NATIONAL SPORTS 35
CHAUTAUQUA STAR
FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2014
Harvick Marks Himself A Contender With Win
By Pete Iacobelli
AP Sports Writer
Kevin Harvick knew his first-year
Stewart-Haas Racing team was better than it had shown the past few
weeks. After taking the Southern
500 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday night, Harvick is convinced
the group has exactly what it takes
to win a Sprint Cup championship.
''I'm excited about it and I think
that's why everybody on this team
came here,'' Harvick said. ''We came
here to race for wins, to be in a position to contend for a championship.
I really feel like everybody on this
team feels like we bettered ourselves
by coming together.''
They took a major step to proving
that with Harvick's first victory in
18 races at the track ''Too Tough To
Tame.'' It made Harvick the first this
season with two victories - and a lock
for the season-ending, 16-team Chase
for a Sprint Cup championship.
The victory also ended a maddening
slump where Harvick had finishes of
41st, 39th, 36th, seventh and 42nd
in the races since the team's breakthrough win at Phoenix last month.
Harvick said such a stretch might've
devastated a lesser team - he pointed
to the chaos that's been the NBA's
Indiana Pacers in recent weeks - but
thought his crew kept each other's
spirits up through the down times.
The team had a near flawless performance at Darlington, capturing
Harvick's first-ever pole here before
his dominating performance (he led
238 of 374 laps) that was capped when
he passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the
On the Sprint Cup side, 21-year-old
Kyle Larson made it through a harrowing weekend where he struck the
wall in practice - twice - and had to
use a backup car. Still, he wound up
eighth, an impressive run at a track
that typically chews up and spits out
untested drivers.
GOOD ON YA, GORDON: Jeff
Gordon still doesn't have a victory
this season but again showed why
the four-time series champion is on a
major roll. His No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports car had another top 10 (he
was seventh), his sixth in eight races
this year. Keep this up and Gordon
may not need a win to get him into
the chase, assuming there are 15 or
Chase Elliott climbs from his car after a NASCAR auto race practice at the
fewer winners this season.
Darlington Speedway in Darlington, S.C., Thursday, April 10, 2014. (AP Photo/
Chuck Burton)
''Good to be leading the points (but)
second green-white-checkered finish. TIRES: Nothing beats fresh rubber, I feel like a missed opportunity,''
especially at Darlington. Dale Earn- Gordon said.
''Sometimes it just doesn't go your
hardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson each
HENDRICK STRONG: Three of
way and you have to be able to put
chose to take just two tires on a pit
the four Hendrick Motorsports entries
that behind you whether you win or
stop after a caution 10 laps from the finished in the top seven with Dale
lose,'' he explained. ''Come Monday
Earnhardt Jr. second, Jimmie Johnson
morning, we have to put this behind end. Harvick and Childers decided
on a full set and that was the differ- third and Gordon seventh. The one
us and say, 'What do we need to do
ence as the No. 4 Chevrolet moved
Hendrick driver not up in the top 10
to get better?'''
past Earnhardt on the next to last
was Kasey Kahne back in 37th.
The team will have a bit more time lap for the victory.
WATCH YOUR BACK, CLINT:
for those decisions since the circuit
''The '4' just had new tires,'' EarnClint Bowyer might want to be extra
takes its traditional Easter weekend
hardt said. ''We had 30-something
careful around Richmond in two
off before resuming at Richmond
laps on our lefts and that just wasn't weeks after he got up behind Kurt
International Raceway on April 26.
going to get the job done with him
Busch and spun out the StewartHarvick's crew chief Rodney
right behind us.''
Haas Racing driver on the first of
Childers blamed the failings on mistwo green-white-checkered finishes.
YOUNG GUNS ON THE RISE:
takes he will ensure get corrected.
The weekend also featured a couple
Busch rammed hard into the inte''Without mechanical issues, we
of young racers who look as if they'll
rior wall,, but got out of the car fine
could've won three races, four races,
make a mark on this sport. 18-year-old - and vengeful. He purposely walked
maybe five races,'' Childers said.
high-schooler Chase Elliott was the
up the track as the line