TEXAS

THREE THINGS WE LEARNED

1. Harvick calls it

After a disappointing 10thplace finish at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick said he would turn things around at Texas. He kept his promise. He led 177 of 337 laps and survived three late restarts and overtime to win and get his golden ticket to the Championship Round.

2. Busch League day

Kyle Busch had a rotten day at Texas. He finished 17th. “We had a fast car,” crew chief Adam Stevens said. “You speed on pit road, you go to the back and you have a loose wheel under green, then lose a couple laps.” The only good news is that Busch remains up in points.

3. Unusual five

Generally speaking, the drivers still alive in the NASCAR playoffs hog top-five positions out of desperation. Three of the top five drivers at Texas were not championship-eligible. Ryan Blaney, who started on pole, led the charge of the less fortunate with a second-place showing.

[AP/LARRY PAPKE] Kevin Harvick celebrates on top of his race car afterwinning Texas.