Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Tuesday 29 May 2018
Harvick, Busch out front at NASCAR’s halfway point

Kyle Busch celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, May 27, 2018.
Associated Press

By PETE IACOBELLI for bigger things. without that victory. Ham- Charlotte. Busch kept pull- back of the field. He then
AP Sports Writer “Our goal is to playoff race lin, Busch’s Joe Gibbs Rac- ing away from the field lost practice time Satur-
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — At every week,” said Harvick, ing teammate, said the on restarts and had a six- day as his team worked to
NASCAR’s halfway point, it the 2014 series champion. difference this year has second lead on runner-up resolve the issues. Harvick
sure looks like a two-man “I think as we’re doing that been finding that little bit of Martin Truex Jr. on the final was not fazed by any of
race to the title between right now as an organiza- speed that’s the difference laps. it, steadily working his way
past champions Kevin Har- tion that’s still the goal go- between ending up out “It’s important for me to up the grid Sunday to sit
vick and Kyle Busch. ing forward.” front or further down stand- help Kyle reach his goals,” in fourth before hitting the
They have combined to Busch, like Harvick in ings. Stevens said. “And this was wall on lap 83 and heading
win nine of 13 races — 10 March, won three straight “We’re disappointed,” said a big one for him.” to the garage.
of 14 counting this month’s races earlier this year and Hamlin, third at Charlotte. Busch is 33 and racing at his Despite finishing dead last
All-Star race — and nei- both teams look capable “It’s something we’re going best. He’s looking forward in the 40-car field, Harvick
ther expects to slow down of running off several more to continue to look for.” to the rest of the season, was thrilled about his sea-
during the second half of victories before the playoffs Truex won last year’s title no matter who stands in his son so far — and the power
NASCAR’s 26-race regular begin in Las Vegas in Sep- with eight victories. He won way. Few things make him he showed before leaving.
season. tember. the Auto Club 400 in Califor- happier than being in the “It was fun to come through
Busch and Harvick were After 13 races last season, nia this season to lock into car competing for a vic- there,” he said.q
the headliners again Sun- there were 10 drivers with the playoffs. Still, he said he tory.
day night. Busch led 377 a victory, securing them a and his team are fighting to “He doesn’t settle for less
of 400 laps to win the Co- spot in the 16-man play- find the speed and make from himself and doesn’t
ca-Cola 600 at Charlotte offs. The dominance of another run at the top. settle less from the people
Motor Speedway. Harvick, Harvick and Busch this year “We’ve still got a long way around him,” Stevens said.
who had won the past two means only six drivers have to go,” Truex said. “I take comfort for that,
points races and the All-Star won races, perhaps mak- Not much searching is re- personally. You know what
race, was not around at ing points racing to qualify quired at the moment for you are going to get. He’s
the end. But he did make a more a focus in the second Busch, the pole-sitter who hard to beat.”
charge from 39th to fourth half. won every stage at a track So is Harvick, who shook
over the first 70 laps before Denny Hamlin, who has where he had never won a off a terrible week with an
an accident took him to missed the playoffs just points race before. amazing — albeit brief —
the garage. once from 2006 through Busch had a race-day run to the front.
While the rest of NASCAR is 2017, stands seventh in the aura about him, crew chief Harvick failed inspection
scrambling to make a sum- points and is one of those Adams Stevens said, that several times Thursday,
mer playoff run, Harvick winless drivers who could showed he was prepared meaning he couldn’t qual-
and Busch are preparing be shuffled to the outside to finally break through at ify and was moved to the