Thanks to some aggressive driving down the stretch, Kevin Harvick took home the checkered flag for the sixth time this season at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 in New Hampshire.
With eight laps to go, Harvick began to hit leader Kyle Busch with some bump-and-runs to knock him off the course. One lap later, Harvick did just that to give himself a sizable lead for the remainder of the race.
"I didn't want to waste a bunch of time behind him." @KevinHarvick explains his move on @KyleBusch . pic.twitter.com/64IMrZrus7
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
NASCAR SCHEDULE: Dates, times, TV info
Luckily the post-race comments were relatively civil between the two. Busch understood that that was how racing shakes out sometimes, but added that how one races eventually gets back to them.
“How you race is how you get raced." @KyleBusch responds after @KevinHarvick 's late-race move. pic.twitter.com/X8Baeh3Sse
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
As for other racers, even though Aric Almirola finished in third, he likely feels pretty disappointed in his performance. After leading for much of Stage 3, he was unable to get the restarts he needed to keep his lead, which was eventually given up to the eventual top two racers.
Sporting News followed along the race for live highlights, updates and standings below. Here's what you might have missed
NASCAR at New Hampshire: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 highlights
All times are in Eastern Daylight.
7:18 p.m. — Harvick takes home the checkered flag after his aggressive driving puts him over Busch!
Winner for the SIXTH time this season! Congrats, @KevinHarvick !
— Talladega Superspeedway (@TalladegaSuperS) July 22, 2018
He takes the 🏁 at @NHMS ! #Foxwoods301 pic.twitter.com/PYjgkG1Xlv
7:16 p.m. — Harvick shoves Busch out of the way for the lead with seven laps to go!
. @KevinHarvick TO THE LEAD!
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
Less than 5 to go at @NHMS ! pic.twitter.com/0eJ689yA1t
7:15 p.m. — Harvick is hitting Busch with some bump-and-runs. Eight laps to go.
7:14 p.m. — Ohhhhh buddy! Eleven laps to go.
This one isn't over folks!
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
13 to go and @KevinHarvick is right there in his pursuit of @KyleBusch . Get to @NBCSN ! pic.twitter.com/KPvPMz3JsP
7:10 p.m. — Meanwhile, outside of the top five. Sixteen laps to go.
This day could be huge for @RyanJNewman !
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
He entered @NHMS 79 points behind 16th in the standings, but currently runs 6th! pic.twitter.com/kYBcfh1itZ
7:08 p.m. — Twenty to go!
Only 20 to go at @NHMS :
— Talladega Superspeedway (@TalladegaSuperS) July 22, 2018
P1 @KyleBusch
↕️ .57 sec
P2 @KevinHarvick
P3 @MartinTruex_Jr
P4 @Aric_Almirola
P5 @chaseelliott
📺 @NBCSN | #Foxwoods301
7:07 p.m. — Aric Almirola has moved up to fourth. Top three remain the same. 25 laps to go.
7:04 p.m. — Big three are in the top three: Busch, Harvick and Truex. Thirty laps to go.
7:01 p.m. — Almirola drops from third to sixth on the restart. Only 37 laps to go.
7:00 p.m. — Going green with 40 to go!
Going green with 40 laps to go with Busch, Harvick, Almirola, Truex, Kurt Busch, Elliott #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) July 22, 2018
6:55 p.m. — The 18 beats the 10 off of pit road! Kyle Busch takes the lead followed by Harvick and then Almirola.
6:54 p.m. — Caution with 45 laps to go in the race.
Lap 246 - ⚠️ for @ClintBowyer @dennyhamlin was the lucky dog
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) July 22, 2018
6:50 p.m. — Keselowski finally gets his brakes checked out after coasting for the past couple laps. Fifty laps to go.
6:48 p.m. — Safe to say that this would be a huge win for Almirola. Lap 244.
Not so fast! @Aric_Almirola tracks down @KevinHarvick and re-takes the lead with 60 to go! pic.twitter.com/4UNyZiLPTr
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
6:44 p.m. — We've got a tight one here, folks! Lap 238.
So here’s the situation: Aric Almirola leading at New Hampshire with 65 laps to go, ahead of teammate Kevin Harvick. Next-closest driver (Kyle Busch) is four seconds behind them. So it’s 10 vs. 4 right now.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
6:39 p.m. — Oh my this could have been bad.
Kurt Busch pits with 74 laps to go as does Ryan Blaney. And the two nearly hit each other on pit road! Blaney went to leave, Busch stopped and they both sat there for a bit. That’ll be costly for both #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) July 22, 2018
6:38 p.m. — Accident with no caution.
Pitting Lap 226: @Blaney @chaseelliott @KurtBusch #NASCAR
— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) July 22, 2018
6:36 p.m. — Pitting throught the last few laps.
222: Daniel Suarez
223: Matt Kenseth
224: Logano, Bowyer, Jones, Truex Jr.
225: 3, 24, 88, Harvick
226:
Pitting Lap 226: @Blaney @chaseelliott @KurtBusch #NASCAR
— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) July 22, 2018
6:34 p.m. — Keselowski has lost his breaks and he's been sliding down the leaderboard ever since. Lap 220, Almirola still leads.
6:33 p.m. — We've got a new race leader! Lap 218.
🚨 New Leader Alert! 🚨 #Foxwoods301 pic.twitter.com/HeA4lCuqO7
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) July 22, 2018
6:32 p.m. — Denny Hamlin struggling on the track. Lap 217.
"The front won't turn at all!" @dennyhamlin , last year's winner, is struggling mightily. He's 17th. pic.twitter.com/QbbuB1gxSz
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
6:24 p.m. — Lap 200 standings update:
💯 to go at @NHMS !
— Talladega Superspeedway (@TalladegaSuperS) July 22, 2018
P1 @KurtBusch
↕️ 1.3 sec
P2 @Aric_Almirola
P3 @chaseelliott
P4 @KevinHarvick
P5 @KyleBusch
📺 @NBCSN | #Foxwoods301 pic.twitter.com/ID0V9kwG2t
6:21 p.m. — Rain starting to appear on the horizon. Lap 195.
Some small rain cells building to the south/southwest. pic.twitter.com/HUYl6ZEaXu
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 22, 2018
6:12 p.m. — We've got 125 left.
125 laps to go at New Hampshire. It’s Kurt Busch-Almirola-Elliott-Truex-KyBusch-Harvick-Blaney-Keselowski-Bowyer-Logano.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
6:06 p.m. — Aric Almirola sitting in P2 now. Lap 165.
Have a day, @aric_almirola !
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
The @StewartHaasRcng driver now runs second behind his teammate, @KurtBusch . pic.twitter.com/0sDI92mGhr
6:01 p.m. — Final stage is underway!
6:00 p.m. — Review from pit road indicates Kurt Busch will lead at the restart.
Lap 155: On official review, No. 41 Kurt Busch now appears to have beaten No. 9 Chase Elliott off pit road. #Foxwoods301
— NASCAR Alerts (@NASCAR_Alerts) July 22, 2018
Off pit road: Elliott, Kurt Busch, Truex, Harvick, Almirola, Logano, Blaney, Bowyer, Keselowski, Johnson. Again all took four tires #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) July 22, 2018
5:54 p.m. — Busch's attempt at taking the lead is for naught. Elliott takes the stage, his first of 2018. Only the third win by a Chevrolet this season.
Stage 2 is a wrap after 150 laps at @NHMS :
— Talladega Superspeedway (@TalladegaSuperS) July 22, 2018
P1 @chaseelliott
P2 @KurtBusch
P3 @MartinTruex_Jr
P4 @KevinHarvick
P5 @Aric_Almirola
P6 @KyleBusch
P7 @ClintBowyer
P8 @JimmieJohnson
P9 @Blaney
P10 @joeylogano
📺 @NBCSN | #Foxwoods301
5:51 p.m. — Kurt Busch caught Chase Elliott with five laps to go in Stage 2. Here's an Elliott stat to go with the lead loss.
. @chaseelliott has not earned a stage win in 2018. He posted three last year #NASCAR
— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) July 22, 2018
5:48 p.m. — Truex is dropping.
“Just lost entry and center,” says Martin Truex Jr. He’s gone from the lead to third late in this stage #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) July 22, 2018
5:46 p.m. — It appears as though Kurt Busch might have a chance to catch Elliott before the stage ends. Fourteen laps to go for Stage 2.
5:44 p.m. — Chase Elliott takes the lead with 21 laps to go.
The battle for the lead is on in Stage 2️⃣! @chaseelliott has caught @MartinTruex_Jr at @NHMS ! pic.twitter.com/2eocFFxWgg
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
5:40 p.m. — Chase Elliott catching Martin Truex Jr. Twenty-five laps left in the stage.
5:34 p.m. — Frustrations running high on the track.
“Way to go dipshit 41. Ugh … We just suck,” Kyle Busch says. “Will not turn to the bottom …” among his laundry list of issues with the 18 car #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) July 22, 2018
5:32 p.m. — Is it truly a comeback if he won the pole? Regardless, Busch trying to return to the lead! Lap 108.
The #BuschPole winner is clawing his way back.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
KB41 moves into P3 and sets his sights on the 78 & 9. pic.twitter.com/YWupRu89cZ
5:27 p.m. — Truex holding onto the lead firmly. Then Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick.
5:20 p.m. — Dillon getting a pass-through violation.
5:18 p.m. — Order off of pit road. Stage 2 is underway!
Off pit road: Truex, Elliott, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Johnson, Harvick, Bowyer, Logano, Almirola, Menard. All took four tires #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) July 22, 2018
5:16 p.m. — Updated playoff standings!
Updated playoff point standings after Stage 1 at New Hampshire:
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
1. Kyle Busch — 30
2. Kevin Harvick — 27
3. Martin Truex Jr. — 26
4. Clint Bowyer — 10
5. Joey Logano — 7
(No one else has more than 5)
5:12 p.m. — Martin Truex Jr. wins the stage, and gets another playoff point.
That's it for Stage 1 at @NHMS !
— Talladega Superspeedway (@TalladegaSuperS) July 22, 2018
P1 @MartinTruex_Jr
P2 @chaseelliott
P3 @JimmieJohnson
P4 @KurtBusch
P5 @Blaney
P6 @KyleBusch
P7 @KevinHarvick
P8 @ClintBowyer
P9 @joeylogano
P10 @Aric_Almirola
📺 @NBCSN | #Foxwoods301
5:09 p.m. — Joey Logano has gone from P28 to P10, despite replacing all four tires on his car during a pit.
5:05 p.m. — Chase Elliott passes Jimmie Johnson for P2 Lap 61.
5:01 p.m. — Pitting and restart order:
Pitting Lap 53: @joeylogano @jamiemcmurray @Mc_Driver @mattdracing @DavidRagan #NASCAR
— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) July 22, 2018
Restart order with 20 to go in Stage 1: Truex-Blaney-Johnson-Stenhouse-Elliott-KuBusch-Larson-KyBusch-Bowyer-Kenseth-Harvick-Keselowski-Menard-Hamlin-Jones.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
4:58 p.m. — Caution for debris on lap 53.
4:56 p.m. — Truex to P2 and catching up to leader Stenhouse. UPDATE: Truex now leads.
4:52 p.m. — Restart order.
Restart order on Lap 39: Stenhouse-Johnson-McMurray-Kenseth-Ragan-TDillon-McDowell-Truex-Keselowski-Blaney. Bunch of guys on two tires.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
4:50 p.m. — Most of the leaders are heading to pit road right now.
4:48 p.m. — Competition caution is out.
Competition Caution - Lap 35 #Foxwoods301
— Motor Racing Network (@MRNRadio) July 22, 2018
1. @KurtBusch
2. @dennyhamlin
3. @KyleBusch
4. @keselowski
5. @MartinTruex_Jr #AskMRN pic.twitter.com/KMPYlPXxu1
4:45 p.m. — Denny Hamlin is now in second.
4:42 p.m. — Restart on lap 25. Eleven laps until competition caution. Busch bros are in first and second (Kurt then Kyle)
4:38 p.m. — AJ Allmendinger hits the wall for another accident on the road. Lap 20.
Heavy damage for the 4️⃣7️⃣.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
He was running 20th prior to this accident. pic.twitter.com/bkggvgCEDy
4:36 p.m. — Restart on 18. KuBusch-Truex-Blaney-Hamlin-Jones-KyBusch-Bowman-Elliott-Almirola-Keselowski is the order.
4:35 p.m. — First accident of the day. Yellow caution flag is out.
Landon Cassill heads to the garage. Race over. Will finish P37.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
The damage forces @landoncassill behind the wall at @NHMS . pic.twitter.com/u0wWCNg8X6
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
4:34 p.m. — Blaney is out making a name for himself this race.
YRB is making moves early! @Blaney gets past @dennyhamlin to take over the third spot. pic.twitter.com/SZsHhvTbYU
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
4:32 p.m. — Kyle Busch has gone down to sixth.
4:27 p.m. — Quick facts from the race.
#FastFacts for today's #Foxwoods301 :
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2018
Length: 301 Laps
Stages: 75/150/301
Fuel Window: 85-90 Laps
Pit Road Speed: 45 MPH pic.twitter.com/t4rGs1z6TW
4:26 p.m. — Racers taking it easy through the first lap. No one going crazy with an attempt to move around positionally.
4:25 p.m. — Green flag, folks. Here we go!
4:24 p.m. — uhhh...
Ty Dillon on pit road under pace laps. Crewman dove into the side window.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
4:22 p.m. — There will be three pace laps.
4:16 p.m. — Engines fired.
4:13 p.m. — Anthems have finished, the intro music is starting, and we're ready to kick things off in New Hampshire.
4:03 p.m. — An update on the playoff standings before the race.
3:55 p.m. — The green flag time is estimated to be 4:15
My timeline is telling me #NASCAR is looking at a 4:15 p.m. ET green flag @NHMS
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) July 22, 2018
3:45 p.m. — Drivers are rolling out.
Cars are rolling out of the garage, and it looks like we're going to go racing at @NHMS today!
— NASCAH on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 22, 2018
Join us NOW on @NBCSN and stream here: https://t.co/kqwu7jTwTZ pic.twitter.com/suZ7u0Bah9
Official words from the speedway.
ALERT: Driver intros start at 3:50 p.m.
— New Hampshire Motor Speedway (@NHMS) July 22, 2018
We have some progress, folks!
Rain has lightened up to a drizzle. Again nothing on radar. Nascar going to send jet driers out to see if can make some progress. pic.twitter.com/cTtSis91Wy
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 22, 2018
ESPN's Bob Pockrass estimates the rain will need to stop by 4 p.m. ET for the race to happen.
NASCAR continues to attempt to dry the New Hampshire Motor Speedway surface but it has a problem — a steady rain continues to fall. Because the track has no lights, NASCAR likely needs it to stop raining by 4 p.m. in order to... https://t.co/Gt7R67iSDe pic.twitter.com/mTIbj7tpvG
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 22, 2018
The rain is back, unfortunately.
Well, unfortunately the rain has picked up again at NH. Hearing the latest NASCAR would start the race is 5:15pET, which would mean drying would probably have to start by 3:45 or so...
— Jim Noble (@Noble_Jim) July 22, 2018
Though the weather has continued to delay the start of the race, it's likely that there will still be a race today.
Air Titans are on track and the rain has slowed to a drizzle. Radar looking much better at the moment unless it fills in. Definitely a chance of racing this afternoon.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 22, 2018
The race is officially on a weather delay.
Cup race at @NHMS in rain delay. #NASCAR https://t.co/iy4Ms40mpc
— NASCAH on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 22, 2018
When it rains, it pours. Looks like the precipitation is starting earlier than expected in New Hampshire.
NASCAR hoping this will shift to the east. pic.twitter.com/bWfc7XHDwP
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 22, 2018