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Harvick does it again
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo
Kevin Harvick. front, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, April 3, 2011.
Associated Press
MARTINSVILLE, Va.
Kevin Harvick overcame an ill-handling car to charge to the front, pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead and hold on to win Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
Earnhardt had taken over the lead with 20 laps to go with a pass of Kyle Busch that brought everyone in the grandstands to their feet. But Harvick closed quickly, pulled onto Earnhardt’s bumper with four laps to go, and made his pass in the second turn.
Earnhardt tried to get the lead back, but conceded as they rounded the fourth turn. Harvick then sailed away for his second consecutive victory.
He also made a late charge last week to beat Busch and Jimmie Johnson at California.
“I hate to be the bad guy here, but winning’s winning,” Harvick said in Victory Lane of denying NASCAR’s most popular driver the win.
Earnhardt had to fight hard to hold off Busch for second, and his losing streak stretched to 99 races. He’s not won since Michigan in June 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.
“I am frustrated. I got close,” Earnhardt said. “I ain’t won in a long time. I was thinking at the end I was meant to win the damn race.”
Busch led a race-high 151 laps, but was bumped from the lead by Earnhardt. It’s the second consecutive Sprint Cup race he’s dominated, only to fade to third.
And it’s the second race he could have won this weekend at Martinsville, but didn’t. Busch finished second Saturday to Johnny Sauter in the Trucks Series race.
Busch, who took over the points lead despite coming up short of the win, said Earnhardt was in bounds with the bump for the lead.
“I was holding him up, so it was good for him,” Busch said. “I mean, he took the lead. No harm, no foul. I probably had the best car here today. Unfortunately just didn’t win with it.”
Earnhardt, meanwhile, jumped four spots to eighth in the standings — the highest he’s been since Texas a year ago — and battled the conflicting emotions of being disappointed at falling short and celebrating another strong run.
Harvick snapped the dominating run of Johnson and Denny Hamlin, who had combined to win the last nine races at Martinsville. Even though both were in the mix for the win, late-race issues took them out of contention.
Hamlin, the winner of the last three races at the short track, had slow pit stops.