Author: Brandon Folsom
Date: August 12, 2018
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Kevin Harvick is at the height of his career, and he's finally able to enjoy it with his son.
Harvick won the Consumers Energy 400 Sunday at Michigan International Speedway for his second win and 10th top-three finish at the 2-mile oval, considered one of NASCAR's fastest tracks.
It was also his seventh win this season and the 44th of his NASCAR Cup Series career, tying Bill Elliott for 17th on the all-time list.
Harvick led 108 of 200 laps and beat runner-up and Michigan native Brad Keselowski by 3.23 seconds. Austin Dillon had been running second to Harvick but reported that he had a flat tire with two laps remaining. Dillon was able to coast home in fourth behind third-place finisher Kyle Busch.
Harvick's son, Keelan, came out onto the track to grab the checkered flag and wave it to the fans in the grandstand before Harvick drove both his son and the flag back to victory lane.
"It's pretty cool to look over on your victory lap and see your 6-year-old in the passenger's seat and being able to enjoy it with you," Harvick said. "That was definitely way up there on the bucket list."
Harvick controlled the race for the final 60 laps. Busch, who posted his 10th top-10 finish at MIS, said he couldn't do much to catch up with Harvick.
"That last run, once it got strung out, everybody was eight lengths apart... and you couldn't get any closer than that," Busch said. "You had an air deficit from not being able to get air under your car from the car in front of you, and you're just lacking grip. So you just weren't able to make up time."
Harvick started third and won both Stage 1 and 2 early on to pick up a pair of playoff points in impressive fashion. He took the lead from Busch on Lap 30, and by Lap 50, he grabbed a 3.6-second lead over Busch and the field.
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