Plus, Kevin Harvick takes a monster of a NASCAR win.
Defending Cup champ gets must-win; Johnson out of Chase
DOVER, Del. — Kevin Harvick snagged a “Miles the Monster” stuffed animal to give to his 3-year-old son Keelan on Sunday morning. Harvick was covering his bases playing good parent just in case he didn’t win the big driver’s trophy with the Monster on top, celebrating the winner of the AAA 400.
The kid wanted a souvenir to take home from Dover International Speedway
Not to worry. Keelan and Daddy snagged both.
Defending Sprint Cup champ Harvick, facing a win-or-go-home scenario as a Chase contender, gobbled up Dover’s Monster Mile. Despite starting 15th, he won without a serious challenge after leading a career-high
355 of 400 laps. It was as dominant a run as anyone has seen this season.
“There was really no pressure,” Harvick said. “Business as usual.”
The nonchalant approach wasn’t an act. Harvick has faced much more adversarial circumstances in his career than losing a big race. He replaced NASCAR’s icon for the Richard Childress race team in 2001, days after the death of Dale Earnhardt on the last lap of the Daytona 500.
“When you look at the sport’s biggest hero gone, you look at millions of race fans that are depending upon somebody to drive that car and you have 350 people that have jobs and families and you’re their guy, never done it before, but good luck,” Harvick said. “Know what I mean? That’s a lot of pressure.”
Regardless, Harvick didn’t have any wiggle room. Zero. Finishing second would not have cut it. It was a similar deal last season when Harvick was precariously close to Chase elimination after getting spun accidentally by Matt Kenseth and finishing 33rd in Martinsville.
Harvick rallied to win in Phoenix and advance to the title race. He took the Chase title the next week by winning in Homestead.
“The payoff when you get in these situations, the rush that you get out of these types of situations … are something that are a lot of fun to be a part of,” he said.
Harvick’s fantastic day was offset by the misery of others. The Monster Mile took out a number of notable faces, including six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. Also eliminated from Chase contention were Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard.
A $5 part potentially cost Johnson almost $5 million (the bounty for a season title), putting his run at a seventh NASCAR Cup title on hold for another year. The problem involved a rear-axle seal that popped up on Lap 104. Johnson would finish 41st, an odd spot for a driver who has dominated here, winning a record 10 times.
Johnson began the day fifth in the Chase standings with what seemed to be a comfortable 27-point cushion in front of the firstround Chase cutoff position.
“It definitely hurts, and not being the root cause of the mistake I guess I’ll sleep a little bit better because of the result,” Johnson said. “You have this risk of mechanicals. It’s racing. We take for granted how indestructible these cars are but a very inexpensive axle seal took the rear end out of my car and it cost us.”
Johnson’s misfortune was offset by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s good turn of fate. He notched the last transfer spot in the Chase by finishing third, one spot ahead of McMurray. Although the two drivers finished tied in points for the first round of the Chase, Junior edged him on the tiebreaker based on Sunday’s finish.
“I’m a competitor,” Earnhardt said on pit road, going over to McMurray and giving him a hug.
“That’s what it’s all about,” a gracious McMurray said.
As afternoon turned into night, one man stood above all the fray:
Mr. Harvick, who hadn’t won since March.
“I don’t think I could have beaten him if I had eight tires,” said Kyle Busch, who finished second and also advanced.
Four was plenty. No pressure, kid.