Kevin Harvick reasserted himself as the NASCAR “Cactus King” as he edged out Carl Edwards for the win in the Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Speedway.
The race Sunday afternoon (3/13) in the desert just outside Phoenix promised to be an interesting one, and it delivered. There was side-by-side racing throughout the field from start to finish.
During the 313 lap race there were five caution flags as drivers used their breaks a lot and heated up the tires melting the beads causing tire blowouts. One of those caution periods came with just a handful of laps left.
Kevin Harvick had again dominated at Phoenix as he led a race high 139 laps among the four drivers that exchanged the lead seven times. Kevin had built a comfortable lead with the laps winding down until that final yellow flag erased his lead and put the race in a NASCAR overtime situation.
When the green flag was issued to restart the race, Kevin was able to get out in the lead again. However, Carl Edwards began tracking him down. Carl got next to Kevin on the final laps as the two cars came together through the final turns. Neither car wrecked, but raced to the checkered flag bouncing off each other. As they crossed the finish line it was Kevin claiming the victory by inches and only 0.01 seconds.
The win extended Kevin’s all-time race win record at Phoenix with eight career wins in his Sprint Cup career. It also marks his fifth win out of the last six times NASCAR has raced at the track (six out of last seven).
As noted above, Carl Edwards claimed second place by just inches behind Kevin with Denny Hamlin finishing third. Kyle Busch who started on the pole was able to finish in fourth place with Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounding out the top five. See the complete race results in the Good Sam 500 here,
The win in Phoenix not only puts Kevin Harvick on the list of drivers with a win on the Chase Grid who are all but guaranteed at spot in The Chase, it also moves him up two spots to be the leader in the point standings. Kyle Busch slips a spot to second place with Jimmie Johnson also falling a spot to third. Kurt Busch moves up a spot to fourth while Carl Edwards advances two places to fifth. See the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings here.
The West Coast Swing continues this week as NASCAR heads to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California for the Auto Club 400 Sunday, March 20th.
By: Buck Stevens
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, leads the field past the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, leads Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Monster Energy / Haas Automation Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Dale Earnhardt Jr, driver of the #88 Axalta Chevrolet, races Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, and Carl Edwards, driver of the #19 Stanley Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Carl Edwards, driver of the #19 Stanley Toyota, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Cars pit during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, beats Carl Edwards, driver of the #19 Stanley Toyota, to the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Robert Laberge/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 13: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, poses with the winner’s decal on his car in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Robert Laberge/NASCAR via Getty Images)
