NASCAR Saturday: Eckel on Digital Ally 400 - Harvick, Busch, Logano, Bowyer, Truex
It took 12 weeks, but it finally happened.
Now Kevin Harvick hopes it happens for him as well.
For the first time this NASCAR season, I, along, with my two experts Scott “Tobacco Road’’ Baker and Mike “Left Turn’’ Sweeney agree on the winner of this week’s Digital Ally 400 at the Kansas Speedway.
And it’s Harvick.
The 2014 Cup Series champ is third among the point leaders, trailing just Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, depite not winning a race yet this season.
Harvick has finished in the top three five times in 11 weeks and eight times in the top 10, but has yet to make it to Victory Lane.
Last year at this stage, Harvick had already had four wins and got his fifth at this race. He also finished third here in 2017 and second in 2016. So he might be the first person to be happy to be back in Kansas since Dorothy.
Busch, the points leader and the wins leader with three, has finished in the top 10 in all 11 races this year. In his last 14 races here in Kansas City, he has just two top 10 finishes, however. So that bears watching as well.
In the short eight-year history of this race there have been eight different winners. Will there be nine in nine years or will Harvick become the first to repeat?
Here’s Saturday night’s selections for the top spot, top three and top five finishes and your fantasy leagues.
Oh, and Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there.
Kevin Harvick (4-1): He earned the pole with some fast times in qualifying and his odds adjusted as well. Still at 4-1 he’s the pick of all three of us, which either means he’s a lock, or throw him out altogether. Here’s hoping for the former.
Clint Bowyer (15-1): Both “Left Turn’’ and “Tobacco Road’’ put Bowyer, Harvick’s Stewart-Haas and Ford teammate second on their picks. He hasn’t fared well at Kansas the past three years (why he’s not on my list), but he starting out of the three spot with an impressive run Friday.
Martin Truex (7-1): After a slow start to the season, the 2017 champ is getting hot at the right time. He has two wins in the last three weeks and has moved into fifth overall in the standings. He won this race in 2017 and finished second to Harvick last year. That same exacta could happen again.
Others to Watch: Kurt Busch (20-1), Chase Elliott (10-1).