The NASCAR season headed to California on Sunday for the Auto Club 400 at Fontana.
Juan Pablo Montoya, the polesitter, was looking to earn his first oval win on Sunday, but he would not get the win. He led the first six laps of the race, but faded after that and could never run at the top. He kept on fading back, but somehow finished the race in 10th place.
Kyle Busch, who swept both races at Bristol last weekend, won the Nationwide Series race on Saturday and was hoping to win four races in two weeks.
The younger Busch led a race-high 151 laps and showed all day that he was the dominant car.
However, with nine laps remaining, the field set to restart after a late-race caution.
Busch started in the lead and in the opening laps of the restart, he pulled away from five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson.
But as the laps winded down, Johnson inched closer and closer to Busch's bumper.
The five-time Sonoma winner passed Busch with two laps remaining, hoping to win his sixth race at the track.
With Johnson leading Harvick at the white flag, Harvick made his move going into Turn 3 on the last remaining lap. Staying on the high side of the racetrack, Harvick completed the pass exiting Turn 4.
He would cut in front of Johnson, dive all the way to the bottom, and win his first race of the 2011 season.
Known as one, if not the, best closer in NASCAR, Harvick said after the race, "I wish we could just go out there and wear 'em out one day, just not have to worry about waiting until the last lap," Harvick said. "It does kind of seem we wait until the last moments to really get going. It's probably somewhat of a bad habit I have, but I guess it worked out."
Harvick has overcome a slow start to the season, especially after placing 42nd at the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500.
Before Sunday, Harvick's best race this season was a fourth-place finish at Phoenix.
It seemed as though he didn't have a particularly strong car at Fontana after qualifying 24th for the 400-mile race.
But he did what he does best. Sit and wait. He steadily made his way throughout the park, as if he was the tortoise and Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson were the hares.
Car owner Richard Childress visited Harvick in Victory Lane, just like they've done numerous times.
"I really felt good when they had that restart because I knew his car was really fast on the long run. I knew if they didn't get too far out in front of us, we'd have a shot," Childress said. "All we needed was to get him side-by-side and start racing. That gave Kevin a chance to catch them and he made the right move going into 3."
The race also signified troubles for Joe Gibbs Racing. Even though Busch placed third in the race, Denny Hamlin blew an engine on lap 80 and ended up finishing 39th. Joey Logano qualified in third place, but had to go to the back after switching engines. He would finish the race in 25th.
Joe Gibbs Racing has now had engine troubles in all five races this season.
Harvick, Johnson, and Busch were the top three finishers. Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman rounded out the top five. Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, and Montoya filled the next five spots, respectively.
After five weeks of racing, Carl Edwards is currently first in the standings. Ryan Newman is behind him, just nine points behind. The Busch brothers are next with older brother Kurt just one point ahead of Kyle. Defending champion Jimmie Johnson fills out the top five.
Tony Stewart is sixth, with surprise driver Paul Menard in seventh. Montoya is eighth, and following him, a three-way tie for ninth place with Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, and Kasey Kahne battling for that spot.
They will travel to Martinsville next week for what is sure to be an exciting race.
Here's a video of the last few laps of the Auto Club 400:
