Darlington Raceway celebrated its’ own historical moment on Sunday when Stewart-Hass Racing driver Kevin Harvick won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Harvick, who claimed his first career championship, joined Chase Elliott (NASCAR Nationwide Series) and Matt Crafton (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) as the 2014 NASCAR top-tier touring series champions.
History was made at Darlington Raceway as Harvick and Elliott were both race winners at the Lady in Black in April. Harvick won the Bojangles’ Southern 500, while Elliott claimed the VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200.
The only other time in track history both of its race winners went on to win their series’ championships in the same year was in 1997. Then, Jeff Gordon won the Southern 500 and Randy LaJoie the Busch Series race at Darlington and went on to become champions at the end of the season.
“Congratulations to all of our series champions,” Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile said. “It’s such a great storyline that our two race winners, Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott, were first-time winners at our beloved track and went on to win championships in the same season. It’s a truly a historic time for Darlington Raceway and we hope our return to Labor Day weekend in 2015 will create even more great moments for our fans and sport.”
Overall, Harvick became the 12th driver in history to win a race at the historic South Carolina track and earn the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in the same year (since 1950).
The others are:
1. 1963 – Joe Weatherly
2. 1965 – Ned Jarrett
3. 1967 – Richard Petty
4. 1968 – David Pearson
5. 1978 – Cale Yarborough
6. 1981 – Darrell Waltrip
7. 1983 – Bobby Allison
8. 1986 – Dale Earnhardt
9. 1987 – Dale Earnhardt
10. 1988 – Bill Elliott
11. 1990 – Dale Earnhardt
12. 1993 – Dale Earnhardt
13. 1994 – Dale Earnhardt
14. 1995 – Jeff Gordon
15. 1997 – Jeff Gordon
16. 1998 – Jeff Gordon
17. 2000 – Bobby Labonte
18. 2014 – Kevin Harvick
Chase Elliott is the fourth driver to win at Darlington Raceway and earn the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship in the same season since the series began racing there in 1982.
The others are:
1. 1985 – Jack Ingram
2. 1997 – Randy LaJoie
3. 2003 – Brian Vickers
4. 2014 – Chase Elliott
Darlington Raceway PR
