AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR’s championship field was set Sunday at rain-soaked Phoenix International Raceway when the race was called 93 laps from the scheduled finish — denying Joey Logano and three others a chance to race their way into the finale.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race when NASCAR pulled the plug after a frustrating day of trying to get a pivotal Chase for the Sprint Cup championship elimination round completed. Rain initially delayed the start almost seven hours and turned a day race into a showcase under the lights, and Earnhardt inherited the lead when Kevin Harvick made a routine pit stop.

“That’s the way this game is played. That’s the way this Chase is,” Logano said. “There’s no doubt in my mind we’re still the strongest team on the race track.”

Earnhardt was eliminated from the playoffs in the second round, though, so the victory had no championship implications. Advancing into the season finale next Sunday were reigning series champion Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. They joined Jeff Gordon, who had earned his spot in the final four two weeks ago with a win at Martinsville, in the winner-take-all showdown at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Eliminated Sunday were Logano and his teammate Brad Keselowski, as well as Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch. All could have earned a spot in the finale with a victory at Phoenix, but the weather ruined their shot to race their way into the championship.

“I don’t think it matters what’s fair, it matters what entertains the fans and if the fans are happy then that’s what it’s all about,” said Keselowski.

But the fans were likely left unsatisfied after the anti-climactic ending.

It was a bitter defeat for Team Penske, which nearly locked both drivers into the finale. Logano, the Daytona 500 winner who swept all three races of the second round of the Chase, was headed to the win at Martinsville until he was intentionally wrecked by Matt Kenseth and Keselowski nearly won last week at Texas but was chased down in the closing laps by Jimmie Johnson.

Logano finished a frustrating third and was denied a chance to race Earnhardt and Harvick on a restart because of the rain.

“You don’t know if there’s another restart if we’re going to win,” Logano said. “You just want a chance. It’s no one’s fault. It’s not NASCAR’s fault.”

Also left wondering what might have been: Edwards, who missed advancing by just five points, and Kurt Busch, who had one of the strongest cars at Phoenix. Kurt Busch had to win the race to advance, and he might have had a shot had it gone to completion.