Cup teams enter regular season grinder

When you look at the NASCAR Cup Series from Aug. 8 to Aug. 29, it will make your head spin. This is the regularseason finale grind — six races at three tracks — that will determine the 16-driver playoff field. The Cuppers are coming off a back-to-back race weekend at Michigan and now head south to Daytona International Speedway. Fasten your seat belts, and, oh, grab your face mask and hand sanitizer. It’s go time … FIRST GEAR: Kevin Harvick didn’t leave much left on the table for his counterparts when the competition was done at Michigan. The 44-yearold driver won five of six stages and scored consecutive victories on consecutive days at the same track. Nobody has done that ever in NASCAR history. Richard Petty won back-toback Cup Series races on back-to-back days on different race tracks in 1971. Harvick has a series-leading six wins, has piled up 35 championship points and leads the regular-season standings by 137 points over Brad Keselowski. Harvick heaped all the praise on his No. 4 Stewart-haas Racing Ford team led by crew chief Rodney Childers. “I think when you look at my team, we’ve been together for going on seven years now, and you look at the confidence everybody has in each other,” Harvick said of his success. “The details of the race cars and the thought of everything that goes into everything that we do is untouchable.” SECOND GEAR: After spending a beautiful weekend in Michigan’s Irish Hills, the Cup Series heads to Daytona for its most improbable race of the season. These bulky stock cars, which weigh more than 1½ tons, will be competing on a modified Daytona road course. NASCAR added a second chicane exiting the East Banking or NASCAR Turn 4. “It’s a unique challenge,” said Jimmie Johnson, a two-time Daytona 500 winner. Also, the Speedway will open the grandstands and there will be spectators watching the race. THIRD GEAR: Tough week for those in the NASCAR Silly Season swirl. Leavine Family Racing owner Bob Leavine said he must sell his race team. Leavine will compete through the 2020 Cup season. After that, it will be up to the new owners to reorganize the team, which may mean rookie driver Christopher Bell will likely be looking for a new job. Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing announced this will be Erik Jones last season in the No. 20 Toyota (are you listening, Christopher?). FOURTH GEAR: And you never want to see this as a car owner, two of your three cars crash each other out. That’s what happened to Roger Penske at Michigan on Sunday when Brad Keselowski wrecked Ryan Blaney. “I just lost it,” Keselowski said. “It’s my fault. I feel really bad for my teammate. He didn’t deserve that.” Earlier in the week, Keselowski signed a contract extension. Talk about good timing.

[AP/PAUL SANCYA] Kevin Harvick makes a pit stop during Sunday’s race at Michigan. He swept both Cup races at Michigan and gave his No. 4 Stewart-haas Ford team all the credit.