Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Mobil 1 Annual Protection Ford, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Kevin Harvick was steadily gaining ground from the 19th starting position in Sunday’s race when the right front tire on his No. 4 Ford exploded on lap 69 and shredded the right front fender of his car. Harvick rode the wall from the end of the tri-oval to the apex of turns one and two.

His car was damaged beyond repair, and Harvick fell from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points lead to seventh in the standings.

“It started vibrating about four or five laps there before it blew out, and I was just trying to ride it to the end of the stage there,” said Harvick, who was trying to nurse the car to the end of Stage 1 on lap 80. “Obviously, it didn’t make it…

“All in all, our Mobil 1 Annual Protection Ford was running good. We were just too loose right there. It’s not like we were even tight, so it either just cut the tire, or came apart or melted the bead.”

Harvick had won three of the four early stages in the previous two races combined but scored just one point for a 38th-place finish at Las Vegas.