Kevin Harvick Wins to Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Kevin Harvick took his No. 29 Budweiser/Armed Forces Chevrolet to victory lane in a wild finish of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the third win of the season for the Richard Childress Racing driver and propelled him to second in the standings, just 36 markers out of the top spot. It is the 17th win of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career.

Harvick started 28th in the 43-car field for the scheduled 400-lap/600-mile race. In the early laps, his Gil Martin-led team overcame handling issues to steadily move Harvick up in the running order.

As is usually the case in the season’s longest race, the drama built as the laps ran down and fuel mileage came to the surface as potentially being an influence in the finish. When the caution flag flew for the final time on lap 397 forcing the race into an overtime green-white-checkered scenario, Harvick was in ninth place. But the fuel situation forced some of the leaders down pit road while others, including race-long front-runner Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, stayed out to make a charge for the victory.

Harvick also stayed out taking the green flag for the final time from fifth position. Earnhardt took the lead with one lap to go but ran out of fuel on the backstretch as Harvick was charging toward the front. Harvick took the checkered flag and was credited with leading two laps, bringing his total laps led for his three wins to nine laps.

Earnhardt had enough momentum to coast through turns three and four into the tri-oval and take the checkered flag in seventh place. With his sixth top-10 finish of the season, he remains fourth in the standings.

Regan Smith, No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, finished eighth to give Team Chevy three of the top-10 finishers at Charlotte.

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Summer Salute Chevrolet, was running solidly in the top-10 when he suffered engine problems on lap 396 and was scored in the 28th finishing position. The five-time defending champion is third in points after 12 races.

Clint Bowyer, No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet, remains eighth in the points order with a 15th place finish tonight.

Tony Stewart, No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, was the 17th place finisher now sits ninth in the point standings.

Ryan Newman, No. 39 US Army Chevrolet, was involved in a multi-car accident on lap 301 but returned to the track after a trip to the garage for repairs. He was credited with the 31st finishing position and sits 10th in the standings.

Harvick’s victory extended the lead for Chevrolet in the NSCS Manufacturers’ Cup standings.

David Ragan (Ford), Joey Logano (Toyota), Kurt Busch (Dodge) and A.J. Allmendinger (Ford) completed the top-five finishers.

Chevy Racing PR