Gluck: Confidence grows for 'Closer' Kevin Harvick
BRISTOL, Tenn. — In the early part of this decade, Kevin Harvick was nicknamed “The Closer” for his ability to turn late passes into wins.
But since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 — a move that has generated the best overall speed of his career — Harvick and his team haven’t closed enough races to be satisfied.
Since the start of the 2014 season, Harvick has 22 second-place finishes — more than double the next-closest driver in the same period (Brad Keselowski has 10).
So when nothing went wrong Sunday and Harvick was able to win at Bristol Motor Speedway, it served two purposes.
First, it reminded the team it can win. Second, it reminded everyone else Harvick is — and has been — a serious threat to win the championship again.
Kevin Harvick wins rain-delayed Sprint Cup race at Bristol
“It’s all about confidence and it’s all about momentum,” Harvick said. “We’ve been confident in our cars, just not confident in closing everything out. I think that goes away (after Bristol).”
It has to be painful for Harvick, his team and his fans to think about all the what-ifs over the last three seasons. Yes, he’s now won 10 races in that time. And yes, he won the 2014 championship.
But 22 second-place finishes? If even half those were victories, Harvick would be by far the winningest driver in the last few years. Instead, he’s tied for fourth.
Crew chief Rodney Childers, describing a couple stumbles by the team’s pit crew on Sunday, said when the No. 4 car became dominant and started leading laps, “that’s when everybody’s nerves get up and we started having mistakes.”
When so many potential victories have disappeared over the last few seasons — for various reasons — the pressure has built whenever the team sensed another win was near.
This time, everyone refocused and executed. And won.
“The win will mean a lot to those guys,” Childers said. “Believing in themselves and not getting nervous when the time comes, that’s what’s really important.”
If that boost of confidence was going to come at any time during the regular season, this might be the ideal moment. The Chase for the Sprint Cup — when mistakes are magnified and can be the difference between advancing and seeing title hopes vanish — starts in less than a month.
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After Michigan International Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Richmond International Raceway, it’s time for a team with true championship aspirations to perform.
This year, Harvick and his Stewart-Haas Racing crew have a big challenge from the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas and the Team Penske Fords. Unlike 2014 and 2015 — when Harvick finished first and second in the Chase — it doesn’t seem like he’ll enter the playoff as the clear title favorite despite being the current points leader.
In that sense, the No. 4 team’s relief after closing out the Bristol race is crucial to hopes of another championship run.
“I don’t think it could have come together at a better time,” Harvick said. “Confidence and momentum go a long way in racing, baseball, football, basketball — whatever it is — and you just want to ride the wave.”
Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck
