Takeaways from Harvick’s overtime victory

Drivers took hits as hard as bricks on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Brickyard 400 race won in overtime by Kevin Harvick.

Harvick sailed to his second consecutive win at the track after a tire blew out on the No. 11 car of Denny Hamlin, who was running in first place in the final laps of the race. The blown tire forced Hamlin into the wall and out of the race.

Harvick then moved into first off the final restart ahead of Matt Kenseth and Aric Almirola, who finished in second and third place, respectively.

HARVICK AND HAMLIN DOMINATE AGAIN

The race at Indy further cemented the ongoing battle between consistent race leaders Harvick and Hamlin. The two drivers, ranked first and fifth in points before Sunday, raced in the top-10 in both stages before leading the field in the final stage.

Harvick finished fifth and first

in Stages 1 and 2, while Hamlin was sixth and third, respectively, in the first two stages of the race. Off the restart to begin the final stage Sunday, the veteran drivers put over three seconds between them and Chase Elliott, in third place at the time.

With less than 40 laps left in the race, Hamlin’s crew chief Chris Gabehart then called for Hamlin to pit. One lap later, Harvick followed the No. 11 driver to pit road, but Hamlin was able to put over a second between him and Harvick.

After other pit stops cycled through, and following the eighth caution of the race for Alex Bowman, who hit the wall on Lap 133, Hamlin raced to the front and led for a majority of the final stage before his right front tire blew out and he crashed into the wall.

“It’s just kind of (like) roulette,” Hamlin said on NBC after the race. “... That stinks.”

Harvick won the first race at Pocono last weekend, and Hamlin won the second race at the same track the following day. The two are now tied for the most race wins this season, with