San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Harvick, at long last, wins race at Pocono
LONG POND, Pa. — Kevin Harvick snapped an 0for38 drought at Pocono Raceway, taking the checkered flag Saturday at one of the two NASCAR tracks where victory had eluded him.
Harvick won the first of two NASCAR Cup races in front of no fans this weekend at Pocono and will start 20th on Sunday with the field set by inverting the leadlap finishers.
Harvick, 44, has won at every active NASCAR track except Kentucky Speedway (nine tries), and the 2014 series champion has three wins
overall for StewartHaas Racing this season.
Harvick held off a hardcharging Denny Hamlin for his 52nd career Cup victory. He had 12 topfive finishes in his previous 38 starts at Pocono.
He held off on the celebratory burnout — Harvick needs the same car for Sunday’s race.
“That’s great to finally check Pocono off the list,” Harvick said.
Ryan Preece finished 20th
and will start on the pole Sunday.
The race was scheduled as the second for Saturday, but rain washed out the Truck Series race. That sets up a small slice of history Sunday: NASCAR’s Truck, secondtier Xfinity and Cup series will all run. It’s the first time three NASCAR National Series races will race on the same day at the same track. NASCAR wanted the trip to Pocono to settle one of the most tumultuous weeks in its history after a noose found in Bubba Wallace’s stall last weekend at Talladega led to a federal investigation. The incident was not ruled a hate crime. NASCAR President Steve Phelps stated “the noose was real,” though it remains unknown who tied it.
Wallace, who sparked NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag, has become
NASCAR’s advocate for social change and acknowledged his time in the national spotlight left him “wore the hell out.” He finished 22nd in the No. 43 Chevrolet.
Talladega Superspeedway was allowed up to 5,000 fans for its race weekend, and only 1,000 fans, mostly military members and their guests, were allowed two weeks ago at HomesteadMiami Speedway.
Pocono sits in Monroe County which entered Pennsylvania’s green designation. The green phase limits public gatherings to 250 people. But Gov. Tom Wolf ’s guidance to professional sports mandates no spectators, even in green.
“I wish you were here,” Harvick said to the fans watching at home. “This wasn’t nearly as exciting.”