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Daytona 500: Kevin Harvick wins Stage 2

By Phil Naegely

Feb 26, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) makes a pit stop during the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) makes a pit stop during the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Before exiting the Daytona 500 prematurely during the final stage, Kevin Harvick earned critical points by winning Stage 2.

Kevin Harvick won Stage 2 of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, battling it out in the final laps of Stage 2 to hold on for the key victory. But his luck wouldn’t continue, as he was involved in a wreck in the final stage.

With the Stage 2 win, Harvick earned 10 championship points and one playoff point. Combined with his third-place finish in Stage 1, Harvick earned 18 championship points. The addition of stage lengths is good for drivers like Harvick who do well during the race and then are forced to the back due to damage. Luckily, Harvick’s day didn’t end overall, and he could still find a way to finish the race in the top ten.

The second stage of the race involved more drama and incidents than the first stage. Each driver got a chance to fully get a feel for their car and the track. The driving got more aggressive as drivers tried to gain critical spots in the race.

For the second stage in a row, Brad Keselowski finished and fourth and earned seven championship points. Before being involved in a wreck during the final stage, Danica Patrick followed up a 10th-place Stage 1 finish with a fifth-place result in Stage 2. Ryan Newman earned two points in Stage 2 after not being among the top-ten Stage 1 drivers.

  1. Kevin Harvick
  2. Joey Logano
  3. Kurt Busch
  4. Brad Keselowski
  5. Danica Patrick
  6. AJ Allmendinger
  7. Clint Bowyer
  8. Kyle Larson
  9. Ryan Newman
  10. Ryan Blaney

Next: Daytona 500: Kyle Busch wins Stage 1

The introduction of stage lengths has added more excitement and strategy to the Daytona 500. Drivers are taking advantage of the extra opportunity to earn more points as well. At the same time, pitting strategy has shifted as well for this race. It will be interesting if this stays true during the races that feature short tracks.

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