The next chapter of our “Closer Chronicles” series takes us to 2018 and the KC Masterpiece 400 from Kansas Speedway. Kevin Harvick started from the pole after being the fastest in the third round of qualifying. He led the field to the green with Ryan Blaney on his outside.
Coming into today’s event, Harvick already notched four victories on the year and seemed poised to make a deep playoff run even though this was only May with half of the regular season still to run.
Harvick took the point immediately, and he began building a gap over Blaney. Harvick held this lead until the competition caution on lap 31 that was thrown due to the heavy rainfall at the track the previous night. During pit stops, the 4 crew lost two spots with Harvick restarting in second after William Byron had a penalty on his stop.
Blaney stayed ahead of Harvick on the restart and was able to hold that lead to the end of the first stage. Notable drives through stage one include Kyle Larson, who had spun in the second round of qualifying and had to start at the rear after changing to fresh tires due to his spin.
Larson drove his Chip Ganassi Chevrolet from the rear well into the top-10 before the competition caution and was consistently one of the fastest cars on track, finishing fifth in the first stage.
Harvick fared better on the pit stops during the stage break with his crew sending him out of pit road in first. He scooted away on the restart and reestablished control of the race, maintaining this lead until green flag pit stops began on lap 123.
Harvick came down a lap later, and after pit stops cycled, he lost the lead to Larson as the 42 car got around the 4 after they both pitted. Larson held the advantage over Harvick all the way through the end of the second stage.
During stage break pit stops, the Busch bunch kept their driver in the game by getting the 4 car out in second behind Larson. The two blue cars led the field to green to start the final stage of the race as Larson used the bottom lane to cling on to control over Harvick.
Larson held a pretty wheel until the drivers reached their last set of green flag pit stops of the day with 56 laps to go. Once pit stops cycled through, Larson remained five seconds ahead of Blaney now, who overtook the 2014 Cup champion for second.
The race quickly turned on its head as the first caution for cause flew with 31 laps to go when Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Suárez and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman made contact after Suarez got loose off of the second turn.
Harvick’s pit crew gained him one spot on pit road, vaulting him back to the runner-up spot. Harvick took full advantage of this on the ensuing restart as he was able to use the momentum on the outside lane to take the lead of the race back for the first time in over 100 laps.
Cautions breed cautions as the yellow flew again with 20 laps to go after Blaney and Larson made contact, cutting the 12 car’s right front tire and sending the Penske Ford smacking the turn 1 wall.
This brought most of the lead lap cars down pit road. Harvick left pit road second behind Byron, who only took two tires. Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, and Chase Elliott all stayed out to gain track position.
Chaos broke out on what was the penultimate restart of the race as Byron got loose on the exit of turn 4 and collected Newman, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, and others.
Harvick just eked clear of Newman when Byron’s Chevrolet shot up the track, plowimg through multiple cars and into the wall. If Harvick had not made the high-side move on Newman, this article would not exist.
What followed was an almost 15-minute red flag for cleanup before they re-racked and made the final dash for the checkered flag.
Harvick restarted in sixth with nine laps to go. He charged from sixth to second place in just one lap as he set his sights on Truex, the defending series champion.
Harvick made Truex’s lead evaporate in just a few laps using the momentum from the top side to take the lead as they approached the white flag with The Closer holding on to win his fifth race of 2018 and his 42nd race of his career.
(Top Photo Credit: Sean Gardner-Getty Images)
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