Three in a Row for #4 and 40 in NASCAR for Harvick at ISM Raceway [VIDEO, PHOTOS]

Kevin Harvick didn’t dominate in Phoenix, but he did driver to his third NASCAR win in a row at ISM Raceway in Phoenix during the TicketGuardian 500.

Kevin started the race with the confidence of dominating and winning the previous two races in Atlanta and Las Vegas. The #4 Ford was one of the favorites to win the race Sunday afternoon (3/11). However, this time there were other cars that had the speed to control the race when the green flag dropped.

The race was another Sunday that did not see many on track incidents having only six caution periods including two that came at the end of the first two stages of the race. Kyle Busch won stage one while his brother Kurt Busch scored the win for stage two.

Kevin Harvick dominated the previous two weeks in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races easily leading the most laps in those races and winning them both. This time it was Kyle Busch ending the day with a race high 128 laps led of the 312 lap race. Kurt Busch was second on the list for laps led at 54. Kevin was third on the list with a total of 38 laps at the front of the field.

The difference for Kevin was when he was out front. Of his 38 laps led, 22 of them were the final laps of the race including the last lap that let him cross under the checkered flag first. The #4 Jimmy John’s Ford not only scored the third consecutive win in a row, it was Kevin’s ninth win at the track in Phoenix and his 40th career win.

Kyle Busch claimed a runner-up finish with Chase Elliott taking home a third place finish. Denny Hamlin was scored in fourth place at the end of the race with Martin Truex Jr. rounding out the top five. See the complete race results for the TicketGuardian 500 here.

With three wins in the first four races of the season, Kevin Harvick is the leader in the point standings. Kyle Busch sits in second place followed by Martin Truex Jr. in third place. Fourth place currently belongs to Joey Logano with Ryan Blaney sitting in fifth place. See the complete Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings here.

NASCAR’s west coast swing wraps up this week with the Auto Club 400 Sunday, March 18th from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

By: Buck Stevens

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