Shortly after the Xfinity Series concluded their doubleheader Sunday afternoon, it was the Cup Series turn to closeout their doubleheader weekend with Race Two of the Drydene 311. The top twenty positions were inverted with Matt DiBenedetto on the pole along with Ryan Newman to make up the front row. Denny Hamlin, the winner of yesterday’s race was starting in twentieth. Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman (backup cars), and Garrett Smithley (engine change) were starting at the rear of the field.
Miles the Monster is ready … and so are we! We're green at Dover! (📺: NBCSN) pic.twitter.com/a6JX52xAY6 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
Matt DiBenedetto got off to a great start getting in front of Newman for the lead. The first caution would come out five laps later for three separate accidents. Joey Logano hit Ricky Stenhouse Jr. off of turn four while they were battling for the 11th position, sending Stenhouse Jr. into the inside wall on the front stretch. Behind them, Garrett Smithley hit Joey Gase, and Chase Elliott made contact with Kyle Busch.
Big trouble early at the @MonsterMile! @StenhouseJr and @chaseelliott are among those involved in this crash. pic.twitter.com/zRSQV7SRtc — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
Following @StenhouseJr's spin, watch @chaseelliott make contact with @KyleBusch on the frontstretch. pic.twitter.com/n0WZDMUtmD — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
The race would resume on the twelfth lap with DiBenedetto choosing the outside lane, and Aric Almirola picked the inside lane. Almirola would take the lead away from DiBenedetto. The second caution would come out a lap 33 for debris on the racetrack. During the caution, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Kurt Busch stayed out while everyone else pitted. Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, and Jimmie Johnson only took two tires while everyone else took four tires.
Ryan Blaney and William Byron both choose the outside lane while Kurt Busch was the first to the inside lane improving his position from third to second. Blaney led 35 laps until Kevin Harvick passed him with three laps to go to win stage one. Reed Sorensen got the free pass.
Wow, @KevinHarvick made that look easy. pic.twitter.com/KLu0YBCxV5 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
During the caution, all of the leaders came to pit road for four tires. Harvick would win the race off of pit road while Aric Almirola would have to restart at the rear of the field for speeding. The red flag would later be displayed as track crews had to fix a patch of concrete on the track. The red flag stoppage would last about thirteen minutes before the cars were able to resume the race on lap 79 to start stage two.
is this the equivalent of Miles going to the dentist, @MonsterMile? pic.twitter.com/3a7DtBclk8 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
During stage two, the caution would come out again on lap 101 when Ty Dillon spun Corey LaJoie at turn two. LaJoie’s car had left rear quarter panel damage. During the caution, all of the leaders came to pit road with Joey Logano winning the race off of pit road. Jimmie Johnson had to restart the race at the rear for speeding on pit road. Logano would choose the outside lane while Harvick went to the inside lane for the restart on lap 107.
.@CoreyLaJoie spins, but there seems to be more to this story with @tydillon. 😬 pic.twitter.com/2fRlNd4wBm — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
Kevin Harvick would retake the lead from Logano on the outside lane entering turn three on lap 115. Jimmie Johnson, who had to restart at the tail end of the lead lap, made his way into the top ten. Harvick would win stage two by eight seconds over Logano. During the caution, Kevin Harvick brought the field down to pit road for service. Harvick would win the race off of pit road followed by Logano and Denny Hamlin. Harvick would choose the outside lane, and Denny Hamlin chose the inside lane as the final stage was underway on lap 193.
NEW LEADER: @KevinHarvick is back out front! The @StewartHaasRcng driver takes the top spot away from @joeylogano midway through Stage 2! pic.twitter.com/ItdrENOujO — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
On lap 216, Quinn Houff got loose coming off of turn two and slid down the track to bring out the sixth caution of the afternoon. Bubba Wallace got the free pass. During the caution, all of the leaders came to pit road with Harvick winning the race off of pit road. Harvick would once again choose the outside lane while Hamlin picked the inside lane for the restart on lap 222. Five laps into the restart, Hamlin had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a loose wheel.
An unscheduled stop for @dennyhamlin! Reports of a loose wheel forces the 1️⃣1️⃣ to pit road during the final stage. pic.twitter.com/f68GLK6cuq — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
Harvick had over a five-second lead when the caution would come out again on lap 289 for Cory LaJoie, who hit the outside wall between turns three and four. During the caution, all of the leaders came to pit road with Jimmie Johnson only taking two tires, winning the race off of pit road. Harvick came out second with four tires. Clint Bowyer had to pit again with a loose lug nut. The race resumed with 17 laps to go as Johnson took the outside lane, and Harvick went to the inside lane.
.@JimmieJohnson and @KevinHarvick are on the front row for this late-race restart! Get to NBCSN! pic.twitter.com/SIBKMpaN2L — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 23, 2020
Harvick grabbed the lead away from Johnson. Martin Truex Jr. would pass Johnson for second place. Harvick would go on to earn his seventh win of the season by 3.525 seconds over Martin Truex Jr., who finished in second place. For Harvick, he led 223 laps while clinching the regular-season championship, 15 points for the playoffs, tying Kyle Busch for ninth all-time in wins (56), and giving Ford their 700th win in the Cup Series.
The rest of the top ten finishers were Jimmie Johnson third, William Byron fourth, Alex Bowman fifth, Joey Logano sixth, Aric Almirola seventh, Brad Keselowski eighth, Austin Dillon ninth, and Cole Custer tenth. There were fifteen lead changes and seven cautions for forty laps.
Updated playoff point standings are: Kevin Harvick first (7 wins), Denny Hamlin second (6 wins), Brad Keselowski third (3 wins), Chase Elliott fourth (2 wins), Joey Logano fifth (2 wins), Martin Truex Jr. sixth (1 win), Ryan Blaney seventh (1 win), Alex Bowman eighth (1 win), Austin Dillon ninth (1 win), and Cole Custer tenth (1 win) are locked in the playoffs. Aric Almirola eleventh, Kyle Busch twelfth, Kurt Busch thirteenth have officially clinched playoff spots. Clint Bowyer is fourteenth, Matt DiBenedetto fifteenth, and William Byron sixteenth are in the playoffs for now. Outside looking in are Jimmie Johnson seventeenth, Erik Jones eighteenth, Tyler Reddick nineteenth, and Christopher Bell twentieth. The Cup Series will now head back to Daytona for the final race of the regular season Saturday in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at 7:30 pm on NBC.
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