Kevin Harvick repeats as the winner of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday, tying with Jeff Burton for the most wins at “The Magic Mile.”
LOUDON, N.H. – Kevin Harvick landed in victory lane for a repeat win in Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This win marks Harvick’s fourth career win at Loudon, tying the record currently held by Jeff Burton for the most wins at “The Magic Mile.” The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver earned his first win of the 2019 season not only for himself, but for Stewart-Haas Racing.
“We’ve run well enough a few times this year, we’ve just made mistakes,” said Harvick. “To finally battle and get over that hump is a great day at Stewart-Haas Racing and everybody on the No. 4 car. I was really questionable about how that was going to go, and that thing just took right off.”
In a race that featured several lead changes and plenty of close action, it was a last-lap battle between Harvick and Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11, all the way to the finish line that got the crowd to its feet. The top two fought through lapped traffic after Hamlin made a pass attempt in turns one and two. Harvick stood on the brakes and tried to keep it straight knowing Hamlin was going to roll the dice and take another shot at the win.
“The lapped traffic didn’t budge, the No. 11 was right there and I knew he was going to take a shot,” said Harvick. “That’s what you’re supposed to do on the last lap – throw it all out on the table and take some chances. That’s what we both did, and luckily today we came out on top.”
With this win, Harvick cements a place in the playoffs and takes the pressure off of a race team that had performed well in points, but was still on the outside looking in.
Following Hamlin’s second place finish, were Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney, Matt DiBenedetto, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and pole sitter Brad Keselowski.
Hampstead, N.H. native and longtime NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver, Andy Seuss, made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut in Sunday’s race in the No. 51 Jacob Companies Ford, finishing 28th. Also making his Cup Series debut was Fort Kent, Maine native Austin Theriault, who drove the No. 52 Bangor Savings Bank Chevrolet and placed 35th.