LAS VEGAS (AP) – Defending NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick raced to his first victory of the season Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The win came in just the third race of the season, and Harvick has been inching toward victory lane since he began his title defense. He finished second in the season-opening Daytona 500, was second last week at Atlanta and, dating back to last season, has six consecutive top-two finishes. He also has won three of the last six races dating to last season.
Harvick isn’t looking too far ahead, though.
“We just have to keep our heads down and keep doing everything that we’ve been doing,” he said. “This isn’t a bunch of guys that are just going to go out and brag. We’re going to race every week like we have never won a race before. That’s the kind of determination that you need when you are going to do this stuff.”
Harvick now has a win that gives him a near-certain berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, where he’d be guaranteed a shot to defend his title. The Chase format awards slots into the playoff via regular-season wins.