Kevin Harvick will not be competing for his second Cup Series title in 2020.
Chase Elliott secured his spot in the championship race at Phoenix on Nov. 8 by winning Sunday’s race at Martinsville. Elliott will be up against Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Denny Hamlin for the 2020 title, while Harvick, who has the most wins in the series, did not make the cut.
Harvick attempted a bold move on the final lap, spinning Kyle Busch in an attempt to make a pass in the last corner. However, he ended up crashing himself in the process. Despite his efforts, Harvick finished in 17th place after the incident.
“Tried to run into the door of [Busch] there as a last-ditch effort,” Harvick explained.
This marks the first time since 2016 that Harvick has not advanced to the final race. Despite winning nine races this season, he will not finish any higher than fifth in the overall standings.
Chase Elliott will be competing for his first title. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Elliott needed a win in Sunday’s race to advance, as he was 25 points behind Keselowski for the final spot in the championship race. He managed to secure the victory by passing Martin Truex Jr. with 44 laps to go.
Elliott won by over 6.5 seconds, with Truex having to pit due to a vibration. Truex, along with Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch, were eliminated from playoff contention alongside Harvick.
Quick thinking by Elliott’s pit crew
The win was saved by jackman T.J. Semke, who went over the wall too early as Elliott entered the pit with less than 90 laps remaining.
NASCAR penalized Elliott for having too many crew members over the wall before the pit stop. However, Semke realized his error and quickly bounced off the pit wall before Elliott’s car reached the stall.
By NASCAR rules, Semke repositioned himself outside Elliott’s pit stall, prompting NASCAR to rescind the penalty and allow Elliott to maintain his position on the track.
Had the penalty not been overturned, Elliott would have had to start at the back of the field, likely preventing him from winning the race and advancing to the championship.
Elliott’s first chance at a title
Elliott had been eliminated in the playoffs’ third round for the past three seasons. His victory now grants him the opportunity to compete for his first championship.
The win also marks Hendrick Motorsports’ return to the final four since Jimmie Johnson’s 2016 championship victory. Hendrick had been absent from the title chase for the past three seasons, while teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske, and Stewart-Haas Racing dominated. With Elliott in the final four, the championship race will feature one JGR car (Hamlin), one Hendrick car (Elliott), and two Team Penske cars (Keselowski and Logano).
Kevin Harvick will not compete for his second title in 2020. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Who’s the frontrunner?
With Harvick out of the running, the championship race is wide open. Hamlin boasts the most wins among the four contenders and was victorious in Phoenix last year. Logano triumphed in the spring race at Phoenix, while Keselowski has demonstrated speed on short tracks throughout the season. Elliott, on the other hand, has secured wins on various track types this season.
Without Harvick in the final four, any of the remaining drivers could make a strong case for the title.
Race results
1. Chase Elliott
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Joey Logano
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Kurt Busch
6. Alex Bowman
7. Aric Almirola
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Kyle Busch
10. Matt DiBenedetto
11. Denny Hamlin
12. Erik Jones
13. Cole Custer
14. Matt Kenseth
15. Christopher Bell
16. Ty Dillon
17. Kevin Harvick
18. Ryan Newman
19. Ryan Preece
20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
21. Bubba Wallace
22. Martin Truex Jr.
23. Austin Dillon
24. Tyler Reddick
25. Corey Lajoie
26. John Hunter Nemechek
Advertisement
27. Daniel Suarez
28. Michael McDowell
29. Timmy Hill
30. Jimmie Johnson
31. JJ Yeley
32. Josh Bilicki
33. Quin Houff
34. Joey Gase
35. William Byron
36. James Davison
37. Brennan Poole
38. Chris Buescher
39. Garrett Smithley
– – – – – – –
Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
More from Yahoo Sports:
sentence using different words:
She spoke softly so as not to wake the sleeping baby.
She whispered quietly to avoid disturbing the sleeping infant.