HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a late gamble on gas, but that wasn't enough to overcome Kevin Harvick's dominance.Harvick led most of the race and then passed Earnhardt with two laps left to regain the lead and win the Degree V12 300 Nationwide Series race on Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Harvick and Kyle Busch each went into the pits for gas and four tires with 14 laps remaining. Earnhardt and Brad Keselowski stayed on the track, gambling they had enough gas to finish the race.
Earnhardt and Keselowski had enough gas, but were still passed by Harvick and Busch, who finished second. Earnhardt was third, followed by Keselowski and Jeff Burton.
"I would have been glad to steal a win," said Earnhardt, who said the decision to remain on the track when the leaders stopped for gas was his only chance to beat Harvick.
"We had a pretty good chance of making it and that was our only real shot of getting a win. It didn't work out in our favor but that was the best call to make for us."
Harvick led 131 of the 195 laps. He led Busch by about 7 seconds and Earnhardt by about 15 seconds when Harvick and Busch made the late pit stops.
Busch's pit stop was faster than Harvick's, but Harvick had the advantage of the big lead before the stop.
Harvick's advantages of fresh tires and the faster car enabled him to pass Keselowski with six laps left before catching Earnhardt with two laps left.
"I cut it a little bit closer than I would like to at the end," Harvick said.
It didn't look so close to Busch.
"Harvick was gone," Busch said. "What a non-race that was, but hopefully it was a show at the end. ... Man that 33 was great. Flawless."
Harvick claimed his second Nationwide Series win of the season with the race team he built with his wife, Delana. He also won in Bristol, Tenn., in March.
Carl Edwards, racing for the first time since breaking his right foot playing frisbee with friends Wednesday, finished seventh.
Busch, Edwards and Keselowski have combined for 12 Nationwide Series wins this season, including six by Busch.
"It's tough when those guys are winning so many races," Harvick said. "We felt like we had been able to run with them a couple of times but hadn't been able to close the deal. Tonight we were able to close the deal."
Busch recorded his 22nd top-10 finish of the year. He is 221 points ahead of Edwards in the standings. Harvick is 15th in the points standings.
Harvick qualified 18th on Saturday for Sunday night's Pep Boys Auto 500 and is 24th in the Sprint Cup standings.
Harvick is winless in the Sprint Cup Series since winning the 2007 Daytona 500.
Owner Richard Childress said Monday that Harvick will remain with the team next season.
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet celebrates with wife Delana, in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick;Delana Harvick
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Race winner Kevin Harvick (center), driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, is congratulated in victory lane by Kyle Busch (R), driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, after the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick;Kyle Busch
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick
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Driver Kevin Harvick poses with the trophy after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)
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Driver Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Saturday, Sept. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kyle Busch (L), driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R), driver of the #5 Degree V12 Chevrolet, come in for pit stops during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout following his win of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, holds the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-06-2009 @ 8:19AM
illsell4u said...
Didn't get to see the race but I bet Brad is happy.
mbl
Reply
9-07-2009 @ 12:17PM
Brad said...
You bet Mike, Harvick was just awesome.
9-06-2009 @ 7:33PM
obamaizamarxist said...
Did you see the empty seats? Wow, looked like the crowd at a WNBA game..
Reply