Harvick fastest again in Happy Hour practice at Pocono - MotorSportsTalk

Second Freaky Fast verse, same as the first.

Just like he did in the early morning practice, Kevin Harvick paced Saturday’s final NASCAR Sprint Cup happy hour practice at Pocono Raceway.

Harvick’s top speed in the final session for Sunday’s Pocono 400 was 175.606 mph, followed by outside pole-sitter Kurt Busch (175.545 mph), Jimmie Johnson (175.452), Tony Stewart, (175.370) and Ryan Newman (175.145).

Right after recording the fastest lap of all competitors, Harvick came back into the garage fearing a motor issue in his Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

As it turned out, it was not a motor problem: fluid from the transmission leaked. The team repaired the problem and Harvick was able to get back on the racetrack before the practice session ended.

“The car was real fast, we just have to put a whole day together,” Harvick told Fox Sports. “Right now, it’s running pretty good. … I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Harvick has never won a Sprint Cup race at Pocono.

Midway through the session, Newman told his team over the radio that he may have missed a shift, which could have damaged the motor, but he was able to continue on without any incident.

Sixth through 10th-fastest were Dale Earnhardt Jr. (175.073), Brad Keselowski (174.808), Matt Kenseth (174.618), Jeff Gordon (174.388) and pole-sitter Denny Hamlin (174.304).

Earnhardt fought a vibration issue through the entire session, but told Fox Sports that he expects his team will find the issue and fix it. If not, Earnhardt said he’s prepared to go through the race with the problem. The problem originally arose in the first practice of the day, prompting his team to change transmissions, but that did not resolve the issue.

Other key drivers included Danica Patrick, 11th-fastest (174.206 mph), Kyle Larson (174.109), Kyle Busch was 21st-fastest (173.779), Joey Logano was right behind his former teammate (173.564) and Clint Bowyer was 25th (173.254).

Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola suffered motor failure during the final practice. His team will have to change motors, leaving Almirola to start Sunday’s race from the rear of the 43-car field.

The only driver who did not go out for the final practice was Timmy Hill.

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Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.

Seattle Supercross numbers — *Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports*

For the fifth time in 10 rounds. Sexton, Webb, and Eli Tomac shared the podium in Detroit. Between them, the trio has taken 23 podiums, leaving only seven for the remainder of the field. Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia have two each with Aaron Plessinger scoring the other.

Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.

Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.

Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.

The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.

In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.

Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.

Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.

Last Five Seattle Winners

450s
2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto

250s
2022: Hunter Lawrence
2019: Dylan Ferrandis
2018: Aaron Plessinger
2017: Aaron Plessinger
2014: Cole Seely

By the Numbers

Detroit
Indianapolis
Daytona
Arlington
Oakland
Tampa
Houston
Anaheim 2
San Diego

More SuperMotocross coverage

How to Watch Seattle Supercross
Dylan Ferrandis may return before SX finale
SMX develops “Leader Lights”
Power Rankings after Detroit
Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan
Results and points after Detroit
Chase Sexton wins in Detroit, penalized seven points

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