Flashback Friday: Stories and Statistics from Kevin Harvick’s Victory in the 2002 Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway

        On July 14, 2002, the stars of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series invaded Chicagoland Speedway for the second annual Tropicana 400 at the 1.5-mile track. 75,000 fans packed the Illinois grandstands and 43 drivers delivered a thrilling race. In the end, though, the battle for the win came down to some late strategy thanks to a beautiful accident. Going to complete lap 197, Kevin Harvick made an aggressive three-wide move onto the frontstretch apron underneath Kurt Busch and Dave Blaney as he tried to move into fourth spot. The apron caused Harvick to break loose and he barely saved his #29 Chevrolet before riding below the banking all the way into turn 1.

        After brilliant save attempts, the California driver ended up stopped in the turn 1 grass with all his track position gone and his tires flat spotted. It wasn’t all bad news for the reigning Rookie of the Year. He only dropped to 14th for the next restart and he had the freshest tires in the field and no damage to his RCR Chevrolet. Over the next run, he passed drivers on older tires and looked to be faster than the leaders. Laps were clicking away, though, and Ryan Newman had a sizeable lead with Harvick mired outside of the Top 5. Fortunately, Harvick caught a break with the seventh and final caution on lap 240. 

  Just about 15 seconds apart from each other, Newman and Joe Nemechek had tire issues in turn 1. While Newman kept his #12 Ford off the wall, Nemechek wasn’t so lucky as his #25 Chevrolet Monte Carlo grazed the outside wall in turn 1 and prompted the yellow flag. This allowed the teams that needed to stop do under yellow without the threat of green flag pit stop mistakes. On the other hand, Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and Robby Gordon stayed out with enough fuel to make it to the end. This put the #29 Chevrolet in the lead with just 20 laps to go and that was the break that the struggling Harvick needed. 

        For the last 20 green flag laps, he put distance between himself and Gordon to take the white flag comfortably with nearly a second lead. He crossed the finish line ahead of the #24 by eight tenths of a second to grab his first checkered flag of the season. It turned out he had just enough gas to finish the race as he ran out on the frontstretch in the middle of his burnout. The entire Richard Childress Racing #29 team happily went to victory lane and celebrated a much-needed boost to their season. In addition to Harvick’s win, the rest of the NWCS field featured a variety of stories and statistics. Some of those include Kevin Harvick’s 2002 struggles in the first 17 races, Ryan Newman’s large number of laps led at Chicagoland, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s missed opportunity at a win, Jeff Gordon’s continued long winless streak, the Burton brothers’ Chicagoland struggles, and a short recap of the races for all eight of the drivers carrying Muppets on their cars for 400 miles of racing.

        While the 2001 season could be considered a success for Kevin Harvick and the #29 team considering everything all RCR faced as an organization, the first 17 races of 2002 were far from good. Other than a third-place finish at Darlington and a tenth at Bristol, the California driver finished outside of the Top 20 in eleven races. Eight of those finishes occurred in a row from Race #7 of the season at Texas until Race #15 at Michigan. During that eight-race streak, Harvick even missed an event after he was suspended for the Cup race at Martinsville due to an incident in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the half-mile track. Because of all the struggles, he was 30th in the points standings. Race #18 of the 36-race schedule at Chicagoland Speedway came as a possible turning point, though, as the young driver could claim to be the only Cup winner at the track when the series arrived at the Illinois track. 

        Despite a 32nd place starting spot, Harvick methodically moved through the field with his eyes on his best finish of the year. He finally made it to the Top 5 on the restart after the fifth caution on lap 192, but he promptly spun out just a couple of laps later. The aforementioned strategy shuffle allowed him to inherit the lead to steal his best finish of the season and capture a momentum shifting win. Interestingly, the win was his third career victory and it came just 364 days after his second one. On July 15, 2001, Harvick won the inaugural event at Chicagoland. His win made him the only winner two races into the track’s history.

        In the end, a flat tire on lap 240 cost Ryan Newman the win as he lost all his track position and didn’t have enough time to make it up on his four fresh tires. The Indiana Rookie of the Year contender fought back to fifth, but it wasn’t the points paying win he hoped for after his triumph in The Winston exhibition race just two months earlier. Yet, the hopeful NWCS star achieved some important feats in the race. Newman captured his third career pole and started his pursuit of the “Rocketman” nickname he has carried throughout his career. 

        Starting first allowed him to the lead the first 56 laps of the race before the first round of green flag pit stops. He returned to the lead on lap 209 and led for 31 more circuits before his unfortunate flat tire. Despite not leading the most important lap, the Purdue University graduate led 87 laps in total of the 267 laps. At the time, it was the most laps he had led in a single race in his 26th series start. Of course, he led more laps in future races and victories, but the 2002 Tropicana 400 paved the way for the “Rocketman” to show his speed for a majority of an event for the first time in his career.

        For several runs of the race, it looked like Dale Earnhardt Jr. would capture his sixth career NWCS win. He was third when the final caution of the race waved on lap 240 and it appeared some good strategy would hand him the win. However, his team decided to change all four tires while everyone either to took two tires or just added fuel. Being back in traffic made the #8 Chevrolet struggle to handle. Junior could only muster a tenth-place finish when the checkered flag waved. The finish didn’t give the team complete disappointment, though. 

        After leading 133 of 188 laps in his dominating victory at Talladega Superspeedway in mid-April of 2002, Junior struggled to run up front and finish well. He led only 15 laps between California and the previous race at Daytona. His fortune changed at Chicagoland, though. He led 81 of the 267 laps and returned to the lap leading form he had early in the season where he sat 5th in the points at one point. While the win slipped away, Earnhardt Jr. gained some momentum by leading 30% of the race’s laps.

        As soon as Jeff Gordon started running full-time in the NWCS, he became a weekly contender for wins and championships. Yet, in July of 2002, the California born driver found himself in a slump he had only experienced once in his career. Gordon went 41 races before he won his first race in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600. That streak was the longest of his career as he started winning races consistently after the Charlotte Motor Speedway win. When he entered Chicagoland Speedway twelve years after his first win, though, his winless streak stood at 25 races. It appeared he would come close to matching his longest winless streak, but his crew chief, Robbie Loomis, had a plan to try and end the streak.

        After running in or around the Top 10 all day from his 15th place starting spot, Gordon brought his #24 car down pit road under the sixth caution on lap 197 while most of the field stayed out. Despite the loss in track position and being off strategy, he could finish the race without stopping again. The seventh and final caution waved on lap 240 and it appeared the strategy move would put Gordon in contention for the win. Ultimately, though, the #24 restarted second and could not pass Harvick to take the win. The streak extended to 26 winless races and the #24 team left Illinois a bit disappointed as victory lane continued to elude them.

        Starting in 1994, the Burton brothers, Ward and Jeff, began a career battle in the NWCS. The Virginia natives, of course, wanted to beat each other as much as possible, but they wanted each other to have success. In 2002, Ward experienced the ultimate moment of success in stock car racing as he captured the win in the Daytona 500. Yet, the rest of the season until Chicagoland proved to be forgettable for both Burtons. At Texas and Charlotte, the two brothers both finished outside of the Top 35. Also, they had several bad runs and terrible finishes in addition to those shared bad days. Unfortunately, while they hoped Chicagoland would be a turning point, it proved not to be.

        On lap 4, Ward went for a spin on the frontstretch in a pack of traffic to bring out the first caution. Just 13 laps later, the driveshaft on his #22 Pontiac exploded and littered some debris on the 1.5-mile race track. The mechanical issue put Ward behind the wall early and he spent a portion of the race in the garage. He ended up in 41st place and 130 laps down to the leader. Jeff had a solid start to his afternoon in the race, but on lap 165 his good run disappeared. He reported to his crew chief, Frank Stoddard, that his engine was running on just seven cylinders. Seven laps later, he was on pit road with the #99 team pushing their car to the garage. The team’s day was done and the younger Burton brother finished in 39th, 100 laps down. It proved to be yet another difficult day for Ward and Jeff Burton as they combined to finish outside of the Top 35 together for the third time on the 2002 season. 



        Finally, some beloved characters in American culture made an appearance on eight NASCAR racecars at Chicagoland. The Muppets Show, created by Jim Henson, celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2002. To bring awareness to the event, several NASCAR teams were contacted to run cars with various Muppets characters on them. The schemes were released in March and fans anticipated each team’s arrival at the track in Chicagoland for the Tropicana 400. Unfortunately, some controversy surrounded the crossover as the actual Muppets weren’t allowed into the track due to legal issues. Despite the controversy, all eight teams competed with their respective paint schemes and had very different days.

        Of all eight teams, Bill Elliott had the best afternoon at the Illinois track. Elliott put his #9 Dodge featuring the Swedish Chef on the second row for the initial start. He quickly moved into the second spot and set his sights on the lead. The 1988 NWCS champion spent the first half of the race solidly in the Top 5 before he dropped into the Top 10 around the halfway mark due to various strategies from his other competitors. When the seventh and final caution waved on lap 240, Elliott and his crew chief, Mike Ford, decided to use some strategy of their own. The Georgia driver took fuel only, which allowed him to restart sixth with just 20 laps left. Unfortunately, the move didn’t work out and Elliott ended up in seventh place at the finish, in a close battle for the sixth spot with Kurt Busch. It was his eighth Top 10 of the season and made him the highest finisher of the drivers with Muppet racecars.

  After the first set of green flag pit stops, it looked like Dale Jarrett would give Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy the best finish for the Muppets at Chicagoland. The 1999 NWCS champion moved from his 11th place starting spot to second following the first round of green flag pit stops on lap 84. On the run following the third caution on lap 138, though, Jarrett’s #88 Ford struggled with a tight condition and he slipped outside of the Top 10. From there, he struggled to find his way inside the Top 10 and when the checkered flag waved on lap 267, Jarrett finished exactly where he started in 11th. The race ended in a disappointing fashion for the Robert Yates Racing team, but the #88 finished second highest of the Muppets drivers.

        Of the 43 drivers in the field, Bobby Labonte had the quietest day with Pepe the King Prawn on his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac. The 2000 NWCS champion started in 12th spot, but struggled to stay inside the Top 15 in the first half of the race. Following the two rounds of green flag pit stops in the first 140 laps, Labonte found himself a lap down just inside the Top 20. Throughout the remainder of the race, he stayed consistently at the front of the drivers a lap down. Yet, he couldn’t move in front of the leader on restarts to earn his lap back and fight to move up the running order. The #18 Pontiac finished the day in 18th after a simply quiet and average day at the 1.5-mile track.

        Ricky Rudd had a very eventful day with Gonzo the Great on the hood of his #28 Robert Yates Racing Ford. After starting 38th, he powered through the field hoping to gain as many positions as possible in the early laps. He did advance through the running order, but he lost a lap to the leaders following the two rounds of green flag pit stops during the first half of the event. With still a lot of time left in the 267-lap race, Rudd hoped to earn his lap back. His pursuit of trying to move back onto the lead lap created some controversy with the leader following the fifth caution on lap 192. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed the pace car on the backstretch just after the yellow flag waved, Rudd drove up to the leader’s left side door and bumped him a little bit. The 23-time race winner was upset Earnhardt Jr. hadn’t allowed him to gain his lap back racing to the caution. The intense moment ended quickly, and the Virginia driver returned to working hard on restarts to earn his lap back. Rudd never did return to the lead lap and he finished the day in 19th. While it wasn’t a Top 10, the #28 did improve his starting spot by 19 positions.

        The worst starter of the eight Muppet drivers was Tennessee’s Casey Atwood. He qualified his #7 Sirius Satellite Radio Dodge featuring Rowlf the Dog in 41st for the 400-mile race. Fortunately, he moved up a few positions for the start as drivers dropped to the rear of the field. Atwood hoped to take his Ultra-Evernham Motorsports car into the Top 20 for a much-needed good run, but he struggled in the early portion of the event. He quickly went a lap down and appeared to be in position for his eighth finish outside of the Top 30 on the season. Yet, the two-time NASCAR Busch Series winner didn’t give up. He fought all race long and thanks to some attrition and adjustments, he crossed the finish line in 28th with a clean racecar. Interestingly, it was exactly where he finished a year before in his first trip to Chicagoland Speedway.

        With Animal on his #41 Target Dodge, Jimmy Spencer looked to capture a good finish for his race team. Unfortunately, track position and a late-race incident prevented him from earning a good finish. Spencer rolled off in 39th spot and made some moves early in the first half of the race to gain spots. He rode around inside the Top 25 until an incident ended his shot at finishing there. As Kevin Harvick spun in turn 1 on lap 197, Spencer crashed with several other drivers like Hut Stricklin, Kurt Busch, and Jerry Nadeau. When the smoke settled, the #41 had a huge hole in the nose and smoked heavily while driving away. Despite the damage, Spencer continued off the pace after some repairs. He ended up in 32nd spot when the checkered flag waved, 28 laps down. A clean day for Spencer and his team turned into a damaged racecar with a less than stellar finish.

        Unlike his Evernham Motorsports teammate, Bill Elliott, Jeremy Mayfield’s #19 Dodge featuring Dr. Honeydew and Beaker didn’t end the 400-mile race with an excellent finish. Mayfield started the 400-mile event in 20th and held station in the Top 20 for the first half of the event before mechanical troubles faced the team. A rear gear burnt up in his racecar and it forced him behind the wall as his fellow competitors continued to race. The #19 team did an admirable job repairing the car and returned their driver to the race, about 30 laps down to the leaders. For the remainder of the event, Mayfield rode around gaining points as drivers fell out of the event. When the checkered flag waved, he finished 34th, 33 laps down. A mechanical problem created an issue for the three-time NWCS race winner, but he showed speed in the early portion of the event.

        When Action Racing Collectibles originally announced the line-up of drivers with Muppets racecars, Johnny Benson Jr. was scheduled to drive the #10 Pontiac with Fozzie Bear for Nelson Bowers. Of course, things change often in NASCAR and Mike Wallace actually drove the racecar in the Tropicana 400. Benson had been involved in a vicious crash at Daytona the week before, which left him with bruises and injured ribs that kept him out of the racecar. Wallace, who had made sporadic appearances in NASCAR’s Top 3 series throughout the 2002 season, hopped into the car for the Chicagoland event. The Missouri driver gave the car a good run from his 36th place starting spot before engine woes started around lap 170. He reported to his team that his car was running on seven cylinders. His teammate, Ken Schrader, had dropped out of the race earlier with the same issue. Wallace only ran a few laps after reporting the issue before he pulled into the garage. He finished in 38th spot, 95 laps down to the leader. For the entire team and driver, it was a disappointing day as Wallace tried to highlight his skills and the #10 team tried to run without their usual driver.


  The 2002 Tropicana 400 provided everything a NASCAR fan could want in a race. Consistent battles for position at the front of the field, green flag pit stops, drivers moving from the back to the front, spins and crashes, interesting strategy calls, and a late-race battle between two of the most talented competitors in the sport. All 75,000 fans got exactly what they paid for thanks to Kevin Harvick’s late duel with Jeff Gordon and Harvick’s late race strategy gamble. Plus, some very interesting stories and statistics emerged from the race thanks to many of the drivers in the field. Finally, fans young and old were able to see the Muppets sail around Chicagoland Speedway at over 180 miles per hour.

  On Sunday, 16 years after the second Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Illinois for the 18th race at the 1.5-mile track. Just like 2002, the series heads to the speedway with a lot of potential storylines brewing. In the last two races at Chicagoland, only one driver has visited victory lane: Martin Truex Jr. He captured the victory in 2016 and won last season en route to his first Cup championship. Truex will be a legitimate threat for the win again. Chase Elliott hasn’t won a Cup race in 93 career starts, but he has an average finish of 2.5 at Chicagoland and a goal of winning this weekend. Kevin Harvick won the first two Cup races at the Illinois track, but he hasn’t been to victory lane there since. With five wins on the 2018 season thus far, he will be another contender for the win. The stars of the MENCS hope to thrill the fans on Sunday just like the NWCS drivers did in 2002. 
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 4- Ward Burton went for a spin exiting turn 4 as he raced in a pack of traffic. He spun to a stop on the frontstretch apron without damage and continued in the race.

2nd Caution: Lap 17- Debris from Ward Burton’s exploded driveshaft littered turns 3 and 4.

3rd Caution: Lap 138- Michael Waltrip blew an engine entering turn 1, which littered debris and oil on the track. Waltrip came to a stop alongside the wall with his day finished.

4th Caution: Lap 182- Debris was spotted on the 1.5-mile track in turn 4.

5th Caution: Lap 192- Elliott Sadler broke loose exiting turn 4 and spun down the frontstretch. He ended up stopped on the apron without damage before he continued on.

6th Caution: Lap 197- Kevin Harvick shot to the apron past the start/finish line to pass Kurt Busch and Dave Blaney. The apron made Harvick’s #29 loose and he ended up spinning in turn 1 after riding the apron to save his car. He spun harmlessly into the grass and continued after he refired his racecar. Hut Stricklin, Jerry Nadeau, Jimmy Spencer, and Elliott Sadler also spun during the incident.

7th Caution: Lap 240- As Ryan Newman coasted on the backstretch with a flat right front tire, Joe Nemechek had a left front go flat, which sent his #25 Chevrolet up the track and into the outside wall. Nemechek only made slight contact with the wall and he continued after repairs from his Hendrick Motorsports team.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kevin Harvick
2nd: Jeff Gordon
3rd: Tony Stewart
4th: Jimmie Johnson
5th: Ryan Newman

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Kurt Busch
7th: Bill Elliott
9th: Mark Martin
10th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11th: Dale Jarrett
13th: Terry Labonte
14th: Matt Kenseth
18th: Bobby Labonte
21st: Elliott Sadler
25th: Rusty Wallace
33rd: Joe Nemechek
39th: Jeff Burton
42nd: Michael Waltrip




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
~~racing-reference.info/race/2002_Tropicana_400/W
-Full Race:
~~www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp68t_QrbO4&t=1398s
-Images:
~~www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/jimmy-spencer-dirves-his-ganassi-racing-dodge-intrepid-on-news-photo/1157200#/jimmy-spencer-dirves-his-ganassi-racing-dodge-intrepid-on-july-13-picture-id1157200
~~www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ricky-rudd-drives-his-havoline-racing-ford-on-july-14-2002-news-photo/1157369#ricky-rudd-drives-his-havoline-racing-ford-on-july-14-2002-during-the-picture-id1157369
~~www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/casey-atwood-drives-his-ultra-motorsports-dodge-intrepid-on-news-photo/1157197
~~www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/jeremy-mayfield-drives-his-evernham-motorsports-dodge-news-photo/1157167#/jeremy-mayfield-drives-his-evernham-motorsports-dodge-intrepid-on-13-picture-id1157167
~~www.sorte.org/tropicana400-2002/index2.html
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photos/?race_type_id=117&year=2002&driver_id%5B0%5D=590
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photos/?race_type_id=117&year=2002&driver_id=30&location_id=69
~~www.qvc.com/Bill-Elliott-Swedish-Chef-1%3A24-Scale-Die-Cast-Car.product.C19823.html
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012764072-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012764072/?p=2&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002-1012764124/1012764124/?p=3&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763808-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763808/?p=5&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763729-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763729/?p=4&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763748-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763748/?p=4&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763709-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763709/?p=3&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763707-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763707/?p=7&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1

Interesting Stats from Kevin Harvick’s Memorable Second Victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the 2018 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

On Sunday, Kevin Harvick achieved a feat he had been trying to accomplish for nearly 17 years. For the second time in his career, the California driver captured the checkered flag and won at the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway. Harvick had dominated the 500-mile race, much like he had in the previous four events at the speedway. However, Trevor Bayne’s blown engine on lap 297 in turn 1 brought out the final caution and changed the course of the event in the final stage.

Teams used the yellow flag period to make their final pit stops of the race. The #4 of Harvick led the field down pit road and quick work from his five person crew returned him to the lead for the restart with Brad Keselowski in second. On the final restart, Harvick powered away from the field and built up a substantial lead. He completed the last 21 laps under green and grabbed the win by a margin of 2.690 seconds.

The win featured some interesting statistical achievements for Harvick and his Ford teammates. His win in the second race of the season marks only the second time in his career that he has won the race following the Daytona 500. In 2014, the California driver started 14th in The Profit on CNBC 500k at Phoenix International Raceway. He grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 74 and ended up leading 224 laps in a dominating victory at his best track of the time. Later that year, he captured his first career Cup championship, which could be a good sign for 2018 since Atlanta was the second race of the campaign this year.

Finally, Ford as a manufacturer captured the Top 3 positions in Atlanta. Harvick led the Ford trio followed by Keselowski and Clint Bowyer. Joey Logano and Kurt Busch finished sixth and eighth, respectively, giving Ford five of the Top 10 finishers. Interestingly, Ford has the oldest body style of the three manufacturers in the series. Toyota introduced a new Camry last season and Chevrolet is now competing with the brand-new Camaro body. Despite the age on the Fusion, Ford drivers excelled in Georgia on Sunday.

Those two statistics are fascinating, but two others haven’t been given as much attention since Harvick’s victory. Let’s take a look at those stats now, starting with the unbelievable changes in NASCAR that have occurred since the California driver earned his first victory at AMS in 2001, nearly 17 years ago.

On March 11, 2001, Kevin Harvick’s life changed forever thanks to the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 at AMS in only his third start behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s #29 Chevrolet. His rise to the Cup Series was not a normal path, though. Just a month prior to the AMS race, Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time champion and legendary figure in the sport, was killed in a last lap crash during the Daytona 500.

In the wake of an unimaginable tragedy, Richard Childress decided against completely shutting down the #3 team. He changed the team’s number to 29 and put Harvick, a full-time driver for his organization in the NASCAR Busch Series, in the newly numbered racecar. In his first two career races, Harvick managed an average finish of eleventh and came to Atlanta with some confidence. After 500 miles of hard-fought racing, he proved his abilities to the entire world.

With six laps to go, Harvick took the lead from Dale Jarrett and set his sights on an emotional victory. Behind him, though, a three-time champion mounted a charge for the lead: Jeff Gordon. Over the final few laps, the #29 held off the #24 of Gordon until turn 3 of the last lap. The Cup champion powered underneath Harvick exiting turn 4 using a shot of momentum from the corner. The two raced through the quadoval side by side and came across the finish line in a thrilling photo finish. The California kid beat the Cup champion by 0.006 seconds to capture his first career win.

Tears were shed on pit road as Harvick captured an unprecedented win. The same team who had lost a driver less than a month earlier was now heading to victory lane with their new driver in a bittersweet moment. And on the frontstretch, the California kid celebrated his victory while remembering the driver he tragically had to replace. As he rode around backwards in front of the fans, he held three fingers out the window as a tribute to the late Earnhardt. Truly, it was one of NASCAR’s greatest finishes and one of the most emotional ones as well.

Flashforward to February 25, 2018, just 14 days shy of the 17th anniversary of Harvick’s first victory. Harvick returned to AMS and captured only his second win at the track in 17 years of competition, despite his recent dominance. He celebrated with another emotional tribute to Dale Earnhardt on the frontstretch. Between those two wins, though, there are only a few similarities. Harvick himself, the track, and his victory celebration holding three fingers out the window are the only shared things from his first win at AMS in 2001 and his second win in 2018. Just listen to the differences for Harvick.

He drove a Chevrolet in 2001, but he piloted a Ford on Sunday. He won in the #29 in 2001 while he took the #4 to victory lane just a few days ago. He drove for Richard Childress Racing 17 years ago and now competes for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick had no career victories until he won in 2001 and Sunday’s victory was the 38th of his Cup career.

In 2001, he was a rookie and an unknown driver. Now, he is a Cup champion and one of the most recognized faces in NASCAR. 17 years ago, he led 18 laps on the way to victory and began his career as “The Closer,” a nickname he has earned through many late race wins. On Sunday, he led 181 laps in another dominating performance he has become known for delivering.

The differences for Harvick from 2001 to 2018 are more numerous than those I just listed, including in his personal life. But the amount of changes for him made me think about something else. How much has changed about NASCAR between the 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 and the 2018 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500? I knew there was a lot, but I was amazed during my research about how much the sport has evolved from the drivers to the title sponsor to the racecars. Let’s analyze some of those incredible differences.

In 2001, Jimmie Johnson was a regular driver in the NBS who was winless in 43 career starts. The day before Harvick’s victory, he had finished ninth driving the #92 Chevrolet for Stanley Herzog. Now, the California driver is a NASCAR Hall of Fame lock with his 83 Cup wins and his record tying seven Cup championships, as of this writing. In the next couple of years, Johnson could be the record holder for championships with eight and be regarded as the greatest of all time in stock car racing.

In 2001, Jeff Gordon was the most recent winner at Las Vegas before heading to Atlanta where he lost in a photo finish to Harvick. The Vegas victory was the 53rd of his career and his first of the season as he chased his fourth championship. Now, Gordon is retired from racing and is a broadcaster for FOX Sports. He finished his career with 93 wins and four championships, which currently puts him at third all-time on the Cup Series win list and makes him a lock for the Hall of Fame as well.

Bobby Labonte was the reigning Cup Series champion after delivering Joe Gibbs Racing the title in 2000. The Texas driver entered Atlanta in 2001 with 16 career wins and a desire to win after narrowly losing the previous race at the Georgia track in a photo finish with Dale Earnhardt. Labonte struggled throughout the 2001 race and finished 33rd after engine woes ended his day . Now, he is a retired driver who works with FOX Sports as an analyst for their prerace coverage. He ended his career with 21 wins and the 2000 championship.

17 years ago, Tony Stewart was a nine-time race winner in NASCAR’s highest division and a championship favorite in just his third season. However, he didn’t have a championship on his record. He ended up finishing 27th in the Cracker Barrel 500 on that Sunday afternoon in 2001. Now, he is a retired team owner who, ironically, entered Harvick’s car in the race on Sunday. The Indiana driver also has three Cup championships and 49 wins on his Hall of Fame résumé. Pretty soon, the polarizing figure will find his name called in Charlotte.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was only in his second season behind the wheel of a Cup car. Rookie of the Year honors had eluded him in 2000 and he had no Most Popular Driver awards. Still, the North Carolina driver had two wins to his credit entering Atlanta in 2001 with a heavy heart in the wake of his father’s death. He ended up finishing 15th at the 1.5-mile Georgia speedway. Now, Junior is a recently retired NASCAR superstar who ran his last race in Cup in the 2017 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He ended his career with 26 victories and 15 Most Popular Driver awards as he transitions into the role of broadcaster for NBC Sports.

Six Hall of Fame drivers competed in the 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 at AMS where Harvick captured the win. Rusty Wallace (Class of 2013), Dale Jarrett (Class of 2014), Bill Elliott (Class of 2015), Terry Labonte (Class of 2016), Mark Martin (Class of 2017), and Ron Hornaday Jr. (Class of 2018) all competed for the victory 17 years ago. Jarrett finished the highest of the group with a fourth-place effort followed by Labonte in fifth, Wallace in 12th, Elliott in 15th, Hornaday Jr. in 39th, and Martin in 41st. All six drivers are now retired with a few working in radio and TV while the others spend their time in other aspects of the sport.

Dave Blaney and Bill Elliott competed against Harvick at Atlanta back in 2001. Blaney, a notable figure in the sprint car racing world, finished 34th in his Bill Davis Racing Dodge at Atlanta. Elliott, the 1988 Cup champion, finished 15th in his quest for a victory at his home track. On Sunday, a Blaney and an Elliott competed against Harvick as well. But it was not Dave and Bill. It was Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. The two sons of former racers battled for the victory at AMS. Ryan came home in 12th in his second race driving for Roger Penske and Chase grabbed his first Top 10 driving the famous #9 his father piloted for most of his career, including 2001.

Tragically, two drivers in the 2001 Atlanta race have passed away in the 17 years since the event. Jason Leffler, who was battling for Rookie of the Year honors in the series driving for Chip Ganassi, finished 32nd in his first Atlanta visit. On June 12, 2013, Leffler died in a sprint car crash at the Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey. It was a tragic loss for the sport because of the impact “Lefturn” had made on his fellow competitors and the success he had achieved behind the wheel. Also, Bobby Hamilton captured a 22nd place finish in 2001 for his #55 owned by Andy Petree. On January 7, 2007, the truck champion lost his battle with head and neck cancer. Both drivers have been missed since their deaths because of the on and off-track impact they made.

Finally, Harvick’s 2001 win came in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series while driving a fourth generation Chevrolet Monte Carlo. His victory on Sunday came in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series while piloting a sixth generation Ford Fusion. The primary sponsor name has changed from Winston to Nextel to Sprint to Monster Energy in those 17 years. The sport has also moved through different body styles, including the fifth generation Car of Tomorrow and the current sixth generation race vehicle.

It’s amazing how much can change in 17 years. Drivers, teams, racecars, and sponsors have all changed in the time between Harvick’s first and second victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Despite all the shifts, the California newcomer back in 2001 has remained a figure in the sport and climbed to the top of NASCAR as a champion now. 17 years from now, I can only imagine how much will have shifted between Harvick’s second win at Atlanta and another driver’s victory at the historic speedway. Heck, it could be another Harvick in victory lane as his son, Keelan, could be behind the wheel of a Cup car.

The final interesting stat from Harvick’s victory Sunday deals with laps led and domination at the 1.5-mile track in recent years. Over the last five races at Atlanta, the 2014 Cup champion has led 915 laps. All those races have been with him behind the wheel of a Stewart-Haas Racing car. Plus, he has led at least 115 laps in all five events. Harvick led 195 in 2014, 116 in 2015, 131 in 2016, 292 in 2017, and 181 in 2018.

His success in every race intrigued me and made me think of a question. How does the rest of the field stack up when it comes to laps led in the last five Atlanta events? Below this paragraph, I recorded the total amount of laps each driver led in all five of those races. I was shocked to find some very interesting statistics from the data. Check out the data below and follow it to my analysis:

Total Laps Led in Last Five Atlanta Races

Kevin Harvick: 915

Jimmie Johnson: 146

Kurt Busch: 136

Matt Kenseth: 110

Joey Logano: 85

Denny Hamlin: 77

Martin Truex Jr.: 35

Kasey Kahne: 25

Ryan Newman: 20

Kyle Busch: 11

Kyle Larson: 7

Mike Bliss: 2

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 1

Brett Moffitt: 1

David Gilliland: 1

Clint Bowyer: 1

Joe Nemechek: 1

Carl Edwards: 1

Cole Whitt: 1

Only two drivers other than Harvick have led over 115 laps total in the last five AMS races: Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch. Johnson led 146 total in the last five trips to Georgia and Busch led 136 in those same races. Their laps led, however, can’t compare to Harvick’s. He has led 527% more laps than Johnson and 573% more than Busch, his current SHR teammate. Plus, in three of the five races on their own, Harvick led more laps than Johnson and Busch did combined in all five. For years, Phoenix was considered the California driver’s track. Now, Hampton, Georgia, and AMS has turned into Harvickton due to his incredible success at the speedway in recent years.

Despite leading all those laps and being “The Dominator” in those five races at Atlanta, Kevin Harvick struggled to be “The Closer” he had been labeled in the past few years. In the four races prior to Sunday’s event, he dominated and led many laps, but he couldn’t capture the victory due to a multitude of issues. On Sunday, though, he dominated and closed out the race in the lead after 500 miles. 

It was truly a victory 17 years in the making. Through all the changes in our sport between 2001 and 2018, Sunday was an opportunity to remember those differences as Harvick celebrated his victory. A chance to reminisce about NASCAR 17 years ago and a moment to remember where we’ve been. But also a chance to remember what’s still the same. The impact of the legendary Dale Earnhardt, who was honored in both races, and a California driver chasing the dream of being a winner in the Cup Series played a key role at AMS in 2001 and 2018.





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
racing-reference.info/race/2001_Cracker_Barrel_Old_Country_Store_500/W
racing-reference.info/race/2018_Folds_of_Honor_QuikTrip_500/W
racing-reference.info
-Images:
2001: happy4harvick.com/2013/11/29/kevin-harvick-wins-atlanta-2001/
2018: www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/harvick-reflects-after-atlanta-win-honors-dale-earnhardt-1009312/
-Full Races:
2001: www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Sd5vFo6iU&t=4s
2018: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZWS8P3oyOM

My Thoughts: Why I Love NASCAR’s New Stage Points System

        The 2017 NASCAR season is already two races in for all three of the sport’s highest series. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series saw eighteen-year-old Kaz Grala take the win at Daytona after a crazy last lap flip and Christopher Bell sweep all three stages for the victory at Atlanta. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Ryan Reed grabbed his second career victory at Daytona in a crash filled race and Kyle Busch continued his dominance of the series with a win at Atlanta. In the newly minted NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, Kurt Busch took an emotional win in the Daytona 500 for his first Cup restrictor plate win while Brad Keselowski stole the victory at Atlanta after the dominating driver of the race, Kevin Harvick, sped on pit road during his final stop. So far, I have enjoyed every moment of the season and I believe 2017 is going to be one of the best years for NASCAR in recent memory. However, there has been a lot of criticism of the new rules NASCAR has installed for the near future. Those rule changes include a five-minute clock for damaged vehicles to be repaired, an even lower downforce package for the top two series, and tighter penalty procedures across all three series. Of course, I left out the most prominent change for the year because that is the subject of my analysis today: NASCAR’s new stage points system.

  

        For those who don’t know the procedures of the stage system, let’s look at those first. During the offseason, NASCAR announced that races in all three series would be split into three stages. At the end of the first two stages, the top 10 would be awarded points from 10-1, respectively. In addition to that, the winner of a stage would earn a playoff point. Playoff points are the new version of bonus points in previous Chase years where each win in the regular season would guarantee three extra points to start the Chase. Now, the playoff points accumulate throughout the regular season and carry all the way through the playoffs except for Homestead where the highest finishing driver of the four championship contenders wins the title.  Finally, at the end of the race, regular race points would be awarded with the winner also receiving five playoff points. Ultimately, NASCAR’s reasoning for the new race and points format was to increase the importance level of the entire race. Rather than just being there at the end, NASCAR wants drivers to run near the front for the whole event. However, fans have had complaints about the new system. Of course, I agree that the points system isn’t exactly perfect. I have two fixes I would love to see for the system, but I truly believe it is a step in the right direction for NASCAR and I love the new stage points system.

Let me explain why I love NASCAR’s new stage format. The main reason is because every lap of the race now has increased meaning. In previous years, lap 85 at Atlanta was just lap 85. Maybe there would be a caution or a pass for thirteenth, but it was just lap 85. No one really cared and no one can tell you that Matt Kenseth led that same lap in 2016 at Atlanta before his race went downhill due a pit road penalty involving an engaged fuel can. However, in 2017, lap 85 ended with a green checkered flag after intense racing, a bevy of pit strategy calls, and drivers chasing the track to save their tires. All those things combined to make every lap important for determining how the stage would finish and how the race would ultimately finish. Lap 85 even gave Kevin Harvick ten championship points and a playoff point, which could be crucial later in the year. In addition to that, the racing is just truly better when the drivers are racing for those stage points. In the Daytona 500 two weeks ago, the end of stage 2, which is pictured before the introduction, was chaotic as drivers fought hard for those points. It was only lap 120 and I was on the edge of my seat watching that stage end to see if drivers would risk their cars for a few critical points in the first race of the season. I truly love that adrenaline rush throughout the race and it makes the overall racing product much better for casual and dedicated fans. Racing is what NASCAR should always strive to improve and the new stage system increases the intensity of competition. Finally, the new system adds additional points for drivers to obtain as the season progresses and those points will be critical for the playoff hopes of certain drivers. Just look at Ryan Newman. He always clinches his playoff spot thanks to points and by finishing sixth at the end of stage 1 in Atlanta, he now has five extra points at this time of the year that he wouldn’t have had in 2016. And that is thanks to NASCAR’s brand new stage format. When it gets later in the year, as well, those points will be harder fought for and fans will loving the racing. In terms of Ryan Newman, his need for points isn’t unique. To help supplement my argument about the increased amount of points for all three series and their importance, let’s look at the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

Most of us remember the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Kyle Busch and other Cup Series regulars dominated throughout the year, but the story at the end of season was the close points finish between Austin Dillon, Richard Childress’s grandson, and Sam Hornish Jr., the 2006 Indianapolis 500 champion. Dillon ended up taking the championship by a slim margin of three points, or three positions on track, over Hornish Jr. In addition to that, he made history by becoming the first driver in one of NASCAR’s top three series to win a title without winning a race. Because of that historic achievement, Dillon’s championship run has been heralded as the ultimate example of consistency. However, his finishes might have been consistent, but his races didn’t have to be consistent to win the championship. With NASCAR’s new stage system, the champion must have consistent finishes and consistent race runs throughout the year. To analyze the impact of stage points on the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship battle, take a look at this table with all thirty-three races recorded with stage finishes, points from each stage, and the total stage points for each race that both drivers earned. To determine where Dillon and Hornish Jr. finished at the end of each stage, I used the Lap-by-Lap Driver Chart available on Racing-reference.info. I also used the laps that have been released by NASCAR as the designated laps to end the stages in 2017 to award stages finishes and points. The stage ending laps for each race are recorded below the table. Before looking at it, though, I have two points to make about possible biases with these statistics.

Firstly, a couple of races from 2013 that I analyzed didn’t have the positions of each driver on the exact lap NASCAR has designated as the stage ending laps. In those cases, I used the lap that was recorded directly before the actual stage ending lap. For example, races at mile and a half tracks end stage 1 on lap 45, but only lap 40 was available to use so I used that lap as the stage finish to award points. For the most part, Dillon and Hornish Jr.’s position didn’t change by using a different lap, but I wanted that to be known before anyone does a fact check on my table. Finally, it is important to understand that I didn’t see if the race was under caution or see the circumstances surrounding the stage ending lap. I recorded their position on the specific lap to award points. Plus, neither driver had any knowledge of the system in 2013 so their position could be reflective of a green flag pit stop, hanging back in the field at restrictor plate tracks, an issue with their cars, or anything that can happen in an unpredictable NASCAR race. Because of that, each driver might have earned more points throughout the year if they knew the system was in place. However, these statistics are conclusive about who would have been the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion. Let’s take a look:

Austin Dillon and Sam Hornish Jr. 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Stage Points

Race	Track	Stage 1 Finish/Points    Dillon        Hornish Jr.		Stage 2 Finish/Points Dillon            Hornish Jr.		Total Points Dillon    Hornish Jr.
1	Daytona	18th/0	9th/2	27th/0	32nd/0	0	2
2	Phoenix	13th/0	16th/0	12th/0	15th/0	0	0
3	Las Vegas	5th/6	6th/5	2nd/9	4th/7	15	12
4	Bristol	11th/0	12th/0	13th/0	6th/5	0	5
5	Auto Club	6th/5	3rd/8	4th/7	2nd/9	12	17
6	Texas	8th/3	2nd/9	5th/6	9th/2	9	11
7	Richmond	15th/0	1st/10	12th/0	9th/2	0	12
8	Talladega	37th/0	2nd/9	35th/0	10th/1	0	10
9	Darlington	8th/3	4th/7	8th/3	7th/4	6	11
10	Charlotte	5th/6	3rd/8	3rd/8	5th/6	14	14
11	Dover	2nd/9	6th/5	6th/5	11th/0	14	5
12	Iowa	1st/10	2nd/9	1st/10	8th/3	20	12
13	Michigan	1st/10	4th/7	1st/10	4th/7	20	14
14	Road America	11th/0	4th/7	22nd/0	3rd/8	0	15
15	Kentucky	4th/7	2nd/9	7th/4	4th/7	11	16
16	Daytona	9th/2	1st/10	14th/0	1st/10	2	20
17	New Hampshire	10th/1	7th/4	8th/3	5th/6	4	10
18	Chicagoland	4th/7	1st/10	2nd/9	6th/5	16	15
19	Indianapolis	13th/0	3rd/8	13th/0	4th/7	0	15
20	Iowa	4th/7	5th/6	1st/10	3rd/8	17	14
21	Watkins Glen	17th/0	3rd/8	15th/0	2nd/9	0	17
22	Mid-Ohio	21st/0	3rd/8	14th/0	3rd/8	0	16
23	Bristol	5th/6	11th/0	5th/6	12th/0	12	0
24	Atlanta	2nd/9	8th/3	3rd/8	7th/4	17	7
25	Richmond	11th/0	6th/5	13th/0	9th/1	0	6
26	Chicagoland	5th/6	3rd/8	5th/6	3rd/8	12	16
27	Kentucky	10th/1	1st/10	1st/10	4th/7	11	17
28	Dover	8th/3	12th/0	17th/0	22nd/0	3	0
29	Kansas	25th/0	9th/1	2nd/9	21st/0	9	1
30	Charlotte	4th/7	1st/10	4th/7	1st/10	14	20
31	Texas	4th/7	2nd/9	12th/0	10th/1	7	10
32	Phoenix	5th/6	10th/1	5th/6	13th/0	12	1
33	Homestead	13th/0	2nd/9	16th/0	5th/6	0	15

Dillon's Total Stage Points: 257

Hornish Jr.'s Total Stage Points: 364

Stage Ending Laps:

Daytona: 30, 60

Phoenix: 60, 120

Las Vegas: 45, 90

Bristol: 85, 170

Auto Club: 35, 70

Texas: 45, 90

Richmond: 75, 150

Talladega: 25, 50

Darlington: 45, 90

Charlotte: 45, 90

Dover: 60, 120

Iowa: 60, 120

Michigan: 30, 60

Road America: 10, 20

Kentucky: 45, 90

Daytona: 30, 60

New Hampshire: 45, 90

Chicagoland: 45, 90

Indianapolis: 25, 50

Iowa: 60, 120

Watkins Glen: 20, 40

Mid-Ohio: 20, 40

Bristol: 85, 170

Atlanta: 40, 80

Richmond: 75, 150

Chicagoland: 45, 90

Kentucky: 45, 90

Dover: 90, 120

Kansas: 45, 90

Charlotte: 45, 90

Texas: 45, 90

Phoenix: 60, 120

Homestead: 45, 90

        Austin Dillon won the 2013 NNS championship by only three points, but with NASCAR’s newly mandated stage points system, Sam Hornish Jr. would have won the championship in 2013 by at least 104 points thanks to his large amount of stage points. Quite a difference, huh? With his very limited stage points throughout the season, Austin Dillon might not have even finished second in the championship battle and no one would have claimed he had a successful winless season. These results go to prove a huge point about why I love this system. It is one thing to be consistent in finishes throughout the year, but a real championship caliber driver must be consistent during the race as well. And even looking back on the 2013 NNS season, Sam Hornish Jr. was the better driver in my mind. I thought he earned the championship with his win at Las Vegas and, as NASCAR’s new system shows, his constant great runs throughout all of the races. Ultimately, his finishes didn’t reflect some of his great runs, which cost him the title. And the brand-new system fixes that problem. Just look at the Daytona 500. Kevin Harvick finished twenty second at the end of the race, but his stage 2 win gave him ten points and NASCAR rewarded him for running well. I love that. I mean, most NASCAR races are over 400 miles. It is a testament to the teams that drivers can dominate the race, even if they don’t win in the end. Of course, we want to give all the credit in the world to the driver that wins after 500 miles, but what about the guy who led 450 miles and finished thirty-fifth after he slammed the wall? Before 2017, he would have received practically nothing from the race. The team would have been disappointed that they couldn’t bring home the win after having the best car at the track. But, this year, the driver will be twenty points higher in the standings and the team will be compensated for running good in the first half of the race. A driver who dominates a race and doesn’t win shouldn’t go home empty handed in the championship fight. And I get the argument about participation trophies and other things like that. NASCAR, however, is a lot different. There are so many variables involved in our sport from mechanical failures to driver error. It can seem unbelievable that a driver can be given virtually no points for leading all day. The new stage system awards drivers for race consistency and consistency throughout the season, which is why I love the brand-new system.

        There are flaws with the new stage system. I don’t particularly like throwing the caution at the end of the stage or having two stages before the end of the race, but the positives outweigh the negatives for the new format. NASCAR has done a fantastic job making sure that every race matters more than it ever has before, in my opinion. Since all those points are available to help make the playoffs, drivers now race harder and crew chiefs make much bolder strategy calls than previous years. In addition to that, we are only two races into the new season. When the regular season begins to wind down, drivers on the verge of clinching a playoff spot on points will work even harder to gain those stage points before the craziness that always happens at Richmond, the regular season finale. Plus, drivers with wins in the bank will look to gain even more of those playoff points, which makes moving onto Homestead for the championship even easier. In my mind, NASCAR has discovered gold. This stage format will continue to make wins important while also making consistency just as important for the entire field. I’m excited for the rest of the 2017 NASCAR season and all the incredible moments the stage system creates not only this year, but in the future.

Works Cited

“2017 XFINITY Series Schedule.” Jayski's Silly Season Site, www.jayski.com/news/nxs/2017/story/_/page/2017-xfinity-schedule. 

“Comprehensive Racing Statistics.” Racing-Reference.info - Race Results and Driver Statistics for NASCAR and More!, racing-reference.info/.