“We weren’t in a good situation coming into today, but that’s what this team is made of”, said Harvick. That’s what these guys are made of, and that’s what teamwork is all about…. “We came here to win”. “This is what it’s all about, those big-time moments”.
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Busch’s runner-up finish moved him from 13th in the standings and into the second round.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds 12th place in the standings.
“We are very proud to work with such fantastic track partners and can’t thank them enough for their efforts”, said Jerome Galpin, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series President and CEO. So I’ve not only seen but also actually been one of those athletes who had to perform when there was no tomorrow. He’s won at Dover five times, including last fall. It was a really good job.
“You always want to have success in your sponsor’s home and backyard and we did that from the beginning”, said Gordon, 44, whose most recent Sprint Cup win came last September at Dover.
Four Chase drivers will be eliminated following completion of Sunday’s race.
Along with McMurray, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, and Paul Menard have been eliminated from the Chase.
“We entered this Chase with as much momentum as we’ve ever had; maybe not race wins, but certainly top-five finishes”.
This race felt nearly as if the drivers could not go a lap without something affecting them.
The points will be reset to zero, giving each of the 12 remaining contenders a clean slate heading into Charlotte Motor Speedway for the start of the Contender round. He was runner-up to Johnson in May in the first Dover race.
The driver in most danger of missing the Chase as the race reached its midpoint?
Hamlin got into AJ Allmendinger on just the second lap of the day and turned both the No. 47 and his own No. 11 around. On the restart, Busch lost the lead and finished third.
“It’s just really part of sports and that’s what makes it exciting”, Harvick said. So the reality for Kevin and the entire No. 4 team was they had no option but to win.
The green flag did not last long, as the yellow returned on Lap 231 for debris on the front straightaway. Harvick dominated New Hampshire almost like a man possessed. There are only three races until the cutoff.
Kyle Busch, one point from the cutoff line prior to yesterday’s race, led 19 laps and finished runner-up to qualify for the next round.
Beyond the considerable speed discrepancy, what has to further unnerve the competition is even if Harvick does stumble again and place himself in another unenviable position of needing a victory to advance, the expectation has become that he will be flourish.
Harvick’s team celebrated in victory lane chanting “I believe that we will win!” Just because we are starting a brand-new round, don’t expect the emotion and tension to ease up.
As Harvick flourished, several fellow Chasers struggled. Early in the AAA 400, Johnson experienced mechanical problems in the rear axle of his #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, ultimately losing 37 laps as he sat in the garage. Contact with Jimmie Johnson and a cut tire sent Harvick into the wall in Chicago. In 2014’s second round of the Chase, Brad Keselowski won at Talladega to stave off elimination.
“With these presentations that just occurred, it does remind me just how much Dover and the state of Delaware have meant for me personally and for our team”, Jeff said.
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Because Dover’s layout is nothing like any other track on the circuit, there isn’t a lot to compare it to.
