By CHRIS JENKINS (AP)
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Until somebody actually wrestles the NASCAR Sprint Cup title away from Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick knows it would be foolish to talk about any other driver being the favorite.
Even if all signs point to Harvick as the guy to beat after Sunday’s victory at Michigan International Speedway.
“Until you beat that guy, there’s no reason to put that pressure on ourselves,” Harvick said.
Team owner Richard Childress likes Harvick’s chances of becoming the man to interrupt the remarkable run of four straight championships by Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 team.
But he’s downplaying talk about titles and isn’t making any bold predictions.
“Sure, we think we’ve got the cars and everything to contend for the championship,” Childress said. “But we (aren’t) going to be cocky about it.”
Fellow competitors acknowledge Harvick — who leads the points and formally clinched a spot in the Chase with Sunday’s win — is looking strong with only three races left in the regular season.
Harvick became the points leader through consistency, but he showed on Sunday that he can win at a track other than Talladega or Daytona.
“I really don’t see how he can’t be, really, the favorite going into it,” said Denny Hamlin, who finished second to Harvick on Sunday.
With the Chase looming, Hamlin acknowledged that his Joe Gibbs Racing team is lagging behind Harvick and RCR.
“Those guys, they’re tough,” Hamlin said. “They’ve really got everything working right now. Their cars are handling really well, and they’ve got horsepower. Those are two things that are tough to beat.”
And Harvick had more bad news for the rest of the field: he thinks the team hasn’t yet shown its hand in terms of horsepower.
“I think the good engines are coming,” Harvick said. “They’re all good, but I think the other ones are coming still in the pipeline.”
Harvick passed Hamlin with 11 laps to go, then held on to win. Earlier, Harvick’s crew gambled by having him stay on the track instead of making a pit stop during a late caution.
The victory was another significant step in the resurgence of Richard Childress Racing — and it came at a track where RCR typically hasn’t been very strong.
Roush Fenway Racing drivers Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth finished third, fourth and fifth.
Team owner Jack Roush was back at the track this weekend, days after his release from a hospital following serious injuries in a plane crash.
“It’s great,” Edwards said. “We really wanted to get a win for him today, but that’s a strong performance for us.”
It was a rough day for several Chase contenders. Kurt Busch blew an engine, Mark Martin damaged his car early and spent most of the afternoon running outside the top 30, and Jeff Gordon was in the top 10 when he had a flat tire with 47 laps to go.
Gordon finished 27th, Martin finished 28th, and Busch was 40th.
Martin slipped to 13th in the points and now sits one spot behind Clint Bowyer for the final Chase-eligible spot in the standings.
Ryan Newman and Joey Logano tangled on the track, then had to be separated by NASCAR officials after the race.
“He races me way too hard, he races everybody too hard,” Logano said. “I’m not the only one that complains about it every week.”
Newman was not available for comment.
It was a much happier day for Harvick, who won’t be under much pressure the next three weeks — and, even better, could announce a new sponsorship deal this week.
Harvick joked that the team should go on vacation until the Chase starts, and said he was looking forward to playing in a golf outing to benefit his foundation on Monday.
Of course, playing golf in front of a crowd carries its own kind of pressure.
“Hopefully I don’t hit anybody,” Harvick said.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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