Who… should you be talking about after the race?
It took nearly six months for the Cup Series to see a driver go back-to-back, but Kevin Harvick showed that old age and treachery still has an edge, holding off a hard-charging Christopher Bell to win the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway. It was Harvick’s fourth win at the Virginia short track but his first since moving to Stewart-Haas Racing back in 2014.
If Harvick won a week ago at Michigan on strategy and opportunity, he won Sunday (Aug. 14) on raw speed. Harvick hunted down then-leader Joey Logano with 66 laps to go and then, after giving the lead up to Denny Hamlin briefly, took it back for the final 48 laps of the race.
Suddenly Harvick, who hadn’t made a lot of noise since a nine-win season in 2020, has a ton of momentum with just two weeks left until the playoffs begin. Last week, he was a sentimental favorite, a last-minute addition to a crowded field. Now, he’s suddenly emerging from the shadows as a possible title threat.
And don’t forget: Chris Buescher. Buescher had one of the fastest cars in the late going, and got to within half a second of Harvick as the laps wound down. Buescher used up his car trying to take the lead (nothing wrong with that!) and finished a promising third. He’s been the stronger of the RFK Racing drivers this year and is starting to show the promise co-owner Brad Keselowski saw in him.
Looking ahead, Buescher has finished in the top 10 at the last three road courses — could he be gearing up to crash the playoff party next weekend?
What… is the buzz about?
Silly Season is well underway. Most recently, Bubba Wallace re-upped with 23XI Racing in a multi-year deal while Daniel Suarez hinted he’s close to the same at Trackhouse Racing Team. Noah Gragson locked up the No. 42 at Petty GMS Motorsports earlier in the week, following the re-signing of new teammate Erik Jones in the No. 43 a couple of weeks ago.
So who’s still up in the air? Number one on the list is still Kyle Busch, who remains unsigned for 2023 and beyond. Toyota recently indicated that “nothing is off the table” in its efforts to keep Busch in the fold, but Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing don’t seem much closer to an agreement.
The other big question mark is the No. 10 ride at Stewart-Haas Racing, being vacated by Aric Almirola after this season. While Almirola is reconsidering his imminent retirement, the…
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