No power failure, this time. Kevin Harvick generated his own electricity at Gateway International Raceway.
He charged his way to the NASCAR CampingWorld.com 200 Truck Series title here Saturday afternoon. Harvick led for 143 of the 160 laps and was in front the final 70 of them.
“We put a lot of work and effort into this truck,” Harvick said of the heated chase, where the temperatures reached 125 degrees. “And that was the point in coming here. We hoped it would go today like the way it went.” Alton Telegraph
“Our Stubbs Chevrolet was just awesome today,” said Harvick. “Physically, I feel OK. I’m just nervous about moving the wrong way. ... I felt a lot better the hotter it got in there.”
The NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader had an easy day of it, despite his stiff neck and the near 100-degree ambient temperature at the 1.25-mile track. He cruised to an easy victory over fellow Cup regular Brad Keselowski, Johnny Sauter, series points leader Todd Bodine and Matt Crafton. FOXNews
“The only way we were going to win the race is if he made a mistake,” Keselowski said. “I felt like he did. He passed the pace car pitting. You’re not supposed to do that. He got away with that one. We didn’t catch that break, but we did all we could to put ourselves in the best position possible. We just needed a little bit more.”
Harvick viewed Keselowski’s complaint about passing the pace car as a case of sour grapes.
“I’d complain if I got beat that bad, too,” Harvick said.
For Bodine, the heat inside his truck was so intense it burned him, despite adjustments to his seat after a similar experience at Texas.
“Man, I burned my butt bad [Saturday], and my back even got burnt,” said Bodine, who declined a trip in an ambulance after the race. “That’s why I lay down in here [the media center] on the cold floor.” NASCAR.com
“Everything went smooth,” crew chief Ernie Cope said.
Harvick last drove a truck at GIR in 1999, when he finished 27th. He was 11th in 1998
Rookie Austin Dillon, champion at Iowa Speedway last week, ran seventh.
“Seventh place is great coming off a win at Iowa,” Dillon said. Alton Telegraph
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NASCAR Truck Series: CampingWorld.com 200 at Gateway - Race-Results
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