Spin Wrecks Solid Start for Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Driver at MyAFibRisk.com 400
Date: Sept. 20, 2015
Event: MyAFibRisk.com 400 (Round 27 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet (1.5-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 1st/42nd (Running, completed 209 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: 16th (2,009 points, 43 points out of first)
Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), had his promising start to the first round of the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup end in a disappointing 42nd-place finish on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in the MyAFibRisk.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Harvick started from the pole position and led the first five laps of the race before falling to second on a lap-six restart. Following that early caution, the race featured a season-high stretch of 118 green-flag laps, necessitating multiple green-flag pit stops before a debris caution on lap 124. During that time the Bakersfield, California, native raced inside the top-three, except during green-flag pit cycles.
The defending Sprint Cup champion regained the lead on the lap-129 restart, which was followed almost immediately by the race’s third caution of the day on lap 131.
Harvick restarted from the lead, but he faced a tough challenge from several cars as the green flag waved. Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet and the No. 48 Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson made contact, which led to a left-rear tire rub that eventually cut Harvick’s tire. The flat caused Harvick to spin on lap 139, sending the No. 4 backward into the turn-three wall. Harvick was forced to the garage area, where his crew spent several laps making repairs. Harvick returned to the racetrack, albeit 58 laps down.
“I got a fairly good restart, just had a little tire buzz at the end shifting into third gear,” Harvick said. “I saw those guys coming on the apron; they must have gotten together and had a good run up. I stood my ground and he just slammed into the side of the door like I wasn’t even there. My spotter was telling me ‘four-wide,’ and I guess he just figured that he’d come up the racetrack. But I’m just really proud of everybody on our Jimmy John’s/Budweiser team for not giving up and doing all the things they had to do to get the car back on the track; and we’ve just got to go win one of these races.”
Harvick led twice for a total of 10 laps to increase his season total to 1,460. He has led more laps than that in a single season just once – in 2014 when he led 2,137 laps en route to the Sprint Cup championship. He has led a lap in 21 of the 27 Sprint Cup races contested in 2015.
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car SHR contingent Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway by finishing third. Busch led three times for a total of 37 laps around the 1.5-mile oval en route to his ninth top-five of 2015 and his second top-five in 15 career Sprint Cup starts at Chicagoland.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 25th.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 26th.
Denny Hamlin won the MyAFibRisk.com 400 to score his 26th career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his first at Chicagoland.
Carl Edwards finished .962 of a second behind Hamlin in the runner-up spot, while Busch, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were six caution periods for 28 laps. All 43 drivers were racing at the conclusion of the 267-lap race.
Harvick and Kurt Busch are representing SHR in this year’s Chase. They entered the first race of the 10-race Chase seeded fifth and seventh, respectively, among the 16 Chase drivers in the Challenger Round. Busch leaves Chicagoland in fifth, four points behind Chase leader Kenseth. Harvick leaves Chicagoland in 16th, 43 points out of first. Following the third race of the Chase at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, only those Chase drivers who have won a race or are among the top-12 in points will advance to the Contender Round.
With two races remaining before the Contender Round begins, the top-16 drivers competing for the title rank as follows:
1. Matt Kenseth (2,052 points)
2. Denny Hamlin (2,050 points, -2)
3. Carl Edwards (2,049 points, -3)
4. Kyle Busch (2,049 points, -3)
5. Kurt Busch (2,048 points, -4)
6. Joey Logano (2,048 points, -4)
7. Jimmie Johnson (2,045 points, -7)
8. Ryan Newman (2,040 points, -12)
9. Brad Keselowski (2,039 points, -13)
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2,038 points, -14)
11. Martin Truex Jr. (2,035 points, -17)
12. Jeff Gordon (2,031 points, -21)
13. Jamie McMurray (2,028 points, -24)
14. Paul Menard (2,027 points, -25)
15. Clint Bowyer (2,025 points, -27)
16. Kevin Harvick (2,009 points, -43)
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule – the second race of the Chase – is the Sept. 27 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.