HARVICK WINS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE TO ADVANCE TO CONTENDER ROUND OF CHASE

Late race stumble by Kenseth leads Harvick to victory

Kevin+Harvick+at+New+Hampshire

Austin Travis

Kevin Harvick at New Hampshire

Kevin Harvick got by Matt Kenseth on a restart with six laps to go to pick up career win #34 in the Bad Boy Buggies 300 at New Hampshire.  Both drivers got good restarts, but Harvick had the preferred line in turns 3 and 4 and cleared Kenseth and never looked back.  Harvick now joins Martin Truex Jr., who finished 7th, as the only two drivers to have clinched their spots in the next round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.  “It’s nice to be on the side of not leading all the laps and be able to capitalize on a late-race caution and come out with a win where you didn’t dominate all day and didn’t lead a bunch of laps,” Harvick said in victory lane.  “We were able to capitalize on that today, and that’s making up for one of those we lost the other way.”  Harvick led 218 of the 300 in this race in 2015 before running out of fuel with three laps to go.  Here are the current Chase standings.

*= first Chase appearance

1.Martin Truex Jr.       ADVANCED

2.Kevin Harvick           ADVANCED

3. Brad Keselowski       +30

4. Kyle Busch                 +28

5. Matt Kenseth             +21

6. Joey Logano               +16

7. Denny Hamlin           +14

8. Jimmie Johnson       +13

9. Chase Elliott*            + 11

10. Carl Edwards             +11

11. Kurt Busch                  +10

12. Kyle Larson*               +5

______________________________  CUTOFF

13. Jamie McMurray       -5

14. Austin Dillon*            -5

15. Tony Stewart              -11

16. Chris Buescher*         -30