck of USA Today witnessed a classy gesture from Earnhardt to McMurray following their heated battle:

The Associated Press' Jenna Fryer logged what Harvick had to say to his crew upon advancing to the Contender Round:

Six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson wound up in 14th just behind McMurray as the first drivers eliminated. A broken rear-axle seal forced Johnson to go to the garage on Lap 104, and he wound up finishing 36 laps off the lead.

Jamie Little of Fox Sports expressed surprise Johnson was knocked out of the Chase this early:

The other drivers knocked out of the Chase were Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer, respectively, as they finished 25th and 14th in the AAA 400.

Fryer supplied further context regarding Johnson's disappointing end to his bid for a seventh championship:

Although the races remaining on the schedule still boast full fields of talented drivers, the contenders have begun to distinguish themselves for NASCAR's top prize.

ESPN's Bob Pockrass alluded to the added excitement the Chase provides even in a race like the one Sunday that Harvick won in such convincing fashion:

The next race on the NASCAR slate only sees the stakes heightened at the dawn of the Contender 12 round at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bank of America 500. If the opening round was any indication, this Chase for the Sprint Cup should be among the most memorable in recent history.

So many quality drivers were vying for a limited number of positions on Sunday and are all operating at a high level at the moment. When someone as accomplished as Johnson is bounced from the Chase, it's obvious how deep the top-tier talent is in NASCAR at the moment.

Johnson has won three prior times at Charlotte, so he was set up for success had he continued on in pursuit of the Sprint Cup. Another storyline to watch in the Chase includes Jeff Gordon, who finished 12th on Sunday and is still alive in what will be the legend's final season for Hendrick Motorsports.

With Johnson unable to continue on, it would be fitting if his teammate in Gordon could make a championship run to close his epic career in style.    

Note: Stats, results and information courtesy of NASCAR.com unless otherwise indicated.