Harvick uses bump-and-run on Busch to win at New Hampshire

LOUDON, N.H. — Kevin Harvick warned he was charging for the lead with taps on Kyle Busch’s rear bumper over the waning laps. Harvick had failed to methodically work his way around the race leader with a clean pass, so he set aim with his Ford on Busch for the knockout shot.

Harvick nudged the right side of the Toyota and jostled Busch out of his groove and three lanes up the track. He zipped to the front with a textbook bump-and-run that led to a beersoaked celebration and left Busch fuming — the move of the race in another stellar showcase for the leader of the Big Three.

Harvick outdueled Busch over the final 10 laps to win a thrilling battle of two of NASCAR’s dominant drivers Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I felt like it was my best opportunity to do what I had to do to win,” Harvick said. “I didn’t want to wreck him. But I didn’t want to waste a bunch of time behind him.”

Busch, the temperamental 2015 series champion, had a different view.

“I think he could have made the move work cleaner than that,” Busch said.

Busch said he expected for Harvick to keep trying for the decisive pass until there were about two or three laps left.

“I figured that’s exactly what he was thinking,” Harvick said, smiling. “I knew I needed to take the opportunity as soon as I could get it. We needed to do it when he wasn’t expecting it.”