UNB! NETWORK STAFF REPORT
Kevin Harvick got his way into Round 2 of the Chase with a knock-off victory today at Dover International Speedway.
The victory was a great one for Harvick, as he would rebound from an incident at Chicagoland Speedway in the first Chase race that put him at the bottom of the Chase standings. Harvick needed to win at Dover if he wantedt o make the Chase.
Finishing 2nd was Kyle Busch. He would also move on to Round 2.
"Obviously we weren't in a great position coming into today, but this is what it's all about — these big-time moments," Harvick said in victory lane. "I think we're better that we were last year just because of all the experiences we've had," the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion added.
Dover was an elimination race for the first round of the Chase, which narrowed the field from 16 drivers to 12 with seven races to go. Clint Bowyer was unable to get himself out of the Chase's first round, Paul Menard’s disappointing day kept him out of the top 12, and Jimmie Johnson suffered a shocking mechanical failure.
Meanwhile, Jamie McMurray, who finished fourth Sunday, was knocked out in a tiebreaker with Dale Earnhardt Jr. "We were driving so hard on those last few laps," McMurray said. "We haven't run this well, obviously, all year long. I'm thrilled with our performance today but frustrated we weren't able to make it to the next round."
Johnson, the 10-time Dover winner and six-time NASCAR champion, was shockingly eliminated when he had something break in his drive line on lap 102. He went straight to the garage for repairs, but fell to 43rd place in the meantime. He returned to the race 36 laps behind the leaders with his Chase fate in the hands of other drivers.
"It's not the way we wanted to end the season," Johnson said. "With this format, a bad finish can take you out, end your chances.
"You've got to be on for 10 races. This is definitely not what we wanted or hoped, but that's racing."
Advancing To Rund 2:
Matt Kenseth
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Joey Logano
Carl Edwards
Martin Truex Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Kurt Busch
Brad Keselowski
Kyle Busch
Ryan Newman
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Eliminated From CHASE:
Jamie McMurray
Jimmie Johnson
Paul Menard
Clint Bowyer
Up next: Bank of America 500, 7 p.m. ET, Oct. 10 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This will be the opening race of the Contender Round and the advancing drivers will see their point totals reset to 3,000.
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| Kevin Harvick sprays champagne in victory lane after winning the AAA 400 Sunday at Dover International Speedway.
(PHOTO: Matthew O'Haren, USA TODAY Sports)
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The victory was a great one for Harvick, as he would rebound from an incident at Chicagoland Speedway in the first Chase race that put him at the bottom of the Chase standings. Harvick needed to win at Dover if he wantedt o make the Chase.
Finishing 2nd was Kyle Busch. He would also move on to Round 2.
"Obviously we weren't in a great position coming into today, but this is what it's all about — these big-time moments," Harvick said in victory lane. "I think we're better that we were last year just because of all the experiences we've had," the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion added.
Dover was an elimination race for the first round of the Chase, which narrowed the field from 16 drivers to 12 with seven races to go. Clint Bowyer was unable to get himself out of the Chase's first round, Paul Menard’s disappointing day kept him out of the top 12, and Jimmie Johnson suffered a shocking mechanical failure.
Meanwhile, Jamie McMurray, who finished fourth Sunday, was knocked out in a tiebreaker with Dale Earnhardt Jr. "We were driving so hard on those last few laps," McMurray said. "We haven't run this well, obviously, all year long. I'm thrilled with our performance today but frustrated we weren't able to make it to the next round."
Johnson, the 10-time Dover winner and six-time NASCAR champion, was shockingly eliminated when he had something break in his drive line on lap 102. He went straight to the garage for repairs, but fell to 43rd place in the meantime. He returned to the race 36 laps behind the leaders with his Chase fate in the hands of other drivers.
"It's not the way we wanted to end the season," Johnson said. "With this format, a bad finish can take you out, end your chances.
"You've got to be on for 10 races. This is definitely not what we wanted or hoped, but that's racing."
Advancing To Rund 2:
Matt Kenseth
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Joey Logano
Carl Edwards
Martin Truex Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Kurt Busch
Brad Keselowski
Kyle Busch
Ryan Newman
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Eliminated From CHASE:
Jamie McMurray
Jimmie Johnson
Paul Menard
Clint Bowyer
Up next: Bank of America 500, 7 p.m. ET, Oct. 10 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This will be the opening race of the Contender Round and the advancing drivers will see their point totals reset to 3,000.
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