Kevin Harvick survived the sun and track temperatures to win the 2016 Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
The races at Phoenix International Raceway always provide a series of challenges to drivers and on Sunday, the 2016 Good Sam 500 was more of the norm, as drivers battled tire issues, the sun and each other in what was an explosive day on the track.
Coming into the race, Kyle Busch was on the pole and he started out on fire and was holding off the competition. As the race wore on, he began to face competition from his teammate, Carl Edwards. In one of the most incredible pit road battles this season, Edwards just beat Busch off the line to take the lead about a third of the way through the race.
The two would run in the lead for much of the race leading into the second half, when Busch would come in for a pit stop that took 16 seconds and ultimately sent him back to the pack. While those two were battling, other drivers were having issues with their tires from the sun beating down on the track.
Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would both see their days end after blowing tires and hitting the wall. While those drivers had issues and the drivers of Joe Gibbs racing looked to run away with it, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson slowly crept their way to the front, with Harvick taking the lead in the middle of the race.
From there, Harvick would continue to grow his commanding lead as the laps flew by and it didn’t look like anyone could catch him. Carl Edwards would fight him for the win on the last lap and Harvick would win in an incredible photo finish.
Here are five takeaways from the 2016 Good Sam 500.
1. The sun has no mercy in the desert
The temperatures in Phoenix were really nice for the time of the year, considering it’s usually hot in the desert. However, when the sun beats down in Phoenix, it doesn’t matter what the temperature is, because track temperatures are going to be hot.
The first three cautions of the day all had to do with tire issues and with the sun right above the track, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard all blew tires and hit the wall.
Each of these drivers have histories of being in contention for final Chase spots because of points. Blowing tires because of heat won’t help get them any closer to accomplishing their goals.
2. Pit stops are everything in NASCAR
Pit stops can make or break a day for drivers. On Sunday, there were plenty of instances of drivers having issues on pit road. Notably, two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers had their own problems when coming down for a pit stop.
Denny Hamlin had an uncontrolled tire in his pit lane, which is a penalty and caused him to go to the rear of the field. To make matters worse, Kyle Busch, who was fighting for the lead, almost went into another pit stall and had to put his car in reverse.
With the extra time it took to get his car right, Busch lost vital spots on the track because of it.
3. Carl Edwards shakes off Las Vegas Blues
Last week at Las Vegas, Carl Edwards had a week that he would probably like to forget. He wrecked in qualifying and wrecked during the race. After two great races to begin the season, he finally hit some adversity last week and many wondered how he would bounce back at Phoenix this week.
He showed no signs of trouble after last week’s struggles and gave Kevin Harvick everything that he could handle on Sunday. He never relented and he was absolutely flawless on pit road. He did the little things that needed to be done and executed well.
He would lose in a photo finish in the closest finish in Phoenix history.
4. Kevin Harvick owns Phoenix
Kevin Harvick had won the Good Sam 500 more than any other driver in history heading into the race on Sunday. While he didn’t start off on the pole, Harvick lurked around early on like a predator waiting to pounce on it’s prey at Phoenix.
Once the middle of the race hit, Harvick made his move and he took a commanding lead of the race. He faced some battles, but his biggest battle of the day came from Carl Edwards. Once again, it was another great race by Harvick in the desert.
5. Kevin Harvick is going to the Chase
As many expected, Kevin Harvick once again dominated the Good Sam 500. By lurking all day and finally taking the lead when he wanted to, Harvick never looked back and rode his lead all the way to a huge victory on Sunday, at Phoenix International Raceway.
With his win, Harvick now has secured the fourth spot in the Chase, alongside Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin. The 2014 Sprint Cup Champion is going to a heavy hitter and is going to be a pain to eliminate in the Chase.
His season is now set with a spot to compete for his second championship.