NASCAR Dover: Harvick dominates rain-hit race, Bowyer second – NASCAR

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick dominated a rain-interrupted NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover to take his fourth win of the season for Ford.

Harvick led almost exactly half of the race’s 400 laps and took both stage wins, with only Penske’s Brad Keselowski in close company for much of the race’s duration.

Harvick’s win looked under threat for a time as the race was stopped for 49 minutes due to rain with 80 laps remaining, at which point his team-mate Clint Bowyer led with the long-time leader in second.

Just before the stoppage, Bowyer had jumped several cars at a restart when Jamie McMurray’s Chevrolet, in second as he had not pitted under the preceding caution, was slow away on old tyres and backed up many rivals behind him – including Harvick and Keselowksi.

But when racing resumed after the rain had passed, Harvick quickly moved close to Bowyer and overtook him to lead again with 60 laps remaining.

He held on comfortably from there to take his second Dover win by seven seconds.

Bowyer eventually finished second ahead of Daniel Suarez of Joe Gibbs Racing, with reigning champion Martin Truex Jr in fourth.

The Furniture Row Racing driver had fallen off the lead lap as he pitted under green near the end of stage one with his right front tyre was deflating.

But he got back onto the lead lap by taking a wave around at the end of the first stage.

Kurt Busch finished fifth for Stewart-Haas Racing ahead of Keselowski, who made it four Fords in the top six.

Keselowski had been further delayed by a slow stop due to issues on his left rear tyre when all the cars pitted just after the red flag period.

The other Penske of Ryan Blaney came home eighth, behind Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin recovered from starting stage two at the back after having to pit before the pitlane opened at the end of stage one due to a low fuel level.

Jimmie Johnson was ninth, while Kyle Larson finished 10th after an eventful weekend.

Larson was quickest in qualifying but had to start from the back after his Chevrolet failed the pre-race inspection three times.

He got up with the leaders via a counter strategy, but then had to pit under green before the end of the first stage and his loss was compounded by getting a penalty for an uncontrolled tyre in the stop, which left him two laps down.

Larson then worked his way back to the lead lap with a wave around under a caution caused by Kyle Busch’s Toyota running slowly with a driveshaft failure.

This breakage meant points leader Busch retired at the race’s three-quarters distance.

Busch had complained since the early laps about a drivetrain vibration, which he said had become worse as the race went on.

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