Homestead NASCAR: Kevin Harvick clinches 2014 Sprint Cup title
Kevin Harvick became 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion with victory in a highly dramatic decider at Homestead
The Stewart-Haas driver had to fight back from 12th place in the closing stages after taking on four tyres in the final pitstops while others changed just two or stayed out.
He made it to the front just before the last caution of the yellow-strewn race and then held off fellow title contender Ryan Newman for the win.
Harvick, polesitter Jeff Gordon and Chase protagonist Denny Hamlin all had spells in control of the event, with fourth championship hopeful Joey Logano also in the thick of the lead battle and Newman making rapid progress from 21st on the grid to join them.
The title quartet's fortunes varied through the race as their cars' handling changed through stints, leaving the outcome uncertain to the finish.
It was only the final pitstops that spread the championship pack out, with Hamlin choosing not to pit and remaining up front with Gordon, Newman leaping forward by changing only two tyres, Harvick dropping back as he changed all four and Logano's championship bid ending altogether when a jack problem dumped him right down to 29th.
Harvick made rapid progress in the next brief spell of racing between yellows, reaching seventh place before the next caution and then gaining another spot when Gordon decided he did need new tyres after all.
That left Hamlin leading from Newman going into the final 10 laps, but Harvick's fresh tyres proved ideal at the next restart and he burst through from sixth to second almost immediately.
An easy pass on Hamlin followed, and Harvick then just had to hold Newman off through one last restart and three-lap sprint to the flag to claim his first Cup title.
Second was Newman's best result of a win-less year, while Hamlin tumbled down to seventh behind Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth.
Gordon got back to 10th in a race that he had dominated at times, leading 161 of the 267 laps. Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson finished just ahead of him.
Sixteenth was the best Logano could manage. Even before his pit woe he had already fallen to the rear of the Chase group when a brush with the wall affected his Penske Ford's handling then prompted a slight pit delay while damaged bodywork was pulled clear of his tyres.
RESULTS - 267 LAPS:
Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 3h16m31.s |
2 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 0.500s |
3 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | - |
4 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | - |
5 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | - |
6 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | - |
7 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | - |
8 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | - |
9 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | - |
10 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | - |
11 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | - |
12 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | - |
13 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | - |
14 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | - |
15 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | - |
16 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | - |
17 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | - |
18 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | - |
19 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | - |
20 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | - |
21 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | Ford | - |
22 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | - |
23 | Brian Vickers | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | - |
24 | Reed Sorenson | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | - |
25 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | - |
26 | Cole Whitt | Swan Racing | Toyota | - |
27 | Marcos Ambrose | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | - |
28 | Brian Scott | Circle Sport | Chevrolet | - |
29 | Landon Cassill | Circle Sport | Chevrolet | - |
30 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | - |
31 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | - |
32 | Josh Wise | Phil Parsons Racing | Chevrolet | - |
33 | Alex Bowman | BK Racing | Toyota | - |
34 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | - |
35 | Michael Annett | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | - |
36 | Brett Moffitt | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | - |
37 | J.J. Yeley | BK Racing | Toyota | - |
38 | Blake Koch | Go FAS Racing | Ford | - |
39 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | - |
40 | A.J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | - |
41 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | - |
42 | Trevor Bayne | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | - |
43 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | - |
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
Pos | Driver | Points |
---|---|---|
1 | Kevin Harvick | 5043 |
2 | Ryan Newman | 5042 |
3 | Denny Hamlin | 5037 |
4 | Joey Logano | 5028 |
5 | Brad Keselowski | 2361 |
6 | Jeff Gordon | 2348 |
7 | Matt Kenseth | 2334 |
8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2301 |
9 | Carl Edwards | 2288 |
10 | Kyle Busch | 2285 |
11 | Jimmie Johnson | 2274 |
12 | Kurt Busch | 2263 |
13 | A.J. Allmendinger | 2260 |
14 | Greg Biffle | 2247 |
15 | Kasey Kahne | 2234 |
16 | Aric Almirola | 2195 |
17 | Kyle Larson | 1080 |
18 | Jamie McMurray | 1014 |
19 | Clint Bowyer | 979 |
20 | Austin Dillon | 958 |
21 | Paul Menard | 944 |
22 | Brian Vickers | 921 |
23 | Marcos Ambrose | 870 |
24 | Martin Truex Jr. | 857 |
25 | Tony Stewart | 799 |
26 | Casey Mears | 782 |
27 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 757 |
28 | Danica Patrick | 735 |
29 | Justin Allgaier | 636 |
30 | David Gilliland | 554 |
31 | Cole Whitt | 532 |
32 | David Ragan | 531 |
33 | Michael Annett | 531 |
34 | Reed Sorenson | 516 |
35 | Alex Bowman | 412 |
36 | Josh Wise | 405 |
37 | Michael McDowell | 255 |
38 | Travis Kvapil | 214 |
39 | Ryan Truex | 193 |
40 | Terry Labonte | 88 |
41 | Jeff Burton | 87 |
42 | Michael Waltrip | 76 |
43 | David Stremme | 75 |
44 | Timmy Hill | 62 |
45 | Brett Moffitt | 60 |
46 | Bobby Labonte | 54 |
47 | Parker Kligerman | 54 |
48 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 47 |
49 | Alex Kennedy | 47 |
50 | Dave Blaney | 46 |
51 | David Reutimann | 37 |
52 | Boris Said | 28 |
53 | Nelson Piquet Jr. | 18 |
54 | Eddie MacDonald | 9 |
55 | Tomy Drissi | 6 |
56 | Clay Rogers | 2 |
57 | Landon Cassill | 0 |
58 | Sam Hornish Jr. | 0 |
59 | Trevor Bayne | 0 |
60 | Brian Scott | 0 |
61 | Ty Dillon | 0 |
62 | Ryan Blaney | 0 |
63 | Joe Nemechek | 0 |
64 | J.J. Yeley | 0 |
65 | Blake Koch | 0 |
66 | Mike Bliss | 0 |
67 | Regan Smith | 0 |
68 | Morgan Shepherd | 0 |
69 | Johnny Sauter | 0 |
70 | Eric McClure | 0 |
71 | Matt Crafton | 0 |
72 | Mike Wallace | 0 |
73 | Kyle Fowler | 0 |
74 | Joey Gase | 0 |
75 | Corey LaJoie | 0 |
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