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Kevin Harvick has now won back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series races after taking down the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on Sunday.
Harvick went 46 races without a win before earning the victory at the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway last week.
The victory marks Harvick's 60th Cup Series win all-time. Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.
Fifteen drivers had points-earning victories leading into Sunday with three regular-season races remaining. Therefore, that group held down 15 of the 16 playoff spots.
Ryan Blaney had the most points of the non-winners and therefore held on to the 16th and final playoff spot. Martin Truex Jr. sat just 19 points behind Blaney in 17th.
The Blaney-Truex battle was at the forefront of the storylines heading into Richmond. However, there remained the possibility of another driver winning this race and taking that spot away from Blaney. Truex ended up seventh, while Blaney finished 10th.
Pre-race, the national anthem was sung by Specialist Maya Rodriguez of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Band amid the military flyover.
Kyle Larson started out in front after winning the pole for Richmond.
Stage 1
Ross Chastain dominated Stage 1 by leading all 70 laps.
There wasn't too much action in this stage. Tyler Reddick spun out on Lap 3, which led to a caution, but he was able to continue the race.
The stage win marked Chastain's fifth of the season, but he ended up 18th on the day.
Stage 2
Stage 2 was a bit more eventful.
For starters, Joey Logano took the lead 11 laps in.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also made contact with Truex while trying to get on pit road.
It marked a rough stretch for Truex:
Thankfully, the contact wasn't too bad:
Ultimately, Logano won the stage.
Logano ended up finishing sixth overall.
Stage 3
Chastain ran into Kyle Busch at the beginning of Stage 3, and both drivers spun out. Erik Jones and Truex also got involved.
Truex wasn't pleased with Chastain:
Chris Gabehart, the crew chief for Denny Hamlin, also offered his two cents:
In the end, it was Harvick who took the lead late from Logano.
Buescher was on Harvick's tail, but some traffic got in the way of him taking first.
In the end, Harvick held off Bell to become the first back-to-back winner of the season.
What's Next?
The NASCAR Cup Series features two more races before the playoffs. Watkins Glen, New York, will host the next event on Sunday before the regular season wraps up in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.
Kevin Harvick is on the board.
The veteran NASCAR Cup driver earned his first win of the 2022 season, having his checkered-flag moment at the Michigan International Speedway's FireKeepers Casino 400.
Bubba Wallace finished as the runner-up, with Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney rounding out the top five.
Harvick had gone 65 straight races without a win. And did he need it, as he entered Sunday 17th in the playoff standings but moved into the 16-car postseason bracket with three races remaining.
"Good timing, for sure," Harvick said of getting a clutch win Sunday in his post-race interview on USA. "You know, we've had several good runs the last few weeks ... where the car ran good, and we just didn't have everything work out."
"Everybody who doubted us doesn't know us," he continued. "They obviously know that we thrive in these types of situations. A lot of things went our way today, which we haven't had all year long."
That leaves the race for the final playoff spot between Blaney and Martin Truex Jr., barring a new top-30 winner down the stretch. Blaney, who came into the day with 696 points and finished fifth, will remain ahead of Truex, who came into the day with 671 points and finished sixth. Neither has a victory that would automatically qualify for the playoffs.
As always, a number of crashes impacted the race, as JJ Yeley, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric and Aric Almirola found themselves at the center of a nine-car wreck in Lap 25.
And Ross Chastain and Christopher Bell had a dustup with 41 laps remaining, but both were able to continue.
The Cup Series now moves to Richmond, Virginia, for the Federated Auto Parts 400 next Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA.
Kyle Larson is having a season for the ages.
For the ninth time this season, the Hendrick Motorsports driver crossed the checkered flag first, winning Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas Speedway.
Chase Elliott finished second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
Larson has now won three straight races and four of the past six during the playoff period. It's his second three-win streak of the season, the first time that's been done since Dale Earnhardt pulled off the trick in 1987.
He remains the only driver to have clinched a berth in the Championship 4 heading into the final NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 playoff race next Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway (2 p.m. ET on NBC).
The win came 17 years to the day that a Hendrick plane crash killed all 10 people aboard the vessel, including Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky. Larson drives the same No. 5 car that Ricky Hendrick drove during his career.
"I didn't ever get to meet Ricky or the other men and women who lost their lives that day," Larson said after the race. "But I felt the importance of this race. So crazy how it all worked out for me to win. So again, thank you to Rick Hendrick, I know this means a lot to you and I'm glad I could get it done."
Larson has dominated the 550-horsepower races this season, though Sunday was the final race of the season under that classification.
Very little has gotten in Larson's way. That included a 15-minute weather delay Sunday and his teammate Elliott trying to track him down in the waning moments of the race.
All that's really left for Larson to do this year is win the NASCAR Cup Series, like Elliott did last year. At this point, who is going to bet against him?
Kyle Larson is heading to the Championship 4.
The veteran driver won Sunday's Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway, topping William Byron.
Christopher Bell finished third, with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top five.
"I knew we had a good shot to win today and our car was amazing," Larson told NBC Sports post-race. "That's probably the best 550 (horsepower) package/intermediate car we've had all year. We get to go race for a championship in a few weeks. This is crazy."
Larson is now the first driver to advance to the championship after his Round of 8 win. The seven other eligible drivers—Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano—will now have two more chances to clinch a berth.
The first will come at next Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN). The second will be at the Xfinity 500 at the Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 31.
The NASCAR Series Cup Championship will be run Nov. 7 at the Phoenix Raceway.
Larson is having an incredible year. He's now won eight races, though Sunday's dominant win—he led for 256 laps—came amid a choppy race that saw a number of crashes and five restarts in the final 30 laps.
That included a massive 15-car crash on Lap 31 that eliminated eight drivers from the race:
But Larson managed to avoid any such pitfalls Sunday, and now NASCAR's best driver this season is guaranteed his berth in the championship race.
The NASCAR Cup Series postseason kicks off Sunday at one of the sport's most historic race tracks, with the 16 drivers in the playoff field, as well as the other drivers on the circuit, heading to Darlington Raceway.
Kyle Larson captured the regular-season title to earn the top spot in the standings going into the playoffs. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. are both 28 points behind the No. 5 car driver.
Larson, Blaney and Truex have the easiest paths to the next round, but that could change in an instant if someone deeper in the postseason standings wins a race.
Any driver in the playoff hunt can automatically move on to the 12-driver postseason round with a victory at Darlington or at one of the two other round-of-16 races that follow at Richmond and Bristol.
Southern 500 Information
Date: Sunday, September 5
Start Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app
Odds
Kyle Larson: +300 (bet $100 to win $300)
Martin Truex Jr.: +500
Kyle Busch: +600
Denny Hamlin: +700
Chase Elliott: +850
Kevin Harvick: +1000
William Byron: +1200
Joey Logano: +1500
Alex Bowman: +1800
Brad Keselowski: +1800
Ryan Blaney: +2000
Starting Lineup
Preview
Larson and Truex are the two favorites to win at Darlington for separate reasons.
The regular-season champion has been the most dominant driver on the Cup Series circuit in 2021, recording five wins and 14 top-five finishes. Truex, meanwhile, won the May race at Darlington. That was his second victory at the Track Too Tough To Tame.
Truex beat out Larson and Kyle Busch in the first Darlington race of the season. The No. 19 car led 248 of the 293 laps.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver needs to make up some ground from the start to catch up to Larson and Blaney. Truex starts on the outside of Row 5 in 10th place.
Larson begins the race in sixth place. He is one of three Hendrick Motorsports drivers starting on the first three rows.
Even though Blaney sits on the pole and won last time out at Daytona, he carries much steeper odds to win than Larson and Truex. Blaney owns a single top-10 finish at Darlington, but that did come in May, when he took eighth.
Blaney carries the best betting value based on his recent form. He has five top-five placings in the past six races and won in back-to-back weeks at Michigan and Daytona to close out the regular season. Blaney is +2000 to win, +650 to land in the top three, +330 to earn a top-five spot and -110 for a top-10 finish.
Kevin Harvick is the driver to watch outside of the top three in points. He has won two of the past four races at Darlington and is in need of a victory to rise out of the bottom four.
Harvick, Aric Almirola, Tyler Reddick and Michael McDowell sit beneath the cut line going into Darlington. They are all within three points of Christopher Bell in 12th. A strong run from those drivers should make them feel more comfortable about their prospects of advancing to the next round.
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The NASCAR Cup Series regular season ends Saturday where it started in February.
Last time the Cup Series took to the Daytona International Speedway oval, Michael McDowell emerged as the surprise winner. That set off a string of unexpected wins to put some lesser-known drivers in the 16-car playoff field. Christopher Bell was also victorious at Daytona in February, but his win came on the track's road course.
The drivers on the postseason bubble would love to produce a surprise win Saturday to automatically qualify for the playoffs.
Entering the Coke Zero Sugar 400, 15 racers are locked into the playoff field. McDowell, Bell and 11 others qualified as race winners, while Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are in on points.
Tyler Reddick holds the edge over Austin Dillon and Matt DiBenedetto for the final playoff spot. If one of the 15 qualifiers or a non-points team wins at Daytona, Reddick will be entered into the postseason.
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Date: Saturday, August 28
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app
Odds
Denny Hamlin: +750 (bet $100 to win $750
Kyle Larson: +1100
Chase Elliott: +1200
William Byron: +1200
Joey Logano: +1200
Ryan Blaney: +1300
Austin Dillon: +1500
Brad Keselowski: +1600
Kyle Busch: +1600
Alex Bowman: +1800
Aric Almirola: +2000
Kevin Harvick: +2000
Christopher Bell: +2000
Starting Lineup
Preview
The playoff picture could not be more simple for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
If Reddick wins, he will qualify and not have to worry about the points battle with Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon.
Were someone who is a full-time points driver beneath the top 16 in the standings to win, they would earn the final playoff berth.
And if a driver already locked into the playoff field wins on Saturday night, Reddick needs to keep his advantage over Dillon to get in on points. Reddick has a 25-point lead on the No. 3 car driver.
There could be cause for concern within Reddick's camp, however, because Daytona is one of the most unpredictable tracks on the Cup Series circuit and Dillon is a previous champion on the oval.
Dillon took first at the Daytona 500 in 2018, and he finished third behind McDowell and Chase Elliott in the latest edition of The Great American Race in February.
Reddick had the last-placed running car on the course in February. He landed in 27th, 12 laps behind McDowell.
Dillon owns eight top-10 finishes in 16 appearances on the Daytona oval, while Reddick has not landed in the top 10 in any of his four starts there.
As long as Dillon or someone else beneath him does not win, though, Reddick just needs to avoid one of the major accidents that regularly happen at Daytona.
The drivers who finish from 28th-40th are the only ones who receive single-digit point totals from races. A handful of those positions are typically filled by single-car teams and regular back-of-the-pack cars.
Even if Reddick finishes in 27th place, which pays out 10 points, it would make Dillon's margin for error slim. The full NASCAR points breakdown can be found here.
Since the race is at Daytona, there is always the chance that something weird happens and wrecks the playoff plan. For example, DiBenedetto could upset both of the RCR cars and move into the playoff field with a win. The No. 21 car driver finished in the top 11 in each of his past six races. He also has a trio of top-10 finishes in 12 Daytona oval starts.
DiBenedetto's recent form could help him run toward the front, steal a victory and dash the playoff hopes of Reddick and Dillon.
Outside of the playoff hunt, Hamlin is the one to watch. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is still searching for his first victory of the season and is a three-time champion on the oval, making him the favorite to win Saturday's race.
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The NASCAR Cup Series regular season is down to its final two races.
The Cup Series moves back to an oval Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. The past two races were on road courses.
Fourteen of the 16 playoff spots have been clinched by 13 eligible race winners and Denny Hamlin, who is second on the circuit in points. Kevin Harvick is next in line to secure a spot in the playoff field. He either needs a win to secure automatic qualification or he can get in on points because of the gap between him and Tyler Reddick.
Reddick and Austin Dillon are fighting for the final playoff spot. The former leads his teammate by 28 points. Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher and others could play spoiler to the race for 16th with a victory. The drivers sitting in 18th and below likely can't get in on points alone.
Firekeepers Casino 400 Info
Date: Sunday, August 22
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app
Odds
Kyle Larson: +260 (bet $100 to win $260)
Kyle Busch: +700
Kevin Harvick: +700
Martin Truex Jr.: +750
Chase Elliott: +800
Denny Hamlin: +900
Alex Bowman: +1200
William Byron: +1400
Brad Keselowski: +1600
Joey Logano: +1600
Ryan Blaney: +1800
Starting Lineup
Preview
Harvick is in the best possible position to lock up the 15th playoff spot Sunday.
The No. 4 car driver has won the past three races at Michigan, and he starts in a favorable spot on the outside of the fourth row.
A win would put Harvick in the field alongside teammate Aric Almirola, who won at New Hampshire in July to clinch his postseason spot. A strong run would provide another confidence boost for Stewart-Haas Racing since Harvick does not have a victory one year after he and Denny Hamlin traded wins throughout the regular season.
The two drivers directly beneath Harvick in the standings are set for all-out battle over the next two races. Reddick and Dillon, who are teammates at Richard Childress Racing, are separated by 12 places on the starting grid.
Dillon had the best performances at Michigan in 2020. He took eighth in the second of two back-to-back races. Reddick placed 18th and 24th in those two races.
Reddick needs a good race to feel somewhat secure going into next week's race at Daytona International Speedway, which is much more unpredictable and a track that Dillon won at in the past.
A victory would be the ideal result for either driver. But if that does not happen, they need to be in the best spot possible to earn the 16th playoff spot.
The only way Reddick and Dillon both miss out on the playoffs is if a driver beneath them in the standings wins at either Michigan or Daytona. DiBenedetto is the likeliest candidate to achieve that feat. He had two top-15 finishes at Michigan last season and has five top-11 placings in a row.
If the No. 21 car driver puts a solid run together Sunday, he could upset the RCR drivers and lock in his spot in the playoff field. However, it feels like everyone will be chasing Kyle Larson, who is the regular-season points leader and pole-sitter for the race.
Larson has five victories and 17 top-10 finishes this season. Accordingly, he is the overwhelming favorite to win Sunday's race.
If you are looking for a long shot, Joey Logano could be the best option. He is the only racer outside of Harvick to win in the past five Cup Series races at Michigan, and Team Penske needs a strong run after two poor road course finishes.
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