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Tag: Kevin Harvick

  • Hot 20 – Few are California Dreamin’

    Hot 20 – Few are California Dreamin’

    Excitement, thy name is sure not Fontana. Not usually. There is a reason the idea to bring the Cup folks out to the Auto Club Speedway was abandoned after just seven seasons. It is bad enough to be a yawner on television, but when that is the perception live and in person, you have got a problem.

    NASCAR has some pretty exciting tracks, with Bristol, Daytona, and Talladega leading the way. The entertainment value alone makes those stand-alone events, whether you know the difference between Kyle Busch and Cole Whitt or not. Others are steeped in history, while this season will provide us with familiar tracks becoming quite unfamiliar.

    Last week was Phoenix, where new grandstands going up will cause a move of the start-finish line in time for November. New grandstands going up, new fans parked in those seats, a finish line right in front of all those newly accommodated peepers. What is now Turn Two becomes the focal point. Just imagine a finish where the track opens up, where even a daredevil can take their shot cutting low below the line in a bid for victory. Even the drivers like the idea.

    Then there is Charlotte. They run the 600 miler on the traditional oval in May, but in September they will add to that oval a detour to include the interior road course. Something different to watch for. Something exciting is what they hope for.

    As for California, it is not always a bore. Usually, but not always. Here is hoping we fans discover the exception on Sunday.

    As for our Hot 20…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS – 1 E.W. – 168 Pts
    If the plan is to have his wins match his age, expect two more sooner than later.

    2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 114 Pts
    Winning the Daytona 500 was awesome, but did he retire after that?

    3. KYLE BUSCH – 156 POINTS
    If the plan was to watch Harvick’s backside every race, things are working out perfectly.

    4. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 156 POINTS
    18th at Daytona, Top Fives ever since.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 152 POINTS
    Not always at the front at the end of the day, but he seems to there at some time during the day.

    6. RYAN BLANEY – 152 POINTS
    Proved that country singer Cole Swindell is a bit of a screamer.

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 137 POINTS
    Believes he needs just a little bit of speed to catch Harvick. 30 other guys might say the same.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 134 POINTS
    Won the Xfinity race last weekend. I outran a three-year-old. We are both winners.

    9. KYLE LARSON – 131 POINTS
    Will Chip Ganassi allow his driver to do the Memorial Day double? Most doubt it.

    10. CLINT BOWYER – 125 POINTS
    Clint is second best in the SHR garage…

    11. ARIC ALMIROLA – 123 POINTS
    …but not by much.

    12. KURT BUSCH – 117 POINTS
    Tony’s boys were all in the Top Ten on Sunday.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 101 POINTS
    580 consecutive starts. That ties him for ninth with Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie who?

    14. PAUL MENARD – 97 POINTS
    Some days are not good. Some days can get worse. That was Menard’s Phoenix experience.

    15. ERIK JONES – 93 POINTS
    Cup and MLB are similar in that damn few performers of Jones’ age make it to the Show.

    16. CHASE ELLIOTT – 91 POINTS
    Daytona bad. Atlanta good. Las Vegas bad. Phoenix good. He might want to change the trend.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 91 POINTS
    The Arizona native son was 13th last week for his best finish of the season.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 88 POINTS
    Still seeking out his first Top Ten of the year.

    19. DARRELL WALLACE JR. – 77 POINTS
    Claimed more points at Daytona than in his next three events combined.

    20. CHRIS BUESCHER – 75 POINTS
    Phoenix was his worst finish of the year. His time on this chart could soon come to an end.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick corralled his third consecutive win, dashing to the win in the Ticket Guardian 500 at Phoenix.

    “I was showing three fingers out of my side window for the fans in the stands,” Harvick said, “and one finger out of my rear window for NASCAR officials in the inspection area.”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second to Kevin Harvick for the second week in a row and now sits second in the points standings.

    “I was trying my darndest to get to Harvick’s rear bumper,” Busch said. “Not because I wanted to pass him; I just wanted to get a really good look at his rear windshield.”

    3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex started on the pole and finished fifth at Phoenix, scoring his third top five of the year.

    “Right now,” Truex said, “Toyota is just trying to keep up with Ford and Kevin Harvick. Is Harvick’s team hiding something that may be illegal? It’s possible. So, instead of focusing on the rear window, maybe NASCAR officials should try checking the ‘back door.’”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano finished 19th, one lap off the pace, in the TicketGuardian 500 at Phoenix. He is now fourth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 16 out of first.

    “Kevin Harvick’s dominance surely can’t be good for television ratings,” Logano said. “Heck, I know at least 38 people that are sick of watching this, and they’re all pretty involved in the sport.”

    5. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 16th at Phoenix.

    “I guess I can’t fault NASCAR for penalizing Kevin Harvick for rear windshield violations,” Blaney said. “Harvick lost 20 points from the overall championship standings and seven playoff points. NASCAR took one look at Harvick’s rear window and said, “Hindsight is 20-7.’”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 15th at Phoenix and is sixth in the points standings, 34 out of first.

    “All the talk last week at Las Vegas was about Kevin Harvick and his rear windshield,” Keselowski said. “Many feel it akin to a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window.’ Personally, with Vegas being the home of the Busch brothers, I thought the applicable Hitchcock movie would have been ‘Psycho.’

    7. Kyle Larson: Larson started second at Phoenix and struggled to an 18th-place finish.

    “There were a lot of empty seats at Phoenix International Raceway,” Larson said. “NASCAR claims the action will get fans ‘out of their seats,’ and I guess they’re right.”

    8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin took fourth at Phoenix.

    “Kevin Harvick was just too good,” Hamlin said. “After the race, he called out ‘all the haters.’ Well, that must mean all of us, because everybody hates Kevin Harvick.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch won Stage 2 at Phoenix and finished 10th. He is 10th in the points standings, 51 out of first.

    “I agree with my teammate Kevin Harvick,” Busch said. “NASCAR is overstepping their boundaries by penalizing him. NASCAR officials looked at Kevin’s rear windshield and proclaimed it a ‘sight to behold,’ whereas Kevin says they looked at it and he declared it a ‘sight to b-holes.’”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished sixth at Phoenix, posting his second top-10 finish of the season.

    “If not for social media,” Bowyer said, “Kevin Harvick probably wouldn’t have been penalized for his rear windshield violation at Las Vegas. And that really pissed Harvick off. Ironically, he’s the one going ‘post-al.’”

  • The Final Word – Phoenix kind of reminded me of Las Vegas…and Atlanta. How about you?

    The Final Word – Phoenix kind of reminded me of Las Vegas…and Atlanta. How about you?

    Round round get around
    I get around
    Yeah
    Get around round round I get around

    It sure sounds cool when the Beach Boys sing it. It sure was kind of boring when we watched the drivers do the same at Phoenix.

    Get around round round I get around
    Ahh ooo ooo
    Get around round round I get around
    Ahh ooo ooo

    The song ends like that every time. Same for NASCAR lately. Kevin Harvick won his third straight, maybe it was even unencumbered but we will have to wait on that. At least he was not the only car featured. Kyle Busch was strong all day and finished second. Chase Elliott was not, yet arrived later on to matter when it mattered to finish third. Not yet a win, but the result sends him back in the right direction. Denny Hamlin was a factor and, to a much lesser degree, so was pole sitter Martin Truex, Jr. as they completed our Top Five.

    Excitement? No, not much. However, Chris Buescher was having a bad day, lost a right front, and forced a caution late in the second segment that at least shook up the running order some. Hey, you got to take it where you can get it. 37 cars were entered, and it is becoming more and more obvious that, strictly for entertainment value, we could even reduce that by a half dozen and not miss a beat. The only surprise in the Top 30 was Ross Chastain with a season best 27th for Jay Robinson’s team. On the outside we had Michael McDowell and Paul Menard, but I do not think anyone was surprised they were joined by D.J. Kennington, Timmy Hill, Gray Gaulding, Jeffrey Earnhardt, and Corey LaJoie.

    Well, what have we got next? California. Beautiful Fontana. The track were excitement goes to die. Usually. Still, arriving on the west coast should come as good news for six-time winner Jimmie Johnson. Do you know who else has won there? Kyle Busch has three trophies, and probably thinks that it would be nice to claim a win after two straight runner-up finishes. Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Kurt Busch also have a victory there. As does Kevin Harvick. At least he has not won there since 2011. Over the past ten at Fontana he has just one win…was 2nd two out of the last three…and seven Top Tens.

    What goes around comes around. Tell me, could we see a four-peat this Sunday?

    Maybe he is getting bugged driving up and down the same old strip
    Wants to find a new place where the kids are hip

    Then again, maybe not. He seems to like winning. A lot.

  • Harvick wins at Phoenix

    Harvick wins at Phoenix

    As Kevin Harvick’s crew lined the outer pit wall to celebrate with him, he stood on the door of his car, leaned down and smacked the back windshield multiple times. He then craned towards the stands and pointed repeatedly down towards his back windshield, as though he was tempting fans to find something wrong with it this week.

    Considering his victory the week prior at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was deemed “encumbered,” and that Harvick believed it was a result of “chatter that was created on social media afterwards” (from his media availability on Friday), that was exactly what the gesture was.

    “I’ve been mad as I’ll get. This team does a great job. This organization does a great job. And we’ve got fast race cars. And to take that away from those guys just really pissed me off last week. To come here, to a race track that’s so good to us, is a lot of fun. Everybody was just determined this week and we just wanted to just go stomp them. We didn’t stomp them, but we won. That’s really all that matters.”

    While waiting for the final round of pit stops to cycle out, Harvick passed Chase Elliott for third, and thus the win, with 38 laps to go. It’s his 40th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory and ninth at ISM Raceway.

    As was the case the week prior, Kyle Busch tried to erase the gap on fresher tires, but lap traffic and a mistake on pit road relegated him to second on the podium.

    “Before the race, I knew the 4 car had the car to beat,” Busch said. “I didn’t think we were going to be the second-best car today, but we actually had a shot to race him and out-race him and beat him. But it just didn’t quite work out. Obviously, our pit stop wasn’t stellar. When I was trying to come back up through there, I got back up through there relatively good. I got relatively close. I was counting on the 9 (Chase Elliott) to hold him up a little bit more and be able to protect that spot a little bit longer than he did. That way, I could try to get there. At least get alongside the 4 and trying to make it a three-way battle for the lead, like I did earlier when it was the 11 (Denny Hamlin) kind of holding up the 4. Just never transpired that way.

    “I thought that our Skittles Camry was really good. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the guys made some awesome changes overnight, because we weren’t that good yesterday. Proud to come home second, but now it’s starting to get frustrating.”

    Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the Top-five.

    “Yeah, we had a good car,” Elliott said. “It was solid, you know? Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) made a good call there at the end and we had a good pit stop there to get into the lead and I just felt like I needed a little bit of drive there to put the power down in front of him. I had a pretty good turn those last two runs and before that I wasn’t turning good enough and too good of forward bite. So, he was definitely the car to beat and it felt like there were a lot of laps left. I tried my best to hold him off as long as I could, but I felt like him and Kyle (Busch) had just a little bit on us. We’ll go to work and try to get better for California.”

    Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones and Kurt Busch rounded out the Top-10.

    RACE SUMMARY

    Martin Truex Jr. led the field to green at 3:45 p.m. He was passed by Kyle Larson in Turn 3 before the end of the first lap. After Corey LaJoie brought out the first caution on Lap 25 when his engine expired on the backstretch, NASCAR declared that caution the “competition caution, rather than a planned Lap 35 caution for morning showers.

    Truex exited pit road first, and led his first ever lap at Phoenix, and led the field back to green at Phoenix. But Larson swiped the lead from him straight on the restart. Truex fell prey to Kyle Busch, who set his sights on Larson. Closing the gap and applying pressure, he overtook Larson on Lap 58 and won the first stage.

    Aside from Michael McDowell going to the rear for speeding, the stage break was uneventful. Busch maintained the lead exiting pit road and led the field back to green on Lap 84.

    Larson brought out the third caution on Lap 122 when he got loose and spun out in Turn 3. Keselowski took just right-side tires and exited pit road with the race lead.

    After two laps in the lead, following the Lap 127 restart, Kyle Busch got to Keselowski’s inside going into Turn 1 and took back the race lead exiting Turn 2 on Lap 129. Following Chris Buescher’s wall excursion, many of the frontrunners ducked onto pitroad. Kurt Busch took the race lead and won the second stage.

    When he pitted under the stage break, Kyle Busch returned to the race lead and led the field back to green on Lap 159. With 133 laps to go, Kevin Harvick ran him down, passed him exiting Turn 4 and took the lead.

    Paul Menard suffered a right-rear tire blowout and rear-ended the Turn 2 wall, bringing out the caution with 122 to go. William Byron exited pit road with the lead, after taking just two tires, and led the field to the restart with 114 to go. Denny Hamlin pulled alongside him coming to the line with 103 to go, and exited Turn 4 with the lead the following lap.

    With roughly 90 laps to go, Kevin Harvick caught Hamlin and challenged him for the lead. Constant side-by-side battling allowed Kyle Busch to close in, pass Harvick with 72 to go and pass Hamlin for the lead with 69 to go.

    Drivers started hitting pit road for their final round of stops with roughly 58 laps to go. Kyle Busch pitted with 52 to go. Unfortunately, the jack dropped on the right side of his car, costing him the lead.

    While Brad Keselowski, who had yet to pit, inherited the lead, Chase Elliott and Harvick battled for third, and by extension the lead when the pit cycle ended. Finally, Harvick passed him with 38 to go. Kyle Busch, on a few laps fresher tires, passed Elliott for position with 34 to go. It only truly turned into a battle for the race lead when Ryan Newman pitted with 21 to go, handing it to Harvick with an eight-tenths of a second gap over Kyle Busch.

    The gap only grew as he pulled away from Busch and scored his ninth career victory at Phoenix.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted two hours, 53 minutes and 13 seconds, at an average speed of 108.073 mph. There were 15 lead changes among nine different drivers and six cautions for 36 laps.

    Harvick leaves Phoenix with a 12-point lead over Kyle Busch.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/04phx2018results.pdf”]

  • Hot 20 – Harvick hit by penalties heading to Phoenix, but they do not much matter

    Hot 20 – Harvick hit by penalties heading to Phoenix, but they do not much matter

    The damndest thing happened right after I submitted this for publication. The penalties came down after Las Vegas. Kevin Harvick’s team got hit. Hard. Talk about having to go back to the drawing..er..keyboard.

    So, what did they do? Well, according to NASCAR.com, “The team was found to have violated Sections 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support) and 20.4.18 (rocker panel extensions), specifically. A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions, at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extension was not aluminum.”

    So, though they no longer use the term, the win is encumbered. If you find the term too confusing, buy a dictionary. Crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $50,000. Car chief Robert Smith has been suspended for the next two races, and the team and driver both lost 20 points. That means, they get to keep the other 40 they picked up on the day. In short, it matters little to Harvick, with that Atlanta win already in the bag.

    What does matter is that some good people stepped up when they heard that Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 32 entry was unsponsored going into this one. Harvick donated $5000 to the cause. So did Denny Hamlin. Darrell Waltrip matched them. Talk about good people helping look after their own.

    As for our Hot 20 heading to Phoenix…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 1 E.W. – 115 Pts
    If the penalties in any way mean that Kevin is a bit of a brat, welcome to Harvickville.

    2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 94 Pts
    After Daytona, when will we next notice him on race day?

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 132 POINTS
    Three races. Three Top Tens.

    4. RYAN BLANEY – 131 POINTS
    Took the pole last week, which was about the only thing Harvick did not leave town with.

    5. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 115 POINTS
    Colorado also boasts Boulder, Crabtree, Dillon Dam, and the Great Divide Brewing Companies.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 104 POINTS
    If he does not matter it is because he is in the garage.

    7. KYLE LARSON – 104 POINTS
    Chevrolet was not completely shut out of the Top Ten last week. Damn near, but not completely.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 99 POINTS
    Along with Logano and Blaney, Team Penske has done rather well thus far.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 97 POINTS
    The guy is a jerk…then he goes and gives DiBenedetto a helping hand. Still a jerk, but a nice jerk.

    10. PAUL MENARD – 96 POINTS
    While everyone is watching Harvick up front, Menard is quietly succeeding further back.

    11. CLINT BOWYER – 93 POINTS
    Some like Nickelback. Others are named Clint Bowyer.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 93 POINTS
    Failed to stay on the lead lap, but 10th is 10th.

    13. KURT BUSCH – 77 POINTS
    Kurt + Chase = A bad day

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 75 POINTS
    Ooh, and it’s alright and it’s coming on, Ryan’s gotta get right back to where he last won.

    15. DARRELL WALLACE, JR. – 68 POINTS
    In a seven-race Cup career, Bubba has not done too badly.

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER – 67 POINTS
    Average a 15th place finish (5th, 25th, 15th) and that gives you a Chase place…for the moment.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 67 POINTS
    How bad has Hendrick got it? Alex is the best of their stable at present.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 66 POINTS
    This week…he is going after the hot dog guy.

    19. ERIK JONES – 64 POINTS
    In 40 career Cup starts, 24 times he has finished in the Top 15. You can build on that.

    20. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 53 POINTS
    Mechanical issue killed his day early, yet he keeps on hanging on.

  • No. 4 Monster Energy Series team receives L1-penalty post-Las Vegas

    No. 4 Monster Energy Series team receives L1-penalty post-Las Vegas

    By Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    The No. 4 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team from Stewart-Haas Racing received an L1-level penalty for two violations found during teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center stemming from Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    The team was found to have violated Sections 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support) and 20.4.18 (rocker panel extensions), specifically. A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions, at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extension was not aluminum.

    The No. 4 team with driver Kevin Harvick won the race, but will not get the benefits of that win for the NASCAR Playoffs (a total of seven playoff points for winning the race and both stages). Harvick also won at Atlanta, which means he still is qualified for the postseason on the basis of that Atlanta win.

    Additionally, crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $50,000. Car chief Robert Smith has been suspended for the next two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. The team also was docked 20 driver points and 20 owner points.

    With this specific infraction, NASCAR officials felt the best sanction for the violation was suspending the car chief, not crew chief, due to the prominent role the car chief plays in setting up the car throughout the weekend.

    The No. 4 team has the right to appeal the penalties to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel.

    In other penalties, the No. 55 team in the Monster Energy Series received a safety violation for one lug nut that was not secure in post-race inspection. Crew chief Todd Parrott has been fined $10,000.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was clearly the class of the field at Las Vegas, winning Stages 1 and 2 and leading 214 laps in winning the Pennzoil 400, his second consecutive victory.

    “I was untouchable,” Harvick said. “The field didn’t have anything for me, except inferiority. And I’ve led 395 of 592 laps over the last two races, which should give me the award for ‘best lead actor in a series.’”

    2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished sixth in the Pennzoil 400, as Penske Racing placed two drivers in the top 10.

    “Harvick’s No. 4 Jimmy Johns Ford was indeed ‘Freaky Fast,’” Keselowski said. “He was like Superman out there. And the NRA claims he was faster than a speeding bullet.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano led 25 laps and finished seventh in the Pennzoil 400.

    “Kevin Harvick’s dominance made for a very boring race,” Logano said. ‘In the place often called the ‘City That Never Sleeps,’ it was the ‘Race That Put You to Sleep.’”

    4. Ryan Blaney: Blaney started on the pole and finished fifth at Las Vegas.

    “Kevin Harvick drove with surgical precision,” Blaney said. “In other words, he put on a clinic out there.”

    5. Kyle Larson: Larson finished third at Las Vegas, posting his second consecutive top-10 result. He jumped eight places in the points standings to fifth, where he trails Kevin Harvick by 31 points.

    “NASCAR viewership is down from last year,” Larson said. “Not many people are watching. So, if you gave viewership a letter grade, it would be a ‘See minus.’”

    6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex posted his second straight top five with a fourth in the Pennzoil 400.

    “Las Vegas is a playoff track this year,” Truex said. “So, we made observations, took notes, and came to the conclusion that Kevin Harvick has advanced to the second round of the Chase For The Cup.”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second in the Pennzoil 400 and is now tied for fifth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 104 out of first.

    “Nothing sucks more than losing to Kevin Harvick,” Busch said. “Except losing to Harvick badly. Brad Keselowski would call Harvick beating me in such fashion an ‘ass whupping.’”

    8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 17th at Las Vegas and is now eighth in the points standings, 38 out of first.

    “Okay,” Hamlin said, “so maybe saying 70 percent of NASCAR drivers are taking Adderall is a bit much. But that won’t stop me from saying that 100 percent of drivers in Vegas are on something because they’re all ‘high rollers.’”

    9. Austin Dillon: Dillon finished 13th at Las Vegas and is 10th in the points standings.

    “This race was nowhere near as exciting as my Daytona 500 win,” Dillon said. “Both myself and my Richard Childress Racing teammate Ryan Newman finished a lap down to Kevin Harvick. It appears that, once again, Harvick has left RCR in the dust.”

    10. Paul Menard: Menard started 12th and finished ninth at Las Vegas.

    “What’s up with Jimmie Johnson?” Menard said. “He’s struggling. At this rate, he’s going to end his career with only seven Cup championships.”

  • The Final Word – They came, they saw, and they lost to Harvick…this time at Las Vegas

    The Final Word – They came, they saw, and they lost to Harvick…this time at Las Vegas

    If you missed the action from Las Vegas, allow me to bring you up to date. If you read my column from last week regarding Atlanta, consider yourself fully informed. Enjoy your day.

    If you have a few more moments to spare with me, last Sunday was a lot like the previous Sunday. Only worse, if you do not happen to love watching Kevin Harvick go to the front and ruling the contest. Atlanta saw him have to overcome some slight adversity, more of an inconvenience than anything else. Las Vegas saw him manage to escape with barely a scratch even when his air guns were malfunctioning. He led, he won both stages, he claimed his second straight win, the 39th of his career, and put the maximum 60 points in the bank. Not that he really needs it.

    Worse than Atlanta? Well, when you consider that half the field was lapped after the first segment and only nine were on the same circuit as Harvick at the end, yes. It was worse. Not only did Harvick lead 80 percent of the time, almost all those who were in the Top Ten during any segment finished in the Top Ten at the end. The only exceptions were Kurt Busch, who had his car break loose and then proceeded to break the car of Chase Elliott. That concluded their day far too early in the final frame.

    Kyle Busch finished second, but Kyle Larson picked up more points by taking third. Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney also did better to end the day in the Top Five. Also among the best of the rest, we had Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Paul Menard, while the aforementioned wreck opened the door for Top Tens available to Erik Jones and Aric Almirola.

    Jimmie Johnson at one time was a couple of laps down, but considering he entered the race sitting 35th overall, a 12th place result was damn near as good as a win. That rockets him up to 29th in the season rankings. Still not good, but better.

    Joining the seven-time champ outside the Top 20 we have a pretty fine representation of talent. Elliott drops down to join Trevor Bayne, A.J. Allmendinger, William Byron, Jamie McMurray, Daniel Suarez, and Kasey Kahne among the have-nots. Every race provides a chance for redemption, a chance to recover and move back up the ladder. The funny thing is, as in odd not humorous, while at this time of year we think time is on their side, the actuality is that the longer it takes for redemption, the longer are the odds of climbing out of the hole. The door closes quickly.

    Phoenix might provide some measure of salvation. The bad news is that of the past 11 contests held there since the fall of 2012, Harvick has won six of them. The good news is that he has not won it since the spring race two years ago. More bad news is that while Kahne has won there, he has not done so since the autumn of 2011. Johnson has four, including three straight. Unfortunately, none since November of 2009.

    Maybe next week’s column will sound a whole lot like this one, and the one before that. I sure hope you love Kevin Harvick.

  • Harvick Cleans Out House in Sin City

    Harvick Cleans Out House in Sin City

    It’s a clichéd statement in the sports world, but the term “woodshed whooping” perfectly sums up Kevin Harvick’s run in the Pennzoil Las Vegas 400. How else would you describe a race in which a driver led 214 of 267 laps, on his way to winning back to back Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races to open the season?

    “Yeah, just proud of everybody on our Jimmy John’s Busch Ford for just doing a great job with the race cars,” Harvick said. “These last two weeks, we’ve just hit on what we needed to. This stems back to last year when (our) mile and a half program got so much better at the end of the year and they’ve done their homework on a number of things.”

    Harvick powered by Ryan Blaney on the highside, exiting Turn 2, to take the lead on the second lap. He surrendered it to pit on Lap 38. It cycled back to him, after a few laps in the reigns of Michael McDowell, and he drove on to win the caution-free first stage.

    The race went back to green on Lap 89. Just as it was in the first stage, the second was broken up by green flag stops halfway through. Harvick pitted from the lead on Lap 121, handing it to Kyle Busch (the first non-Ford driver to lead all day). He pitted three laps later, and the lead cycled back to Harvick, who completed a sweep of the stages.

    Harvick squandered the lead, as a result of a slow stop during the stage break. Joey Logano exited with the lead.

    The race went back to green with 101 laps to go. Caution flew for the third time with 91 to go when Jamie McMurray suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall in Turn 2. Martin Truex Jr. opted not to pit and took over the race lead.

    Back to green with 85 to go, Joey Logano shot past Truex exiting Turn 2 to retake the lead. Before the lap concluded, Kurt Busch got loose, came up and across the nose of Chase Elliott, hooking him into the Turn 4 wall, which brought out the fourth caution.

    The race restarted with 74 to go. Logano got the jump on Harvick at first, but he couldn’t fend off Harvick on just two new tires, going into Turn 1, and Harvick reclaimed the race lead with 73 to go. Harvick pitted from the lead for the final time with 42 to go, handing the lead to Kyle Busch. He pitted with 38 to go, and the lead cycled back to Harvick.

    Kyle Busch attempted to spice up the finish in the closing 20 laps, after passing Brad Keselowski for second with ease, but didn’t close the gap to Harvick in time.

    “Our M&M’s Camry was really strong there the last 100 laps of the race. Early on, just having to start the race on our qualifiers (tires) was just really bad for us and then we overtightened, overadjusted for the second run. From there, we were just kind of making small tweaks to it to get it back, and she was really fast, rolling really good the last 100 laps or so. Five of those guys would kind of short-pit, and we’d go on the long side of it, and I think that kind of helped us, too, be able to drive back up through those guys a little bit easier.

    “The M&M’s Caramel Camry was really good. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the guys did a great job this weekend. We came here. We prepared well. Did a good job through practice, getting a great race car. Just no catching that 4 (Harvick). They were just on rails today and they were lights out. I don’t know what we need to do to catch up, to get better to those guys, but we got some homework to do and need to get a little bit better, especially here at Vegas.

    “Overall, great day for us, and we’ll go to Phoenix.”

    Larson, Truex and Blaney rounded out the Top-five.

    Keselowski, Logano, Erik Jones, Paul Menard and Aric Almirola rounded out the Top-10.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted two hours, 49 minutes and 31 seconds, at an average speed of 141.756 mph. There were 11 lead changes among six different drivers and four cautions for 29 laps.

    Harvick leaves Las Vegas with a three-point lead over Logano.

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  • Hot 20 – If you are looking for hot, usually there is no better place to find it than Las Vegas

    Hot 20 – If you are looking for hot, usually there is no better place to find it than Las Vegas

    The general consensus is that Atlanta was a boring race. I disagree. Let me share as to why.

    There is no debate that Kevin Harvick had the best car, that based on performance his was the auto that should have won. However, when drama was needed we had weather and strategy apparently conspiring to beat him. Would it rain? Would Denny Hamlin be in front at the right time when the heavens opened up? Well, “nope” turned out to be the correct answer to both questions. Sure, only 13 cars were left on the lead lap when it ended, but as I tend to feel a measure of joy when most drivers win, I can appreciate pure dominance.

    Now, what if Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, or Joey Logano were in Harvick’s position, one might ask. Well, that race would have truly sucked. Hey, should I open my front door and any one, two, or three of that trio were to be standing there with a case of beer in hand, I would welcome them in with open arms, and a bottle opener. However, I just do not feel much joy when one of those gents wins a race. Nothing personal or terribly complex. To be honest, after the sharing of suds, I do not doubt my feelings toward them would change to the positive. It just has not happened yet. Hold on…do I hear the doorbell?

    Often, a cold brew can help ease a mighty warm day in Las Vegas. Our Hot 20 will be out to try and turn up the heat this Sunday.

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 75 PTS
    A one-man show in Atlanta. What has he got this weekend? Hopefully all his lug nuts.

    2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 70 PTS
    With his Daytona win, he can now concentrate on stage points. It worked for Truex.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 89 POINTS
    Points do not lock one into the Playoffs just yet, but they are an indicator as to how good you are.

    4. RYAN BLANEY – 83 POINTS
    Had himself a face full of Suarez last week, and he did not seem to love it.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 77 POINTS
    Golf or basketball anyone? Apparently, he still has a vacancy in his leagues.

    6. CLINT BOWYER – 74 POINTS
    In the final year of his deal, but Bowyer is no Patrick…and in this case, that is a good thing.

    7. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 69 POINTS
    The first of eight in 2017 was won in Las Vegas. Time to let ‘er ride and double down.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 68 POINTS
    Won the Daytona 500 last year, made the Playoffs, and sunk from view.

    9. PAUL MENARD – 66 POINTS
    Not a name on everyone’s lips, but if he can stay up here, folks will learn about it.

    10. ARIC ALMIROLA – 66 POINTS
    Danica Who?

    11. KYLE BUSCH – 61 POINTS
    Wheels on the truck went round and round and left. Crew suspensions limited to that series.

    12. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 58 POINTS
    Looked mighty strong last week, but he was also looking at Harvick’s tail lights the whole time.

    13. KYLE LARSON – 54 POINTS
    The oddsmakers see this Kyle as one of the top five favorites for Sunday.

    14. DARRELL WALLACE JR. – 52 POINTS
    Petty blue replaced by Cosmopolitan purple for this weekend.

    15. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 52 POINTS
    Just 22 starts in quality equipment but none this season…or might we have to rethink that?

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 49 POINTS
    Started strong, got tight, had a tire go down, then slapped the wall. That’s about it.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 46 POINTS
    Bowman of 2018 is still better than Junior of 2017. He just needs time to build the fan base.

    18. CHRIS BUESCHER – 45 POINTS
    Atlanta was a step back. Has JTG-Daugherty arrived, or is this the rise before the fall?

    19. CHASE ELLIOTT – 44 POINTS
    “We have a lot of work to do.”

    20. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 43 POINTS
    If you are looking for Jimmie Johnson, he is 15 spots further down the well.