Of the 198 riders who started the race on July 5, 156 remain.
If the race remains close, those extra six games could determine the outcome.
This was enough to give him the title with six races remaining in the season.
The gap between them, with those two races remaining, was down to eight points.
There are now seven drivers within 100 points of one another with five races remaining.
There are 15 races remaining before the 10-car field is set for the playoff.
And race in a city where blacks constitute a 57 percent majority remains near the surface.
The race remained even until the final weeks, when it began to seesaw.
Dodge was fourth on 67 points with 20 races remaining in the season.
He now trails Button by 32 points with four races remaining.