Step aside Miles. Today, Kevin Harvick was the monster.

Happy Harvick ended a long six-race losing streak in what amounted to a statement win at Dover. Kyle Busch had stolen some of Harvick’s thunder after reeling off three straight wins just weeks after Harvick did it first.

Well…the thunder is back in Harvick’s corner. Not only did Harvick lead 201 of 400 laps, but Busch finished 35th after breaking a drivetrain on lap 271.

I still give the nod to Busch as having the better overall team, but in terms of speed and the ability to lead a ton of laps, advantage Harvick.

Other random thoughts:

-The improvements made by Stewart-Haas this offseason are astounding. SHR finished 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 11th today and already has five wins in eleven races this year. The team won three races in all of 2017.

-Daniel Suarez earned his best career Cup finish today. His progress has not been flashy, but it has been steady. I think Suarez is capable of winning a race this season.

-It’s still early, but with so many repeat winners so far, points racing is going to be more important than ever. Does anyone think Harvick and Busch will go winless between now and the playoffs? Will Martin Truex Jr. really win just one race in the regular season? Fifteen drivers won a race in 2017 including Joey Logano’s “encumbered” victory at Richmond, leaving just two playoff spots open for non-winners. I think we could see as many as four to five drivers point their way into the playoffs this year.

Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading the NASCAR Fix!

-JW