Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Driver Finishes 42nd After Engine Trouble at Pocono
Date: Aug. 2, 2015
Event: Windows 10 400 (Round 21 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Start/Finish: 2th/42nd (Engine, completed 20 of 160 laps)
Point Standing: 1st (780 points, 46 ahead of second)
Winner: Matt Kenseth of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), finished 42nd after engine trouble forced him from the race after only 20 laps in the Windows 10 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
The defending Sprint Cup champion started on the front row in the second position and remained in second until the competition caution on lap 15. Crew chief Rodney Childers instructed Harvick to stay out under caution on lap 17 as leader Kyle Busch came to pit road. Harvick led one time for three laps, from lap 17 to lap 19. The No. 4 car restarted from the lead but experienced engine failure as Harvick was battling teammate Kurt Busch for the top spot on lap 20.
Harvick brought the No. 4 behind the pit wall for his crew to inspect; unfortunately, the engine issue forced an early end to the day.
“Yeah, coming around turn two I knew I had some issues but didn’t realize they were going to be that big,” said Harvick, who finished second at Pocono in June. “I’m just really proud of my Jimmy John’s/Budweiser team. The car was fast. You’ll have days like this.”
The three laps Harvick held the lead bring his season total to 1,362 laps led. Harvick has only led more laps than that in a single season once – in 2014 when he led 2,137 laps en route to the Sprint Cup championship. He has led a lap in 17 of the 21 Sprint Cup races contested in 2015.
Harvick’s 42nd-place finish marked his first DNF (did not finish) since April 2014 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, a span of 49 races.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, led the way for SHR Sunday at Pocono by finishing ninth in the Windows 10 400. It was Stewart’s 23rd top-10 in 34 career Sprint Cup starts at Pocono and his second top-10 this season.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 16th for her eighth top-20 of the year.
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 37th despite leading 13 laps early in the race. An accident during a restart on lap 66 briefly sent him to the garage for repairs.
Matt Kenseth won the Windows 10 400 to score his 33rd career Sprint Cup victory, his second this season and his first at Pocono.
Brad Keselowski finished 9.012 seconds behind Kenseth, while Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle rounded out the top-five. Jimmie Johnson, AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Stewart and Carl Edwards comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were eight caution periods for 32 laps, with four drivers failing to finish the 160-lap race around the 2.5-mile triangle.
With round 21 of 36 complete, Harvick leads SHR in the championship standings. He is first with 780 points, 46 ahead of second-place Joey Logano. Busch is ninth with 620 points, 160 out of first. With two wins apiece, teammates Harvick and Busch are locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Patrick is 22nd with 462 points, 91 out of 16th, the cutoff position to make the 16-driver Chase field on points. Stewart is 25th with 417 points, 136 out of 16th.
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen on Sunday, Aug. 9 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC Sports Network.
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