Kevin Harvick Tops Active Drivers in Key Stat After Richmond Race

Getty Kevin Harvick took the lead among active drivers with 28 top-10s at Richmond.

The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang did not win at Richmond Raceway on April 3, but he finished second overall behind Denny Hamlin. This was Kevin Harvick‘s 28th career top-10 finish at the Virginia short track, the most among active drivers.

The 2014 Cup Series champion has performed very consistently at Richmond Raceway during his career. He has made 42 starts at the track and posted 28 top-10 finishes (66.7% of his starts). This run includes 16 top-five finishes and three trips to Victory Lane. Equally important is the fact that Harvick has completed every single race at Richmond.

There are multiple veteran drivers with a history of strong performances at Richmond Raceway. Kyle Busch, who leads active drivers with six wins, has 26 top-10 finishes at the short track. Hamlin (four wins) has 20 while both Kurt Busch (two wins) and Martin Truex Jr. (three wins) have 15.

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Harvick’s Latest Top-10 Marked a Major Moment

GettyKevin Harvick gained crucial points at Richmond Raceway.

The win would have helped Harvick join other winners in the playoff picture, and it would have ended a winless streak dating back to September 19, 2020, at Bristol Motor Speedway. Harvick still remains in pursuit of his 59th career Cup Series win, which would tie Busch as the most among active drivers, but he made some important moves in the standings.

Harvick headed to Richmond Raceway with only two top-10 finishes in the 2022 season. He was 12th in the standings and in need of some momentum. He climbed into the Mobil 1 Ford Mustang and secured points in every stage before finishing second overall. Harvick is now eighth overall with 193 points after another strong performance.

“[I’m] just proud of everyone on our Ford Mobil 1 Mustang for staying there and having a great strategy and doing everything they did all day,” Harvick told FOX Sports after exiting the No. 4. “First clean day we’ve had all year. Cars have been fast. 

“Had a shot there at the end. I wanted to be close enough with the white to just take a swipe at [Hamlin]. Yeah, the lap cars there kind of got in the way and I lost a little bit of ground. Still a great day for us. Just hopefully a little momentum in a positive direction.”

Harvick Will Head to Another Favored Track

Harvick expressed hope that the second-place finish at Richmond Raceway would be momentum for the rest of the regular season. He will have an opportunity to continue making positive strides at another short track where he has previous success.

The Cup Series season continues with a night race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, April 9 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1). The Paperclip is the shortest track in NASCAR, and it has served as the site of 41 starts by the 2014 champion.

Harvick’s history at Martinsville Speedway includes 20 top-10 finishes, five top-fives, and a win in 2011. The veteran driver has also largely avoided on-track incidents while completing 98.3% of the 20,540 laps and posting one DNF. Now he will make his 42nd career start at the short track — his first in the Gen 7 car — and he will try to move even closer to a secure spot in the playoffs.

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