Harvick dominates for 100th career win
LAS VEGAS — Forget about atempting to win a race from Kevin Harvick, it’s hard enough just trying to lead a lap.
Harvick raced to consecutive NASCAR Cup victories with a dominant performance Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, earning his 100th career win across the three national series.
Harvick followed up his stellar performance a week ago in Atlanta with another lopsided victory in his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. He led 214 of the 267 laps, won all three stages and even held off a late charge from local product Kyle Busch to win in Vegas for the second time in four years.
“These last two weeks, we’ve just hit on everything we needed to,” said Harvick, who paced the field for 181 of 325 laps at Atlanta. “My [team has] done their homework on anumber of things. Just really proudof everybody.”
Busch got close to his second career victory in his hometown with his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, but couldn’t overcome the dominant leader. Kyle Larson finished third after winning the Xfinity Series race Saturday, while defending champion Martin Truex Jr. was fourth and pole-sitter Ryan Blaney fifth.
Harvick already has matched his Cup win total from 2017 in three races — and he’s headed to Phoenix, where he has won five times since 2012.
Only Richard Petty, Kyle Busch and David Pearson have won more races across the three national circuits than Harvick, 42, of Bakersfield, Calif.
“Winning 100 races is something that I never thought I would do,” Harvick said. “They’re hard to win, and I’ve been fortunate to sit ina lot of good race cars.”
Not many wins are more emphatic than Harvick’s 100th.
Harvick led 144 of the first 160 laps and comfortably won the first two stages. He was fourth out of the end-of-stage caution after Stage 2, with Joey Logano getting in front withan exceptional pit stop.
But Harvick reclaimed the lead off another restart with 73 laps to go after Kurt Busch wrecked along with Chase Elliott. Harvick emerged from his final pit stop with a three-second lead on Brad Keselowski, and Busch couldn’t catch up.
Harvick was even more dominant in Vegas than Truex a year ago. Truex led all three stages and 150 laps last year on his way to a victory that propelled him into his championship season.
• NOTE — The car chiefs for Jimmie Johnson and Ross Chastain were ejected after their cars failed inspection three times in prerace checks. Johnson had to start at the back after his chief, Jesse Saunders, got the gate. Johnson also will have practice time taken away next week in Phoenix. The seventime champion still rallied to finish 12th.