Kevin Harvick, the driver of the #4 Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 12, 2018, in Brooklyn, Michigan. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
The cups series returns to the ‘Irish Hills’ of Michigan for the second time this season. In June, the race was shortened due to rain and Clint Bowyer was able to take the crown. This time around, it was sunny and 80 degrees. Drivers were going to have to go the full distance in order to win.
In the early goings, we had a few cautions that came out every seven to eight laps. Drivers were having trouble racing on the slick track. These early cautions made the first 30 laps interesting to watch. The top six drivers were aggressive on all these restarts. They would drag race all the way to the corner from the restart zone. Some would push the race into a three-wide form, and some drivers would gain four or five spots on the restarts. After the competition caution, the racers settled in and Kevin Harvick went to work. He raced away from the field and was able to win the first stage with ease.
The second stage begins the same as the first stage. This time, the restarts were a drag race between the ‘Big Three’ of Harvick, Martin Truex Jr, and Kyle Busch. Very exciting action as these three drivers went at it. Once the race settled down again, and drivers got comfortable, Truex Jr. sped off. He took over the stage was able to get out into the clean air. However, Harvick did not lose his sight of the former champ. Harvick kept Truex in sight was able to get aggressive late in the stage. Harvick tracked down Truex and was able to make a pass for the lead with ten laps left in the stage. This pass allowed Harvick to win the second stage of the race.
With final stage starting, Harvick took complete control of the race. He was not messing around in the final stage and was able to pull away from the field. The field cycled through the green flag stops and Harvick still cycled back out into the front. Harvick went on to lead the way to the checkered flag as he won his third race of the season.
Kevin Harvick dominated another race of the season. However, fans of NASCAR were unsatisfied with this race again. Multiple fans on social media discussed how the race was drowned out and there was not much passing. This was true. Yesterday’s race showed less passing than in years past. Also, last year’s race had an exciting overtime finish where Kyle Larson split the leaders going into turn one and took the race for himself. Yesterday’s race still possessed a lot of the action that does not occur much at Michigan International Speedway. This is still an exciting track to watch a race at. Cars are going faster here than any other track, and this is what NASCAR is all about. Most fans go to these races to get the full feel of what NASCAR is all about. Fans enjoy hearing the rumble of the cars. Fans enjoy the sight of how sharp the cars and the smell of exhaust when forty drivers race by at 200mph.
Even though these senses cannot be felt through the TV. The Michigan race yesterday had a lot of action. The drivers were forcing exciting restarts that made the race interesting. Even though the top three drivers dominate most of the races, it is a lot of fun to see the best in the business go at each other every Sunday. Fans do not like to see this sport get dominated by three drivers, but when Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex. Jr, and Kyle Busch go against each other on a Sunday afternoon, it is purely entertaining.
Next week the series will race a Saturday night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. There are three races left before the playoffs begin and these races will be held at three very different courses. Maybe a new driver will be able to guarantee his spot in the playoffs and win one of these races coming up.