Auto racing: Harvick wins at Chicagoland

Kevin Harvick won the Busch Series race at Chicagoland on Saturday in Joliet, Ill., his fourth overall victory at the 7-year-old track on the outskirts of Chicago.

What makes him so good here?

“I don’t know,” Harvick said. “I wish I knew, so we could build some more like this.”

Harvick won the first two Cup races at Chicagoland in 2001 and 2002, and won the track’s Busch race in 2005.

“We know what it takes to go fast here, and it’s just evolved through the years,” Harvick said.

Harvick was fast again, ducking under Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton to take the lead with 27 laps to go. But Harvick also benefited from an earlier strategy gamble that didn’t pay off for Kyle Busch.

Busch was leading when Aric Almirola spun out to bring out a caution flag with 34 laps left, forcing teams to make a strategy decision: Stay out to hold their position on the track or make a pit stop to get fresh tires.

Busch drove into the pits, and the other leaders appeared ready to follow him in – but Burton pulled back on the track at the last second while Busch continued on to make a pit stop, a fake-out move by Burton’s No. 29 team.

“I think the 5 car kind of had the race won,” Matt Kenseth said. “When they pitted, they kind of opened the door.”

Burton admitted that he was trying to snooker Busch.

“Why wouldn’t you?” Burton said.

By not pitting, Burton was in the lead for a restart with 30 to go.

Busch dropped back to eighth after his pit stop, costing him position on the track but giving him fresher tires than the other contenders for the closing laps of the race.

Busch then lost a spot to Carl Edwards on the restart, dropping to ninth.

Busch rallied to finish fifth.

Harvick drew side by side with Burton with 28 laps to go, then pulled past to assume the lead for good one lap later.

IRL

The IRL Firestone Indy 200 at Gladeville, Tenn., was postponed and rescheduled for today, the first rainout in the IndyCar Series in seven years.

“Tony Kanaan and Sam Hornish Jr. apologized to each other about a tussle between the drivers after last week’s race at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Kanaan cut in front of Hornish after the checkered flag last week because he was upset that Hornish bumped him trying to pass early in the race, a move the Brazilian felt cost him positioning and nearly knocked him out of the race.

Once in the pits, Hornish’s father pushed Kanaan and then was knocked to the ground by members of Kanaan’s crew. The drivers were fined unspecified amounts.

The drivers avoided reconciliation until after the drivers’ meeting for the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.

“We had a nice conversation,” Kanaan said. “Everything is cool. We’re all professionals.”

NASCAR Trucks

Mike Skinner completely dominated the Built Ford Tough 225 in Sparta, Ky., leading 135 of 150 laps to earn his series-leading fourth victory of the season.

Skinner’s championship lead grew to 164 points over Ron Hornaday Jr., who finished 10th. Travis Kvapil finished second.