Kevin Harvick wins Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte - MotorSportsTalk

A late pit call proved to be the difference for Kevin Harvick, who took the lead from Kasey Kahne on the final restart with 11 laps to go and sped away to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Kahne had been holding a three-second lead over Harvick until debris on the backstretch brought out the caution at Lap 386. But while Kahne stayed out, the rest of the leaders decided to go to pit road for fresh tires. Harvick took two tires on his last stop of the night and when the green came back out on Lap 389, he quickly disposed of Kahne and went on to win by 1.49 seconds.

“It was a good strategy call there,” Harvick told Fox Sports in Victory Lane. “The 5 [Kahne] stayed out and we were able to have a little bit fresher tires and get in front of him on the restart.”

Kahne and his Hendrick Motorsports team were expecting the cars behind them to follow their lead and stay out as well.

“There’s a couple of guys that had just got tires, so we thought they’d stay out,” Kahne explained to Fox. “…That didn’t happened and the whole field pitted. We were in a tough spot. I bet if we pit, some of them don’t, so I think we’re just in a tough spot right there.”

Kurt Busch also had a chance to win and was leading the way when a three-car crash involving Aric Almirola, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin brought out a red flag with 74 to go. But shortly after the restart, Busch suffered a battery failure and was forced to the pits. However, the former Cup champion was still able to climb up to third position by the finish.

“We picked up the lead and the battery went dead – I don’t know what to think of that,” said Busch. “But we battled back. The guys changed it as fast as they could and we got third. We had a good car. You gotta be perfect to win these things and that was…close. We weren’t quite there.”

Denny Hamlin followed up his run to the Coke 600 pole with a fourth-place finish ahead of Joey Logano in fifth.

Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth were strong for the first half of the race, but did not have a say in the final outcome. After overcoming damage caused by a wayward guide rope for an overhead TV camera, Kyle lost his engine on Lap 251. As for Kenseth, he was caught in an incident at Lap 333 as he was hit from behind by Juan Pablo Montoya, who was trying to check up and avoid him while Jimmie Johnson was spinning out. Kenseth soldiered to a 15th place result.

The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.