The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Tex.–The timing was perfect for Kevin Harvick’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Texas.
So was his winning pass.
Harvick went around the outside of Martin Truex Jr. for the lead with 10 laps to go, then stayed in front the rest of the way yesterday to earn his championship shot in NASCAR’s season-finale.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Harvick, who had won five Xfinity races and a NASCAR Truck race at Texas in the past.
“Great to check that one off.”
Truex led 107 of 334 laps and still was up front until his bobble on the backstretch that allowed Harvick to take the lead.
But Truex, with a significant points lead and wins in three of the eight playoff races, also locked into one of the four spots to race for the championship at Homestead in two weeks.
“A little disappointed to come up short but to clinch a spot in Miami is unbelievable,” Truex said.
“Definitely got the job done today, and came here and did what we needed to.”
Kyle Busch already had clinched a championship spot with his win at Martinsville a week ago to start the third round of the playoffs.
That leaves only one spot up for grabs among the five remaining playoff contenders this coming weekend at Phoenix.
Denny Hamlin, another of the playoff contenders, finished third yesterday while Brad Keselowski was fifth and Ryan Blaney sixth.
Chase Elliott finished eighth while his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, dealt with a loose car all day and finished 27th.
Keselowski dropped from third to fourth in points, 57 behind Truex.
Hamlin is fifth in the standings, followed by Ryan Blaney, Elliott, and seventh-time Cup champion Johnson.
“I’d feel confident if we were locked in,” Keselowski admitted.
“These races, you don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
Elliott knows that feeling–having been in the lead and two laps shy of the checkered flag at Martinsville before getting wrecked by Hamlin.
Instead of the possible win then that would have clinched a championship spot, he likely now has to win at Phoenix to advance.
