Happy wins the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”213″][/media-credit]Kevin Harvick won the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 in Richmond International Raceway. This was Harvick’s sixth Nationwide Series win at Richmond and his first in the series since going to victory lane here since 2010.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Harvick said in Victory Lane. ”I know the first 37 seemed a whole lot easier than No. 38.” Harvick said.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished second, Kurt Busch third, Denny Hamlin fourth and Michael Annett rounded out the top-5.

“I gave it all I had on the outside with Kevin there and that was a lot of fun racing him, last week and this week, we gave each other a lot of room and had a lot of fun doing it. Congratulations to them. I know they deserve this one as well as last week.” Stenhouse Jr. said.

Stenhouse Jr. started on the pole but quickly lost it when he got a bad start and Dillon took the lead into turn 1. Dillon led the first lap and pulled away. Stenhouse Jr. got  shuffled back to seventh on lap 2 but quietly worked his way back up to second by lap 10. He took the spot away on lap 23 when Dillon got stuck trying to pass the lapped car of Derek White off turn 4.

The first caution came out for the first time when the No.17 of Tanner Barryhill cut a tire in turn 2 and slammed the wall on lap 35. Everybody came in for the first pit stops. Sam Hornish Jr. came in and was free and got a wedge adjustment with some air pressure and only seven gallons of fuel. Dillon got in and said it was a little bit loose and got a track bar with four tires. Ryan Blaney only took two tires and gained 12 positions. Johanna Long lost nine spots due to having very little pit crew.

Stenhouse Jr. lead the field back to the green flag on lap 45 with Dillon, Harvick and Hornish Jr. behind him. Stenhouse got a better restart and kept the lead after spinning his tires.  Hamlin lost a couple spots due to getting block in by Mike Wallace and had to back up to not hit him and his (Mike) pit crew. Stenhouse continued to lead but was getting challenged by Harvick on lap 67 in turn 1. Harvick got a little bit loose and moved up the race track but saved it and was still searching for the lead.  Harvick took the position when he pinned Stenhouse on the top side with lap traffic in front of him and could not go where. Harvick pulled away a little bit when he took over.

After a long green flag run, the second caution waved on lap 110 when the Long cut a tire and slammed the wall in turn 2. She was having a great run until the last pit stop where she lost nine spots. She went behind the wall for repairs. They went in for the 2nd round of pit stops with the No.33 of Harvick leading them onto pit road. Dillon was tight in the turns and got a air pressure and a track bar as well as four tires and fuel. Busch got four tires and fuel with a wedge adjustment and a air pressure. Harvick was loose and got a chassis adjustment and a air pressure and was off.

The restart happened on the lap 118 with Harvick leading. He cleared the field while they were, at one point, four wide on the front stretch. Hamlin got loose with Dillon and almost lost it on the front stretch but kept it together.

The third caution waved when the No. 7 car of Danica Patrick got into the wall on the front stretch after contact with Brad Sweet. Sweet was on high side and Patrick got into him and smacked the wall. The third round of pit stops occurred with all the leaders coming in. Sadler came in and was tight and free in the turns. Busch said he was little tight but overall it was pretty good. Harvick also told his team that he was loose but it was getting better and they almost got it perfect.

The green flag waved again on lap 150 with Harvick leaving. He got a great restart and pulled away from the field going into one and two. Hamlin looks like he has his car together and got second place and was looking for the lead. Busch passed Stenhouse Jr. for third and was looking for second.

The green did not last long as the caution waved on lap 156 when the No. 12 car of Hornish Jr spun after his tire went down and barley smacked the wall. When he was coming down the track, Timmy Hill was trying to avoid it and missed and got the back of the Hornish car. It tore off all of the foam and and the fenders of the right side with foam all over the track. They red flagged the field to get all the debris cleaned up and so the cars wont run over it. Nobody came in during the last stop.

The went back to green on lap 163 with Harvick leading.  Harvick clears in turn 3 and Stenhouse and Busch fight for second. Stenhouse cleared Busch in the next lap and set his sights on Harvick. Sadler got by Busch and was fighting with Stenhouse real hard for 2nd.

Elliott Sadler was the victim of the of the fifth caution when Stenhouse and him. It looked like Stenhouse was just there and Sadler got loose and spun and backed it into the fence. The leaders were in the pit stops with Harvick leading them onto pit road. He said he was still loose and got a chassis adjustment while Stenhouse got the same thing. Dillon got 3/10th’s of a air pressure and four tires. Harvick beat Stenhouse barley to get the lead off  pit road.

“I made a big mistake. I got in there a little bit too loose under Ricky.  We were in good position to win the race. I just got a little bit too impatient, I got a little too hard in my head.” Sadler said.

They went back to green flag racing on lap 182 but it only lasted two laps when Brian Scott spun after getting help from Ryan Truex. Truex is a teammate to Scott when he races for Joe Gibbs racing.

They went back to green on lap 201 with Stenhouse Jr. leading. Stenhouse, Harvick and Busch all went three wide into turn 3 with Busch taking the top spot. Harvick and Stenhouse continued to battle for multiple laps but Busch never pulled away. Harvick eventually got past Stenhouse and went to search for the top spot.

While he was searching for the top spot Busch tagged Dexter Stacey and spun him into the grass. While Stacey was spinning, Harvick moved past Busch before the caution flag came out and got the lead away from Busch.

The final restart occurred on lap 233 with Harvick leading. He got a terrific restart and never let go.