Harvick Completes the Michigan Double-Header Sweep on Sunday

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BROOKLYN, MI – RIS – (August 9, 2020) Kevin Harvick completed the sweep of Michigan International Speedway in the Consumers Energy NASCAR Cup race on Sunday.  Harvick led 90 laps but had competition this time.  Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski was going for leader and Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, when Keselowski slipped and got into Blaney, destroying both cars.  That left Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Trues, Jr. to battle for the win.  Harvick passed Hamlin and the rest is history.

Hamlin was able to close the lead to Harvick late, thanks in no small part to yet another late caution caused by a flat tire from a top car, but difficulty passing the leader under green flag conditions made Hamlin's path to passing Harvick challenging, and Harvick was able to hold the lead.

Harvick and Hamlin would lead Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch to the finish, with Joey Logano rounding out the top five. Strong finishes just outside the top ten by Jimmie Johnson and William Byron mean that Byron's gap on the drivers chasing a spot in the Playoff field is now up to 26 points, where Johnson is now tied with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones, who finished just 27th today. Rookie Tyler Reddick is just ten points behind Jones and Johnson, but the playoff field is set by the total number of race winners plus the remaining championship leaders to make up a field of sixteen, not the top sixteen outright, meaning that this entire bubble battle could be rendered irrelevant immediately if anyone outside of the top sixteen won a race in the four upcoming rounds at Daytona and Dover.

Harvick beat Hamlin by .093 seconds, the second closest margin of victory in track history, to complete a sweep of the series’ doubleheader weekend at the 2-mile track.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver had to hustle through the field, officially starting 20th due to a field inversion from Saturday’s race.

“It was a big challenge (holding off Hamlin),” Harvick said. “Our Ford Mustang got real tight there in (Turns) 3 and 4. I could run really good through (Turns) 1 and 2 still, but I was just tight on that other end all day. I’ve just got to thank all my guys, they did a great job all weekend on pit road, great pit calls. Just got to thank Haas Automation, Mobil 1, Hunt Brothers, Jimmy Johns, Fields. Everybody who helps put this No. 4 car on the track and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush Yates Engines for awesome power underneath the hood this weekend.”

Harvick is the first driver to wins Cup races on back-to-back days since Richard Petty in 1971.Harvick’s win also broke a tie with Lee Petty set yesterday and now is tied for 10th place in all-time wins with Rusty Wallace, with 55 career Cup wins.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve raced back-to-back days, let alone in the Cup car,” Harvick said. “We’ve done that a couple times this year. I think for us it’s worked out pretty well. I hope it goes the same way at Dover when we got there in a couple of weeks.”

Harvick earned his sixth win of the season, breaking a tie with Hamlin that Harvick established Saturday. It also tied his personal record for wins through 22 races. It is Harvick’s fourth win in the last five races at Michigan.

Clint Bowyer finished 14th after leading the first 43 laps and winning the first stage. Christopher Bell finished 17th after a late spin from a flat tire, although he ran inside the top 10 for much of the afternoon.

There were five cautions and ten lead changes among six drivers. Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski brought up the rear of the finishing order after their crash on lap 97.

Next for the Cup drivers is the Daytona International Speedway road course, a track that hasn’t had a Cup race in modern times, next Sunday.

Unofficial Results, Consumers Energy 400, Michigan International Speedway

Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Laps, St1, St2, Tms Led, Laps Led, Playoff Pts, Pts, Status
1) 20, Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford, 156, 8, 1, 4, 90, 6, 53, Running
2) 15, Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, 156, , 6, 1, 6, , 40, Running
3) 18, Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Auto-Owner's Insurance Toyota, 156, , , , , , 34, Running
4) 16, Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M's Fudge Brownie Toyota, 156, 3, 3, 1, 4, , 49, Running
5) 13, Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, 156, 10, 9, , , , 35, Running
6) 5, Aric Almirola, No. 10 Smithfield Hometown Originals Ford, 156, , 8, 2, 9, , 34, Running
7) 6, Matt DiBenedetto, No. 21 #FordStrong Technicians Ford, 156, 4, , , , , 37, Running
8) 31, Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 29, Running
9) 14, Chase Elliott, No. 9 Mountain Dew Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 28, Running
10) 11, Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet, 156, 9, , , , , 29, Running
11) 9, Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 26, Running
12) 7, William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet, 156, 6, , , , , 30, Running
13) 28, Ryan Newman, No. 6 Castrol Ford, 156, , , , , , 24, Running
14) 2, Clint Bowyer, No. 14 DEKALB Ford, 156, 1, 5, 1, 43, 1, 39, Running
15) 4, Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 22, Running
16) 25, Ryan Preece, No. 37 Honey Nut Cheerios Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 21, Running
17) 8, Christopher Bell #, No. 95 Procore Toyota, 156, 2, 4, , , , 36, Running
18) 23, Ty Dillon, No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 19, Running
19) 32, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 18, Running
20) 1, Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford, 156, , , , , , 17, Running
21) 12, Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 16, Running
22) 22, Corey LaJoie, No. 32 Trump 2020 Ford, 156, , , , , , 15, Running
23) 36, John Hunter Nemechek #, No. 38 Mystik Michigan Ford, 156, , , , , , 14, Running
24) 3, Tyler Reddick #, No. 8 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet, 156, , , , , , 13, Running
25) 34, Cole Custer #, No. 41 HaasTooling.com/Jacob Co. Ford, 156, , , , , , 12, Running
26) 24, * Daniel Suarez, No. 96  Toyota, 156, , , , , , 11, Running
27) 10, Erik Jones, No. 20 STANLEY Toyota, 156, 5, 7, , , , 20, Running
28) 29, Michael McDowell, No. 34 Martin Transportation Systems Ford, 156, , , , , , 9, Running
29) 26, JJ Yeley(i), No. 27  Ford, 154, , , , , , 0, Running
30) 37, Brennan Poole #, No. 15  Chevrolet, 153, , , , , , 7, Running
31) 30, Reed Sorenson, No. 74 Fake Steak Chevrolet, 153, , , , , , 6, Running
32) 27, Quin Houff #, No. 00 CREEK Enterprises Inc. Chevrolet, 153, , , , , , 5, Running
33) 39, * Josh Bilicki(i), No. 7 Wisconsin Lightning Labs Chevrolet, 152, , , , , , 0, Running
34) 35, Garrett Smithley(i), No. 53 Kendall Motor Oil Ford, 152, , , , , , 0, Running
35) 33, * Timmy Hill(i), No. 66 SBC Contractors Inc. Toyota, 150, , , , , , 0, Running
36) 21, Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam's Polishes Chevrolet, 149, , , , , , 1, Tire
37) 38, James Davison, No. 51 Signing Day Sports Ford, 147, , , , , , 1, Running
38) 17, Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Menards/Knauf Ford, 95, 7, 10, 1, 4, , 6, Accident
39) 19, Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford, 95, , 2, , , , 10, Accident
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series, (#) Rookie

Race Length: 156 laps, 312 miles
Time of Race: 2 hr, 9 min, 35 sec
Average Speed: 144.463 mph
Margin of Victory: .093 sec

Stage 1 Top 10: 14, 95, 18, 21, 20, 24, 12, 4, 1, 22
Stage 2 Top 10: 4, 2, 18, 95, 14, 11, 20, 10, 22, 12

Race Comments: Kevin Harvick won the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, his 55th victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Prior to the start, the following vehicle(s) dropped to the rear of the field under penalty: No. 15 (Engine Change), No. 7 (Transmission Change, Driver Change), Nos. 3, 6, 8, 10, 18, 34, 38, 41 (Backup Cars), No. 37 (Backup Car, Two Inspection Failures), Nos. 74, 96 (Two Inspection Failures)

Caution Flags: 5 for 24 laps;
Laps: 42-47 (Stage 1 Conclusion [96]);
87-91 (Stage 2 Conclusion [34]);
97-101 (No. 2, 12, 14, 88 Incident Turn 2 [27]);
106-109 (No. 95 Spin Turn 2 [14]);
138-141 (Debris [95]).

Lead Changes: 10 among 6 drivers;
C. Buescher 0;
C. Bowyer 1-43;
K. Busch 44-47;
K. Harvick 48-91;
R. Blaney 92-95;
D. Hamlin 96-101;
K. Harvick 102-105;
A. Almirola 106-109;
K. Harvick 110;
A. Almirola 111-115;
K. Harvick 116-156.

American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Kevin Harvick, No. 4
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Christopher Bell, No. 95