Date: April 12, 2014
Event: Southern 500 (Round 8 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing in a green-white-checkered finish (Chevrolet)
SHR Finish:
Kevin Harvick (Started 1st, Finished 1st / Running, completed 374 of 374 laps)
Tony Stewart (Started 23rd, Finished 9th / Running, completed 374 of 374 laps)
Danica Patrick (Started 33rd, Finished 22nd / Running, completed 374 of 374 laps)
Kurt Busch (Started 13th, Finished 31st / Accident, completed 368 of 374 laps)
SHR Points:
Tony Stewart (12th with 224 points, 73 out of first)
Kevin Harvick (22nd with 186 points, 111 out of first)
Kurt Busch (26th with 164 points, 133 out of first)
Danica Patrick (29th with 143 points, 154 out of first)
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Saturday night at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway by winning the Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. It was the 22nd point-paying Sprint Cup win for SHR since its inception in 2009 and the organization’s third this season, tops among all Sprint Cup teams.
Harvick started from the pole and led seven times for a race-high 238 laps en route to his first win in 18 career Sprint Cup starts at Darlington. It was also his 25th career victory in 474 career Sprint Cup starts.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished ninth. It was his 12th top-10 in 22 career Sprint Cup starts at Darlington and his fourth this season. It was also his 294th top-10 in 529 career Sprint Cup starts.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 22nd. It was Patrick’s 54th career Sprint Cup start and her third at Darlington.
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 31st. He was fighting for a spot in the top-10 when he was hit from behind and spun on lap 369, impacting the SAFER Barrier on the inside of the backstretch. Busch was uninjured in the crash, but his car was too damaged to continue.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished .558 of a second behind Harvick in the runner-up spot, while Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle rounded out the top-five. Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Larson, Stewart and Ryan Newman comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were 11 caution periods for 50 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the 374-lap race, which was extended seven laps by a green-white-checkered finish.
With round eight of 36 complete, Stewart leads the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He is 12th with 224 points, 73 behind first-place Gordon. Harvick is 22nd with 186 points, 111 out of first. Kurt Busch is 26th with 164 points, 133 out of first. Patrick is 29th with 143 points, 154 out of first.
The Sprint Cup Series takes a rare weekend off for Easter before returning to action April 26 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway for the Richmond 400. The race starts at 7 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its prerace show at 6:30 p.m.
