Same car. Same track. Same driver. Same result.
Kevin Harvick surged to a weekend doubleheader sweep Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, fending off a closing Denny Hamlin and riding a dominant Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford to his second NASCAR Cup Series win in a two-day span.
Harvick led 90 of 156 laps in Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400, one day after leading 92 of 161 in a Saturday triumph at the 2-mile Michigan track. His sixth victory of the season was his fifth at Michigan and the 55th of his Cup Series career, tying him with Rusty Wallace on the series’ all-time win list. Harvick picked up his 6th win of the 2020 season and became the first driver to win back-to-back cup series wins since King Petty pulled it off in 1971.
Hamlin placed second in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, just .093 seconds — about a car-length — behind at the checkered flag. Martin Truex Jr. locked down third place for the second straight race with Kyle Busch fourth and Joey Logano fifth.
The victory also sealed the Michigan Heritage Trophy for Ford. The award is given to the top-performing automaker in the two annual Cup Series races at MIS.
A mid-race crash eliminated Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney from contention. Keselowski was on the low side in their Lap 96 contest for the lead when his No. 2 Ford broke loose, collecting the No. 12 Mustang of Blaney. Both cars crunched the Turn 2 retaining wall, ending the day early for both. Blaney finished 38th with Keselowski last in the 39-car field.
It is Harvick’s fourth win in the last five races at Michigan.
The top five was completed by Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Joey Logano.
STAGE 1 WINNER: Clint Bowyer led all 40 laps of the stage.
STAGE 2 WINNER: Kevin Harvick led every green flag lap of the stage.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Teammates Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski wrecked while racing for the lead on Lap 96, ending their day … Alex Bowman finished 36th after he had to pit for a flat tire with 19 laps to go. As he entered the pits, debris from the tire came off on the frontstretch, forcing a caution.
WHAT’S NEXT: Race on the Daytona road course, 3 p.m. ET Aug. 16 on NBC.
