Kevin Harvick passed Jamie McMurray at the finish line to win the Aaron's 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup race Sunday, April 25, 2010 at Talladega Superspeedway. The win was Harvick's first since the 2007 Daytona 500 and snapped a 115-race winless streak for Harvick .
Sunday's race linup was set by driver points when Saturday's qualifying was cancelled because of the threat of severe weather near the Alabama track. Points leader Jimmie Johnson lined up first for the restrictor-plate race.
Two records were set Sunday when the lead changed 88 times and 29 drivers led the race as some point. The race was also the first to see three green-white-checkered attempts to end the race.
Harvick said after the race that his strategy was to hang out in the back and make his move later in the race.
"Yeah, we spent the first part of the day just really trying to protect ourselves making laps," Harvick said, "and waited until like about 50 or 60 laps to go to go, and it's a lot easier for us to race when we're not trying to figure out the rules, we just kind of do what we do, and everybody is pretty good at the bump drating stuff now, especially here because the grip is so high."
Earnhardt Ganassi Teammates Finish Second and Third
McMurray's teammate Juan Pablo Montoya finished third. On the final restart, McMurray and Montoya lined up side-by-side which turned out to be a disadvantage for the Earnhardt Ganassi teammates.
"Yeah, I mean, ultimately you would like to have your teammate either right in front of you or right behind you," McMurray told the media after the race. "There was a little bit of an advantage to being the pacesetter on the inside because I would just wave the guy behind me and I really would let him start the race, not me."
"I would let him get to my bumper and set the pace of crossing the start-finish line," McMurray continued. "So you have just that little bit of momentum. If he can break the plane of the car on the outside's front bumper, you have all the momentum at least for a half of a lap. It was an advantage to get to be on the inside."
Harvick and McMurray Also Ran the Rain-delayed Nationwide Race Sunday
As soon as he finished his Victory Lane celebration, Harvick got into his own Nationwide series car to drive the rain-postponed Aaron's 312 race, originally scheduled for Saturday.
Harvick started from the pole in his own No. 33 Nationwide car and McMurray piloted the 88 car for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Eleven drivers drove both races on Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson Sprint Cup Points Leaders After Talladega
Four-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson continues to lead the points standings after Sunday's race. Harvick trails Johnson by only 26 points.
Greg Biffle, Matt Kennseth and Kyle Busch round out the top-five drivers after nine of 36 races.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series moves to Richmond International Raceway this weekend for Saturday night's running of the Crown Royal Present the Heath Calhoun 400.
Rosalie Thompson - Rosalie Thompson enjoys writing about NASCAR, real estate, gardening and travel in the Southeastern United States. After graduating from ...
