BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) -- Pit strategy and rain helped Kevin
Harvick win the shortened Cabela's 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at
Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.
The race was scheduled for 125 laps but called after 110.
Reigning Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, making his first
Busch start since 1998, dominated most of the day, leading 82 of
the first 100 laps.
With the leaders apparently needing to pit before the end of the
race, Stewart gave up the lead to Harvick when he putted on lap
101. Stewart came out of the pits 17th and had worked his way to
11th by lap 109, when rain began pelting the 2-mile oval.
NASCAR officials red-flagged the race at the end of the 110th
lap and tried to dry the track, but more rain forced them to call
it an official race about 40 minutes later.
"We tried to play the strategy out there at the end," said
Harvick, a Winston Cup regular. "Tony probably had the best car. I
think everybody was going to pit. We'd have had to pit, too."
The disappointed Stewart said his team made the right call,
bringing him in for gas and two fresh tires near the end.
"We just needed it to go back to green so we could go by and
pass those guys ahead of us and win this thing like we deserved to
do," Stewart said.
Harvick, the 2001 Busch Series champion, picked up his 11th
career victory and third this season. He has finished in the top 10
in all nine of his Busch starts this year, including seven
top-threes.
On Saturday, he led only the last 10 laps. It is the 13th time
in 22 races this season that a Winston Cup regular won a Busch
race.
Harvick averaged 140.850 mph in a race slowed by 13 caution
laps.
Pole-winner Kasey Kahne wound up second, followed by Bobby
Hamilton Jr., David Green and series leader Scott Riggs. Green
gained five points on Riggs and now trails by just two in the
championship race.
Busch Cabela's 250 Results
At Michigan International Speedway
Pos.
Start
Driver
Make
Laps
Winnings
1.
5
Kevin Harvick
Chevrolet
110
$43,225
2.
1
Kasey Kahne
Ford
110
$45,695
3.
16
Bobby Hamilton Jr.
Ford
110
$35,860
4.
15
David Green
Pontiac
110
$30,900
5.
13
Scott Riggs
Ford
110
$28,400
6.
2
David Reutimann
Chevrolet
110
$16,950
7.
3
Casey Mears
Dodge
110
$16,430
8.
8
Michael Waltrip
Chevrolet
110
$15,770
9.
10
Shane Hmiel
Chevrolet
110
$20,775
10.
24
Dave Blaney
Ford
110
$16,575
11.
4
Tony Stewart
Chevrolet
110
$15,575
12.
29
Damon Lusk
Dodge
110
$16,100
13.
19
Joe Nemechek
Chevrolet
110
$14,850
14.
31
Jamie McMurray
Dodge
110
$15,055
15.
22
Chad Blount
Dodge
110
$19,900
16.
11
Mike Bliss
Chevrolet
110
$19,825
17.
25
Stacy Compton
Chevrolet
110
$19,875
18.
6
Matt Kenseth
Ford
110
$14,375
19.
9
Brian Vickers
Chevrolet
110
$25,025
20.
21
Jeff Burton
Ford
109
$14,875
21.
7
Greg Biffle
Chevrolet
109
$15,400
22.
28
Johnny Sauter
Chevrolet
109
$17,350
23.
17
Jason Keller
Ford
109
$23,950
24.
26
Joey Clanton
Pontiac
109
$23,570
25.
14
Tim Fedewa
Chevrolet
109
$16,000
26.
27
Scott Wimmer
Chevrolet
109
$23,545
27.
18
Mike Wallace
Chevrolet
109
$17,895
28.
12
Ron Hornaday Jr.
Chevrolet
109
$23,345
29.
23
Justin Labonte
Dodge
109
$13,775
30.
34
Vern Slagh
Chevrolet
108
$13,825
31.
35
Mike Harmon
Chevrolet
108
$17,705
32.
33
Jason White
Chevrolet
108
$17,670
33.
38
Brad Teague
Ford
108
$17,965
34.
42
Jason Schuler
Ford
107
$17,615
35.
32
Dwayne Leik
Chevrolet
107
$13,580
36.
20
Ashton Lewis Jr.
Chevrolet
106
$17,580
37.
37
Coy Gibbs
Chevrolet
106
$15,540
38.
41
Larry Gunselman
Chevrolet
105
$15,515
39.
39
Tammy Jo Kirk
Ford
104
$15,480
40.
30
Jamie Mosley
Ford
56
$15,460
41.
40
Justin Ashburn
Chevrolet
18
$15,440
42.
36
John Hayden
Chevrolet
4
$13,420
43.
43
Jimmy Kitchens
Chevrolet
2
$13,399
Race Statistics Winner's Average Speed: 140.850 mph. Time of Race: 1 hour, 33 minutes, 43 seconds. Margin of Victory: Under caution. Caution Flags: 4 for 13 laps. Lead Changes: 4 among 4 drivers. Lap Leaders: K.Kahne 1; T.Stewart 2-47; M.Kenseth 48-60;
T.Stewart 61-100; K.Harvick 101-110. Top 10 Point Standings
1, S.Riggs 3,192. 2, D.Green 3,190. 3, J.Keller 3,096. 4,
R.Hornaday Jr. 3,058. 5, B.Vickers 3,044. 6, B.Hamilton Jr. 2,900.
7, S.Wimmer 2,788. 8, S.Hmiel 2,787. 9, J.Sauter 2,772. 10,
S.Compton 2,697.
