Kevin Harvick made a textbook last lap move to win the Talladega 500 and end a 115 -race victory drought going back to the 2007 Daytona 500 beating Jamie McMurray by a fender. Juan Pablo Montoya finished third.
Kevin Harvick beat this year’s Daytona 500 winner, Jamie McMurray, by diving low, touching fenders, getting him loose on the last lap. “There was only one move, basically you have one move once you get past their bumper” Harvick said adding that he had practiced the move on Friday.
Once Harvick moved alongside that acted like a speedbrake as McMurray explained, “I was really guarding against the outside, and when he went left, it did, it really loosens the car up. Really once he got underneath me, all I was doing was side drafting and hoping I could stall him out and just get him back to the start finish line."
There was a bit of irony in victory as Harvick’s sponsor Shell Oil, announced it was leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of the year and going to Penske Racing. “This is about as sweet as it gets” said owner, Childress.
It was also the first race to go to a third green-white-checker. And Harvick’s margin of victory 0.011second is the 8th closest since electronic scoring in 1993. There were a record 88 lead changes among 29 leaders.
There was another bit of irony as a green-white-checkered finish robbed Harvick of the win at Daytona this year.
In the back the Hendrick Motorsports Team rivalry was heating up after Jimmie Johnson started was involved in a wreck which involved his teammate and co-owner of his car, Jeff Gordon.
On Monday Gordon and Johnson banged fenders at Texas, but, on Friday they said that they had talked things over. That could change. On the second green-white-checkered attempt to finish the race Johnson attempted to pass Biffle but failed to clear him and started a large wreck which involved Gordon.
“I thought I was going to be able to get through there,” Johnson the points leader said. He even asked his spotter to apologize to Gordon’s spotter.
Apparently Gordon didn’t get the message after the race, referring to Johnson he said “the 48 is testing my patience, I'll tell you that. It takes a lot to make me mad, but I am pissed right now.''
In an unrelated development team owner, Rick Hendrick said he was close to announce renewing the contracts of Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, and Mark Martin’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson.
Kevin Harvick beat this year’s Daytona 500 winner, Jamie McMurray, by diving low, touching fenders, getting him loose on the last lap. “There was only one move, basically you have one move once you get past their bumper” Harvick said adding that he had practiced the move on Friday.
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| Fans look on as a 9-car accident in Turn 4 caused the Aaron's to go to multiple attempts at a green-white-checkered finish. (Photo: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
Once Harvick moved alongside that acted like a speedbrake as McMurray explained, “I was really guarding against the outside, and when he went left, it did, it really loosens the car up. Really once he got underneath me, all I was doing was side drafting and hoping I could stall him out and just get him back to the start finish line."
There was a bit of irony in victory as Harvick’s sponsor Shell Oil, announced it was leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of the year and going to Penske Racing. “This is about as sweet as it gets” said owner, Childress.
 |
| Kevin Harvick beats Jamie McMurray to the finish line by .011 seconds. (Photo: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) |
It was also the first race to go to a third green-white-checker. And Harvick’s margin of victory 0.011second is the 8th closest since electronic scoring in 1993. There were a record 88 lead changes among 29 leaders.
There was another bit of irony as a green-white-checkered finish robbed Harvick of the win at Daytona this year.
In the back the Hendrick Motorsports Team rivalry was heating up after Jimmie Johnson started was involved in a wreck which involved his teammate and co-owner of his car, Jeff Gordon.
On Monday Gordon and Johnson banged fenders at Texas, but, on Friday they said that they had talked things over. That could change. On the second green-white-checkered attempt to finish the race Johnson attempted to pass Biffle but failed to clear him and started a large wreck which involved Gordon.
“I thought I was going to be able to get through there,” Johnson the points leader said. He even asked his spotter to apologize to Gordon’s spotter.
Apparently Gordon didn’t get the message after the race, referring to Johnson he said “the 48 is testing my patience, I'll tell you that. It takes a lot to make me mad, but I am pissed right now.''
In an unrelated development team owner, Rick Hendrick said he was close to announce renewing the contracts of Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, and Mark Martin’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson.