Kevin Harvick stellar, but falters late in Atlanta race

Kevin Harvick must wonder what it's going to take to win again at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Harvick entered Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 with an impressive history at the track — and found himself repeating it.

MORE: Check out photos from Atlanta | Jimmie Johnson ties Dale Earnhardt with win

For the fourth time in five races at the track, Harvick led more than 100 laps.

But once again, he failed to win at the track where he had his first and emotional Sprint Cup victory in 2001. His best finish in a five-race recent stretch is second last year.

On Sunday, though, it appeared things would be different. Harvick ran at the front and looked unstoppable — until Jimmie Johnson pitted nine laps early late in the race and then took the lead when Harvick pitted on Lap 285.

A late caution offered Harvick a final chance. As the race went into overtime, Harvick faltered on the restart as he tried to retake the lead he'd held for 131 laps in the race.

Harvick restarted leading the outside line, but fell back immediately as he tried to battle Johnson and never challenged on the final lap. He finished sixth.

After the race, he discussed late issues with his brakes, pit stop and handling the setbacks of the day.

"We were having issues about the last three runs, had to start driving the car different and just required a little bit different handling," he said when asked about his brakes on Fox. "Then we had a slow pit stop there and got way behind and [Johnson] was way out front and I had to drive the car really hard and got the right rear burnt up. We just didn't execute today.

"Everybody on the [team] hung in there all day and we'll keep at it."

Harvick won at Atlanta in 2001, his third race in the Richard Childress Racing car of the late Dale Earnhardt; on Sunday, he watched as Johnson tied Earnhardt's career mark of 76 Cup points wins.

Johnson, for his part, said the gamble to pit early was one he simply had to take if he planned to hunt down Harvick.

"[Harvick's] car was awfully tough and it was going to take some strategy to get by him," he said.