Truex’s track.

CONCORD, N.C.» Kevin Harvick is well aware he’s in the midst of something special.

Harvick has won the last three Cup races, including the $1 million All-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. And while he is starting 39th for the Coca-cola 600 after his No. 4 Ford failed inspection three times prior to qualifying, he’s expected to be in the mix at the end.

“When you are on a hot streak, you are so confident not only as a driver but as a team,” said Joey Logano “It’s like you can’t do anything wrong. You just happen to be in the right spot at the right times. Their cars are really fast, they are really smart and they are really good. And Kevin is a great driver . ... When you’re good, you’re good. He’s confident.”

Harvick’s failure to participate in qualifying wasn’t lost on his competitors, who are looking for any advantage in their attempts to reel him in. Logano joked that “it sure don’t hurt” that Harvick has to start at the back of the field.

But with this being 100 miles longer than any other race on the NASCAR circuit, Harvick has time.

“You can feel that within the organization that what you could achieve by the time you roll through Homestead at the end of the year,” Harvick said. “It’s something you might not ever get to do again, so I don’t believe that those conversations will have to happen. Our goal is to playoff race every week and I think as we’re doing that right now as an organization. That’s still the goal going forward.”

Martin Truex Jr. has clearly figured out CMS and his No. 78 Toyota is expected to be strong on the long runs Sunday.

The Denver-based Furniture Row Racing driver has two wins in the last four races at the track, and top-five finishes in five of the last six races. In 2016, he made history by leading 392 of the 400 laps — the most ever in a Cup race — to capture the checkered flag.

Truex led 233 laps last year and finished third.