Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick won the 18th Annual Kobalt 400

2015 Mar 8 HarvickVL2030815Credit: 306438Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 08: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Starting from 18th place Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet won the 18th Annual Kobalt 400, his 29th victory in 505 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is Harvick’s 1st win & 3rd Top 10 finish in 2015. This is his 1st win & 6th Top 10 finish in 15 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His previous best finish was second in 2010. This is also the 6th consecutive race where Harvick has finished either 1st or 2nd, extending back to the race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014. The last time a driver had 6 consecutive Top 2 finishes was Jeff Gordon in 1996.

2nd Place Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet starting from 8th place posted his 3rd Top 10 finish in 10 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is his 3rd Top 10 finish in 2015. 3rd Place Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet starting from 7th place posted his 8th Top 10 finish in 15 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

4th Place Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet starting from 4th place followed by 5th place Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota starting from 19th place. 6th Place Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Clorox Chevrolet starting from 22nd place followed by 7th place Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford starting from 11th place. 8th Place Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet starting from 5th place followed by 9th place Car 20 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Toyota starting from 6th place. Lastly in the Top 10 Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Platinum Ford starting in 10th place from 2nd place.

Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by 9 points over Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Kobalt 400Credit: 306428 Drew Hallowell/NASCAR via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 08: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Platinum Ford, and Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet, lead the field to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The race had 6 Cautions for 28 Laps: 1st Caution on lap 27 for Competition. 2nd Caution on lap 83 for Debris turn 1. 3rd Caution on lap 140 for Debris on the frontstretch. 4th Caution on lap 173 for Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet crash in turn 1. 5th Caution on lap 187 for Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet crash in turn 4. 6th Caution on lap 195 for Car 19 Carl Edwards Comcast Business Toyota crash in turn 2.

2015 Mar 8 Edwards030815Credit: 306435Patrick Smith/NASCAR via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 08: Carl Edwards, driver of the #19 Comcast Business Toyota, is involved in an incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The race had 18 Lead Changes among 9 drivers: 0; J. Logano 1-27; D. Earnhardt Jr. 28-29; J. Logano 30-42; J. Johnson 43-76; C. Edwards 77-78; M. Kenseth 79; J. Johnson 80-90; K. Harvick 91-130; B. Keselowski 131-132; J. Logano 133-139; K. Harvick 140-144; M. Truex Jr. 145-147; K. Harvick 148-198; D. Earnhardt Jr. 199-200; K. Harvick 201-230; R. Newman 231-244; B. Keselowski 245-251; K. Harvick 252-267.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): K. Harvick 5 times for 142 laps; J. Logano 3 times for 47 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 45 laps; R. Newman 1 time for 14 laps; B. Keselowski 2 times for 9 laps; D. Earnhardt Jr. 2 times for 4 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 3 laps; C. Edwards 1 time for 2 laps; M. Kenseth 1 time for 1 lap.

Kobalt 400Credit: 306426Chris Trotman/NASCAR via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 08: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Platinum Ford, and Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet, lead the field to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Top 16 in Points: K. Harvick – 134; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 125; J. Logano – 123; M. Truex Jr. – 118; A. Allmendinger – 100; K. Kahne – 92; J. Johnson – 91; D. Hamlin – 87; C. Mears – 87; M. Kenseth – 85; G. Biffle – 84; R. Newman – 82; P. Menard – 82; C. Bowyer – 81; A. Almirola – 80; B. Keselowski – 77.

Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet was the class of the field as he lead 142 of 267 laps of the race. Harvick’s Margin of Victory was 1.640 Seconds over 2nd place Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet. Martin Truex Jr. was not able to catch Harvick before the end of the race.

Kevin Harvick said, “It’s so cool to win here in Las Vegas, and to start this West Coast swing off this way is pretty awesome,” Harvick said in Victory Lane. “Just to be in front of all these fans I’ve raced in front of since about the mid-‘90s it’s pretty special to win here.” Harvick reported a vibration in the last few laps & said, “That wasn’t a comfortable last run there.”

2015 Mar 8 Harvick030815Credit: 306429Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 08: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bad luck with tires for last weeks winner Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet. He went a lap down as his was putting 4 tires due to a loose wheel, then when he got back out on track, he blew a tire & hit the wall twice.

2015 Mar 8 Checkered030815Credit: 306434Drew Hallowell/NASCAR via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 08: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, approaches the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 3
Unofficial Race Results for the 18Th Annual Kobalt 400 – Sunday, March 8, 2015
Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV – 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 267 Laps – 400.5 Miles – Purse: $6,495,939

2015 Mar 8 kobalt400_14

Finishing Position Starting Position Car # Driver Team Laps Status
1. 18. Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet 267 Running
2. 8. Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet 267 Running
3. 7. Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 267 Running
4. 4. Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 267 Running
5. 19. Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 267 Running
6. 22. Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Clorox Chevrolet 267 Running
7. 11. Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 267 Running
8. 5. Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 267 Running
9. 6. Car 20 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Toyota 267 Running
10. 2. Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Platinum Ford 267 Running
11. 10. Car 1 Jamie McMurray CESSNA Chevrolet 267 Running
12. 24. Car 27 Paul Menard Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet 267 Running
13. 23. Car 33 Brian Scott(i) Whitetail Chevrolet 267 Running
14. 16. Car 16 Greg Biffle Cheez-It Ford 267 Running
15. 28. Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s 60th Anniversary Dream Machine Toyota 266 Running
16. 34. Car 41 Regan Smith(i) Haas Automation Chevrolet 266 Running
17. 3. Car 5 Kasey Kahne Time Warner Cable Chevrolet 266 Running
18. 1. Car 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet 266 Running
19. 30. Car 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 266 Running
20. 25. Car 3 Austin Dillon DOW Energy & Water Chevrolet 265 Running
21. 20. Car 15 Clint Bowyer 5-Hour Energy Toyota 265 Running
22. 13. Car 18 David Ragan M&M’s Crispy Toyota 265 Running
23. 37. Car 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 265 Running
24. 29. Car 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Medallion Bank/Camping World Ford 265 Running
25. 17. Car 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 264 Running
26. 15. Car 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 264 Running
27. 21. Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 264 Running
28. 35. Car 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 264 Running
29. 31. Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 264 Running
30. 32. Car 95 Michael McDowell KLOVE Radio Ford 264 Running
31. 26. Car 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 263 Running
32. 38. Car 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford 262 Running
33. 12. Car 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 262 Running
34. 39. Car 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 261 Running
35. 42. Car 40 Landon Cassill(i) Carsforsale.com Chevrolet 261 Running
36. 40. Car 23 JJ Yeley(i) Dr. Pepper Toyota 260 Running
37. 36. Car 34 Brett Moffitt Shaw’s Southern Belle Seafood Ford 260 Running
38. 43. Car 62 Brendan Gaughan(i) South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet 258 Running
39. 33. Car 46 Michael Annett Cypress Chevrolet 257 Running
40. 41. Car 26 Jeb Burton # MaximFantasySports.com Toyota 254 Running
41. 9. Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet 236 Running
42. 14. Car 19 Carl Edwards Comcast Business Toyota 227 Running
43. 27. Car 7 Alex Bowman Nikko/Toy State Chevrolet 28 Engine

2015 Mar 6 las vegas motor speedway logo

Race CommentsPrior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: #18, 24 (backup car). Failed to Qualify: N/A

Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 47 Mins, 15 Secs. Average Speed: 143.677 MPH
Margin of Victory: 1.640 Seconds

3M Lap Leader: Kevin Harvick, #4 142 Laps Coors Light Pole Award: Jeff Gordon, #24 194.679 mph Duralast Brakes “Brake in the Race”: Joey Logano, #22 Ingersoll Rand Power Move : Austin Dillon, #3 8 positions Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Hendrick Engines, #4 Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Kevin Harvick, #4 Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race: Kevin Harvick, #4 R Childers, 0.306 sec Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Kyle Larson, #42 Lap 2, 184.397 sec
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Jeb Burton, #26

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

Next Race: Mar. 15, 2015 – Phoenix International Raceway

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series.html

Graphics & Photos Courtesy of NASCAR

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