LONG POND, Pa. – Kevin Harvick snapped an 0-for-38 drought at Pocono Raceway, taking the checkered flag Saturday at one of two tracks where victory had eluded him on stock car racing’s top circuit.
Harvick won the first of two NASCAR Cup Series races in front of no fans this weekend at the Tricky Triangle and will start 20th on Sunday, when the field will be set by inverting the lead-lap finishers.
The 44-year-old Californian who won the 2014 season title has been to victory lane at every active track except Kentucky Speedway, where he’s 0-for-9. Saturday’s win was the third this season for the veteran Stewart-Haas Racing driver.
Harvick held off a hard-charging Denny Hamlin for the 52nd victory of his Cup Series career. He had 12 top-five finishes in his other 38 starts at Pocono, but despite finally breaking through, he held off on the celebratory burnout – Harvick needs the same car for Sunday’s race.
“That’s great to finally check Pocono off the list,” he said.