4 things we learned from Kevin Harvick’s victory at Atlanta

Kevin Harvick may have picked. up his 51st win on Sunday, but his trip to victory lane wasn't the only storyline leaving Atlanta Motor Speedway.

By

Sports

June 9, 2020 - 9:21 AM

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light For The Farmers Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 7, 2020 in Hampton, Ga. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images/TNS

Kevin Harvick ran away with the final stage of the Folds of Honor QuickTrip 500 race Sunday evening to claim his second win of the 2020 season and his third career Cup win at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“This place is pretty special just because of the fact that this is where I got my first win,” Harvick said. “For me, coming back here, it brings back a lot of memories.”

Harvick’s first win at the Atlanta track came in 2001, three races after he replaced the late Dale Earnhardt after the Cup driver was killed in a last-lap accident at the Daytona 500 that year. Just as he did in 2001, Harvick held three fingers out the window and drove a lap in the opposite direction to honor Earnhardt on Sunday.

“This is just a track I’ve taken a liking to,” Harvick said on the FOX broadcast after his 51st Cup Series race win, which puts the driver ahead of Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett on the list of all-time race winners.

Harvick also further climbed the 2020 points ladder, which he has dominated this season, after leading the most laps (151) of the 325-lap race and finishing in the top five in the first two stages.

Although during the race Harvick said he struggled with his Ford Mustang, he said his team was able to make the necessary adjustments before the final stage, allowing him to jump ahead on the restart and sail to Victory Lane.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. GETS EARLY LEAD

But Harvick still finished behind No. 19 driver Truex Jr. in Stages 1 and 2. Truex Jr. was sixth in the points leading up to Atlanta and didn’t have a top-five finish prior to dominating Sunday’s race. He finished in third place behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in second.

“We were really strong the first two stages and I was really happy with the car,” Truex Jr. said after the race. “We just got too tight there at the start of stage three (and) made some adjustments on the pit stop. It just wasn’t enough.”

Truex Jr. started 11th and led 65 laps, the second-most laps led behind Harvick.

JGR DRIVERS 

PULLING AHEAD

In addition to Truex Jr. and Busch, JGR’s Denny Hamlin notched another top-five finish. The No. 11 driver finished in fifth place behind Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney. After Bristol last weekend, JGR is showing its strength.

“Atlanta and Homestead are pretty significant high downforce tracks and we tend to run well here,” Busch said about his Toyota teammates after the race. “Truex definitely tends to run well here. He did last year, and I think Denny has won here a couple times, so it’s a place that we should have good results at.”

Busch called it a “good, solid run” for his No. 18 team.

“Hopefully we can keep that momentum rolling,” Busch said after the race.

BOWYER’S SEASON STARTING STRONG

After a second-place finish last week at Bristol, Clint Bowyer had a solid showing at Atlanta. Bowyer finished in the top-10 in the first stage and was able to jump to the lead off the restart in stage two, passing then-leader Truex Jr. Trouble with his right rear tire, however, forced the No. 14 driver to to pit with the green flag out, but he was able to briefly reclaim the lead in the second stage.

Related