Several drivers have had their time up at the front of the field in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, but the one man who keeps finding his way into the lead when it matters most is Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick.
The driver of the No. 4 Ford Mustang, trapped Ryan Blaney behind a lapped car and took the lead late in Stage 2, and scooted away for his second Stage Win of the day. Harvick now has four Stage Wins on the season. Now the only question is: Can anyone stop him from taking his fifth race win of the year?
Blaney ended Stage 2 in second, while Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones were third and fourth. Brad Keselowski finished fifth in Stage 2.
Jones and Keselowski are both looking to become the first Michigan-born driver to win at MIS.
Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-10 finishers in Stage 2.
Johnson started from the rear of the field after failing pre-race inspection twice on Saturday. Johnson is of course in the thick of the battle for the final Playoff Berth position.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 2:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Erik Jones | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Kurt Busch | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Clint Bowyer | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Jimmie Johnson | 1 | 0 |
