The next chapter in our “Closer Chronicles” takes us back a decade from the current day to the spring of 2016. We find ourselves at Phoenix Raceway once again, a track that Kevin Harvick dominated a number of times, especially in the latter half of his career.
This trip finds us four races into a new season, only a few short months following Harvick’s bid to win a second straight Cup Series championship ended the way 12 other races in 2015 did: one spot short.
The 2014 series champion qualified a pedestrian 18th, starting him well behind his teammate Kurt Busch who started 4th and was pegged as an early favorite for the win.
Harvick kept calm through the start of the race, methodically slicing through traffic up to 12th place in the first 20 laps by hooking the apron and picking drivers off as they came back to him and saving his equipment for the long run.
By lap 52, Harvick climbed to seventh and started to close down the gap to the leaders that, at one point, was over ten seconds.
The caution flew for the first time later that lap for Ryan Newman getting into the wall. After a freaky fast stop by the Jimmy John’s crew, Harvick restarted sixth as Kyle Busch would continue to lead over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards.
The lead changed hands for the first time on lap 75 as Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead from Busch’s Skittles machine as Harvick made his way into the top-5 for the first time.
Harvick marched to third before the second caution waved on lap 107 for Paul Menard getting into the wall, a second caution for a Richard Childress Racing car.
Edwards assumed the lead after pit stops with Kyle Busch and Harvick lurking as Earnhardt slipped to fourth. These drivers held serve over the field for nearly 60 laps before a caution would fly on lap 164 for Ricky Stenhouse getting into the wall.
The caution allowed Harvick to restart on the outside of the front row, and he would take full advantage of it, nabbing his first lead of the race on lap 169.
Harvick held his lead until a caution for debris flew on lap 227 when Brad Keselowski blew a right rear tire. Harvick failed to leg out much of a gap over Edwards’ Stanley Toyota on this run but was able to maintain a one-second gap for the majority of the run.
Edwards’ pit crew logged another incredible stop, sending the 19 out just ahead of the 4 to take back the top spot back for the restart with 78 laps to go.
Harvick reclaimed the advantage from the bottom on the restart and looked to set sail as the field was on the very edge of their pit window. Edwards fell to third as Earnhardt Jr. made his way to the runner-up spot.
Now, dear reader, you may be asking how this qualifies for this series as Harvick looks poised to dominate the latter stages of this race.
Well, as the field hit six laps to go, Kasey Kahne suffered a tire issue like so many others today, bringing out a caution and erasing Harvick’s two-second gap over Earnhardt.
Harvick found himself on an island with Earnhardt as Edwards and the other leaders pitted for tires. This set up an overtime finish with a hungry field equipped with fresh rubber.
When the green flag waved, Edwards disposed of Earnhardt’s Axalta Chevy by the time the field exited turn 2, setting his sights on the Phoenix master.
The Jimmy John’s Chevy took this opportunity to jump out to an almost four-car length lead over Edwards, but his lead all but evaporated by the time the two cars hit the finish line to start the final lap, making the race official and setting up what appeared to be an easy task for Edwards with his tire advantage.
The Bakersfield Basher refused to rollover though, holding Edwards off through turns 1 and 2. Both drivers shot through the dogleg for the final time with Edwards diving deep into turn 3, popping Harvick’s bumper in turn 3 to move him up a lane.
Harvick responded in kind, slamming into Edwards’ right side to pinch the 19 down on exit. The two traded blows all the way to the stripe with Harvick just inching past Edwards for the closest Phoneix finish in NASCAR history at just .010 seconds.
After his burnout, he and Edwards shared a moment on pit road where both seemed to respect one another despite the hard racing to the line.
This victory would be Harvick’s eighth of nine victories at Phoenix, and it was his fifth in the last six races. The 2016 Good Sam 500 also represented Harvick’s 32nd career victory.
(Top Photo Credit: Andrew Coppley/HHP for Chevy Racing)
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