Harvick wins Stage 1 at Charlotte over Elliott

Harvick led  39 of the first 90 laps and held a 2.103-second advantage over Chase Elliott at the line.

“The only thing that has me concerned is I have a unique line and if the VHT goes away,” Harvick said.

Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Daniel Suarez and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top 10. 

Martin Truex Jr., who was 12th, failed to finish in the top 10 for the first time in the first stage since Daytona in July.

Hamlin led the field to green with Harvick behind, who quickly moved into second when Kenseth stalled at the start. Bowyer raced up to third followed by Kyle Busch, Elliott, Kenseth, Kahne, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Suarez, Blaney, Larson and Truex. 

Elliott moved up to fourth on Lap 5 and passed Bowyer for third on the next circuit.Coming to the seventh lap, Harvick beat Hamlin to the line, but couldn’t remain at the point throughout the entire circuit. Larson passed Kurt Busch for 11th on Lap 10. Truex blew by Dillon for 13th. Ten laps in, Kenseth moved up to fourth followed by Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Kahne, McMurray, Keselowski, Suarez, Kurt Busch, Larson, Austin Dillon, Truex and Newman. Two laps later, the No. 78 passed the No. 41 for 12th. 

Hamlin lapped his first car — Jeffrey Earnhardt after 15 laps. Jimmie Johnson, who started 25th, moved up to 16th. Clint Bowyer dropped from fifth to seventh

Hamlin’s lead was .261-seconds over Harvick after 20 laps. Thirty-six cars remained on the lead circuit with Elliott third, followed by Kenseth, Kyle Busch, McMurray, Bowyer, Larson, Kahne and Truex. Johnson moved into the top 15. Larson passed Bowyer for seventh on Lap 25. Truex moved by the No. 14 Ford on the next lap. 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., passed Danica Patrick for 18th on Lap 27. Ryan Blaney, the only playoff contender outside of the top 20, ran 24th. 

Hamlin held a .233-second lead over Harvick when the competition caution was called on Lap 35, with 33 cars on the lead lap. 

Hamlin was the first driver off of pit road followed by Harvick, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Truex, McMurray, Bowyer, Johnson, Kurt Busch, Suarez, Newman, Austin Dillon, AJ Allmendinger and Kasey Kahne. Michael McDowell was 16th followed by Patrick, Paul Menard, Blaney, Stenhouse, Keselowski, Bayne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

Larson missed his pit box during the Lap 37 stops and returned to pit road on the next lap. He dropped to 31st. 

When the race restarted on Lap 41, Elliott shot to the lead with Harvick in tow. Hamlin dropped to third followed by McMurray, Kenseth, Johnson, Kurt Busch, Truex, Suarez and Dillon. Harvick caught Elliott entering Turn 3 on Lap 44. However, Ryan Newman slid up in Turn 2, took away Bowyers line and the drivers made contact exited the turn. Erik Jones was collected in the incident which triggered the second caution. 

"I know I got tight underneath him and I washed up, but I checked-up and when you check-up sometimes you wash up even more, but never the less, I don’t know if he turned me on purpose or not he probably had a right to, but it was early in the race and we had a good car," Newman said. "The Caterpillar Chevrolet was coming back through, we lost three spots on the pit stop and that was rough, but we started passing some cars and just either my mistake or his mistake, both of us going for the same piece of real estate off Turn 2.” 

The race returned to green on Lap 51 with Elliott at the point on the inside lane followed by Harvick, Hamlin, McMurray, Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Johnson, Austin Dillon, Truex, Suarez, Kurt Busch, Allmendinger, Kahne, Menard, McDowell, Keselowski, Stenhouse, Blaney, Patrick and Bayne.

Harvick used the high line to pass Elliott coming out of Turn 4. McMurray ran third followed by Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Hamlin, Suarez, Dillon, Truex and Johnson. Larson passed Stenhouse for 17th. Harvick’s lead was 1.2-seconds over Elliott by Lap 60. McMurray, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Kenseth, Suarez, Larson, Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon rounded out the top 10. Larson passed Suarez for seventh on the next circuit. 

Kyle Busch caught McMurray on Lap 65 but couldn't make the pass for third. Harvick’s extended his advantage to nearly two-seconds over Elliott on Lap 70, as Larson passed Kenseth for sixth. Harvick lapped Joe Logano on Lap 71 to leave 30 cars on the lead lap. Larson blew by Hamlin for fifth on Lap 75.

With 10 laps remaining in the stage, Harvick’s lead was over 1.974-seconds over Elliott. McMurray, Kyle Busch, Larson, Hamlin, Kenseth,Kurt Busch, Suarez and Johnson rounded out the top 10. Larson took third from Busch on Lap 83.