Kevin Harvick wins NASCAR Cup race at Michigan

The Associated Press

5 years ago

Kevin Harvick races out of turn one during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Michigan Internatio ... — Kevin Harvick races out of turn one during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Kyle Busch (18), Martin Truex Jr. (19) and Chase Elliott (9) race during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Kevin Harvick has won a NASCAR Cup race at Michigan International Speedway for the second straight year, giving him two victories this year and 47 in his career.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver pulled away from the competition in his Ford and finished more than a second ahead of Denny Hamlin. Kyle Larson was third, more than 16 seconds behind Harvick, and was followed by Martin Truex Jr., Daniel Suarez and Kyle Busch on Sunday in the Consumers Energy 400.

There are three races left before the playoffs, including one under the lights Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson will have to close the regular season strong to extend his streak of earning a spot in every postseason since the format was created 15 years ago. He started the race tied for the 16th and final spot in the playoffs and had an early setback, making contact with a wall on Lap 15 that damaged his right rear quarter panel and tire, and finished 34th.

Johnson was several laps back for much of the race, but got a break potentially for the final spot when Clint Bowyer was knocked out of the race after Paul Menard appeared to bump him. Bowyer began the day 15th in the playoff standings and was 37th at MIS.

Newman, who started the day tied with Johnson in the playoff standings, was 12th in the 38-car field.