Harvick, Hamlin squabble at Dover speedway

Kevin Harvick showed he had his teammate’s back by damaging Denny Hamlin’s rear.

After Harvick bumped Hamlin on the track, the top two points leaders were involved in a heated and profane exchange in the garage, sparking some life into the first practice Saturday at Dover International Speedway.

The dustup came a day after Hamlin blasted Clint Bowyer, saying Harvick’s RCR teammate was making excuses for why his winning car at New Hampshire failed a follow-up inspection.

Harvick appeared to stick up for Bowyer not with words, but with force.

“It’s a tight bunch,” Harvick said of his teammates after the Nationwide race. “It’s always been that way.”

It didn’t surprise Hamlin.

“I had a hint,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin knew he’d be a target when he said Harvick’s crew made sarcastic comments toward him before practice. Hamlin, who said he expected retaliation for his antagonistic criticism, said Harvick also got into the No. 11 Toyota on pit road.

Hamlin and Harvick made contact during the opening laps of practice, with Harvick damaging the right rear of Hamlin’s No. 11 car. Once the drivers returned to the garage, they got into each other’s faces before they were separated. Tempers quickly flared again and they went back to yelling at each other before they were broken up for good.

“Of course, it’s unnecessary because it didn’t help either one of the race teams,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin is in first place and holds a 45-point lead over Harvick in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship points standings heading into today’s race.

Hamlin starts fourth and Harvick is 33rd in today’s race.

Nationwide Series

Kyle Busch set a single-season record for wins in the Nationwide Series, taking the checkered flag for the 11th time in only 23 races.

Busch was tied with Sam Ard for the previous record with 10 wins. Busch also won 10 races in 2008, matching the record Ard set in NASCAR’s second-tier series in 1983.

Busch is closing in on Mark Martin’s career Nationwide mark of 48 wins. Busch is in second at 41.

Joey Logano was second and Carl Edwards third in Saturday’s race at at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

At Las Vegas, Austin Dillon raced to his second NASCAR Trucks Series victory of the year, leading the final 35 laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Dillon led 93 of 146 laps.

Formula One

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took the pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Alonso took his second straight Formula One pole, beating out Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on the Marina Bay circuit.