Harvick dominates in drama filled race at Phoenix to set final four in Chase

AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 09: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 9, 2014 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 09:  Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 9, 2014 in Avondale, Arizona.  (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 09: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 9, 2014 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

It came down to the final corner of the final lap, but we now know the four drivers who will race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in one weeks time.  On a day filled with drama behind him Kevin Harvick had a relatively calm race as he did what he needed to do, dominating at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday leading a race high 264 of 312 laps in route to his fourth victory of the season winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Quicken Loans 500. It was his sixth win at Phoenix and his third in a row.

“Wow, I guess that is what it feels like to hit a walk off in extra innings there,” Harvick said.” This thing, both races here has just been bad to the bone.  Everybody on our Budweiser team has done a great job and here we come Homestead.”

While Harvick had a drama-less day,  the rest of the drivers hoping to move to the final round of the championship had a dramatic afternoon with only four of the eight having happy endings.  Along with Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman will put it all on the line next Sunday in Homestead.  Both Hamlin and Logano went laps down, Logano twice. Hamlin with a flat tire after a pit stop and Logano after a pit road penalty, but both fought their way back to finish fifth and sixth respectively.  The biggest drama however came from Ryan Newman.

Newman spent much of the race comfortably inside the top 10 and high enough in the points to advance. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.