No Sprint Cup race this week. Jimmie Johnson couldn’t add to his points lead over the weekend. But fortunately for us a week without a Sprint Cup race does not mean a week without NASCAR.
Kevin Harvick won the race, after coming in second Friday night in the truck series. That’s a pretty good weekend for any driver. For the second week in a row, the crew chiefs were front and center as the deciding factor in the race. Late in the running, Harvick took just two tires while many of the other leaders took four. The second shaved off the pit proved worth it as Harvick’s car handled well and he was able to retake and then maintain the lead.
Youngster Joey Logano started at the pole and held the lead for much of the race. He was right in the thick of things, but in the end just couldn’t keep up with Harvick’s Chevy. Harvick, owner and driver, felt that track position was more important than handling after the restart with 30 laps to go. And on this particular day, he was right.
Not only did Harvick score his second victory of the season, but he came away with the coolest-looking trophy in all of sports. You can keep your big, shiny cups and your crystal rectangles. Give me a rocking electric guitar any day.
For those of you keeping track of the points standings in the Nationwide Series, you do know they’re running the Sprint Cup now, right? Anyway, there wasn’t much movement in the standings after this, the fifth race in the series. Harvick solidified his standing at fifth place, behind Kyle Bush, Justin Allgaier (who?), Brad Keselowski, and series leader Carl Edwards.
