CUP: Kevin Harvick’s narrow loss followed by Talladega’s first disqualification since 1972
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| PHOTO: John Harrelson, Motorsport Images |
by Brock Beard
LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
Kevin Harvick picked up the 4th last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway when his #4 Busch Light Camo Ford finished 2nd, but was disqualified after completing all 188 laps.
The finish, which occurred in Harvick’s 821st series start, was his first of the season and first in a Cup race since September 11, 2022 at Kansas, 39 races ago. In the Cup Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 29th by disqualification, the 43rd for the #4, and the 736th for Ford. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 51st by disqualification, the 72nd for the #4, and the 1,021st for Ford.
This race marks Harvick’s first last-place finish of his #4EVER tour, his last year as a full-time Cup Series driver before stepping into the FOX broadcast booth in 2024. Despite much optimism and many tributes – most poignantly references to his iconic red-and-white #29 at North Wilkesboro and Atlanta – his on-track performance has been a disappointment. His best run of the year came at arguably his best track in Phoenix, where he was cruising to a Playoff-clinching win before a late-race caution ultimately handed it to William Byron. Harvick still made the Playoffs on points, only to be eliminated in the first round after an embarrassing night in Bristol where he finished five laps down in 29th.
With no practice at Talladega, Harvick secured the fastest lap of anyone who didn’t transfer into Roud 2, clocking in 11th at a speed of 180.707mph (52.992 seconds).
Securing the 38th and final starting spot in Sunday’s field was Carson Hocevar, who after several impressive runs in Legacy Motor Club’s #42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet was the only driver unable to log a lap. The team had to replace a fuel pressure sensor, which constituted a redundant tail-end penalty for unapproved adjustments.
From the very first lap, the field remained locked in a tight two and three-wide pack, causing frequent changes for last place. As Hocevar moved through the field, the spot fell to Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.’s #47 Sara Lee Artesano Bakery Chevrolet on Lap 3, then a lap later A.J. Allmendinger in the #16 Action Industries Chevrolet. Lap 5 saw the spot go to Brennan Poole, back in Rick Ware Racing’s #15 Finance Pro Plus Ford, and he now battled side-by-side with B.J. McLeod in the #78 Gunk Chevrolet. McLeod fell to last on Lap 7, then Poole again on Lap 8, still 1.597 seconds back of the leader. McLeod was last again on the 13th circuit, followed on Lap 18 by Daniel Suarez in the #99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevrolet. Chastain joined his Trackhouse Racing teammate at the tail end of the field in his #1 Worldwide Express Chevrolet.
On Lap 21, McLeod reassumed the last spot followed by Poole on Lap 23. By Lap 27, Poole was still just 2.237 seconds back of the lead, and had once again caught the Trackhouse teammates, both just 0.103 ahead. On Lap 30, Suarez moved McLeod behind him and Poole pulled alongside in a new battle for last place, both just 0.065 second apart at the stripe. Meanwhile, up front, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. had climbed from last place on Lap 3 all the way to the lead.
The 32nd lap saw Front Row Motorsports’ trio drop to the rear, handing last place to Riley Herbst in the part-time #36 entry, the Beast Unleashed White Haze Ford, which was fastest in the first round of qualifying. Herbst followed the draft of both Michael McDowell in the #34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford and Todd Gilliland in the #38 Georgia Peanuts Ford. The next time by, all three dropped McLeod to last once more, though by just three-thousandths of a second in still another side-by-side battle with Herbst. Herbst retook last on Lap 35, followed by Allmendinger on Lap 37, Poole on Lap 38, and McLeod on Lap 39. That time by saw the first round of green-flag stops, during which McLeod remained in last place, now trailing new 37th-place runner Chris Buescher in the #17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford. McLeod dropped Buescher to last on Lap 40, then Lap 41 saw Harrison Burton take the spot in his #21 DEX Imaging Ford.
During the stops, Erik Jones was handed a penalty for his crew coming over the wall too soon to pit his #43 Allegiant Chevrolet. Jones’ crew disputed this, saying NASCAR docked them for a dual-purpose crew member carrying two tires. Jones served his pass-through, which dropped him to last on Lap 43, 25.686 seconds back of the lead and 11.872 behind the now 37th-place Poole, who had himself dropped 6.257 seconds behind 36th-place Hocevar. Jones continued to lose ground to the leaders until Lap 51, when they caught him down the backstretch. Jones held the low lane as they passed, then set his sights on the Lucky Dog. Moving to the high lane, Jones passed Poole, who had himself gone a lap down in 37th, putting Poole back to last once more.
Poole was still running last on Lap 59 as the field neared the end of Stage 1. Just then, trouble broke out entering Turn 3. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was still near the front when he started to run out of fuel, causing him to hip-check Kyle Busch’s #8 X World Wallet Chevrolet into the outside wall. As both Busch and Stenhouse slowed, Chastain was being pushed by Christopher Bell’s #20 DeWalt Electrical Solutions Toyota into the second lane of a four-wide battle. Chastain nearly threaded the needle, but the hole started to close, causing his car to lose control and spin into the outside wall, collecting Bell in the process. While Bell continued with damage to his right-front fender, Chastain pulled onto pit road with no steering in his right-front wheel. He soon went to the garage, done for the afternoon. NASCAR declared Chastain out on Lap 72.
Meanwhile, Harvick enjoyed his strongest late-race performance since Phoenix in the spring, leading 11 laps and finishing 8th in Stage 1. With two laps to go, he found himself locked in a side-by-side battle with Ryan Blaney for the win, but when contact between Riley Herbst and the #7 Gainbridge Chevrolet of Corey LaJoie cost Harvick his drafting help, Blaney nipped him at the line by twelve-thousandths of a second. It was Blaney’s third Talladega win and Harvick’s first top-five finish since Pocono. But the evening grew worse as NASCAR discovered for windshield fasteners that weren’t secure. The result dropped him to last place, lifting Chastain to 37th.
Taking home the 36th spot was J.J. Yeley, who was holding his own in the #51 Biohaven Ford before he lost a lap to the leaders entering the tri-oval. On Lap 75, Yeley’s car only pulled 7000 rpms, then pulled behind the wall three circuits later. The team changed the fuel pump and sent him out on Lap 96, 22 laps down. But the problem persisted, and after running below the yellow line, he returned to the garage on Lap 98. The crew continued to attempt repairs, but ultimately fell out. The Bottom Five was completed by a pileup on Lap 163 triggered by Brad Keselowski, whose #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford spun Carson Hocevar’s #42 into traffic. Hocevar took 35th behind Ty Gibbs’ #54 Monster Energy Toyota and Austin Dillon’s #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, who after contact from Hocevar were spun directly into the outside wall and Keselowski.
Winless XFINITY driver Riley Herbst has a career run in Cup
The loss of Harvick’s drafting help marred the finish of what was a career day for Riley Herbst. Before the contact from LaJoie, Herbst had been racing in and among the Top Five for nearly the entire day, even leading four times for ten laps at the halfway point. Racing behind Harvick on the final lap, Herbst was in position to earn a Top Five in only his fourth series start. The spin dropped him to 9th, which thanks to Harvick’s disqualification narrowly bested his previous mark of 10th in the Daytona 500.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This marked the first last-place finish for the #4 in a Cup Series race at Talladega since April 16, 2000, when Bobby Hamilton’s #4 Kodak MAX Film Chevrolet lost the engine after 110 laps of the DieHard 500.
*It is the first last-place finish of a Cup driver at Talladega by reason of disqualification since May 7, 1972, when Marty Robbins deliberately allowed the restrictor plate to fall out of the carburetor of his #42 1972 Dodge, surrendering an 18th-place finish.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
38) #4-Kevin Harvick / 188 laps / disqualified / led 11 laps
37) #1-Ross Chastain / 59 laps / crash
36) #51-J.J. Yeley / 83 lap / fuel pump
35) #42-Carson Hocevar / 161 laps / crash
34) #54-Ty Gibbs / 161 laps / crash
2023 LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Live Fast Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports (4)
2nd) Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing (3)
3rd) Legacy Motor Club, Stewart-Haas Racing (2)
4th) Front Row Motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, Trackhouse Racing (1)
2023 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (17)
2nd) Ford (10)
3rd) Toyota (3)
2023 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
