Kevin Harvick claimed victory in the Monster Energy Cup Series‘ Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway after taking the lead with less than twenty laps remaining.
In his home race, Brad Keselowski started on the pole alongside Harvick, while Martin Truex Jr. (failed pre-race inspection twice), Matt Tifft and Corey LaJoie (transmission), Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin Dillon and Daniel Hemric (failed post-qualifying technical inspection), and Garrett Smithley (Reed Sorenson qualified his #77) were ordered to the rear.
Keselowski led the first 39 laps before Denny Hamlin took the spot. From the back, Truex began his charge early on and eventually began trading the lead with his Joe Gibbs Racing team-mate Hamlin. By the green-checkered flag, Truex led Hamlin, Keselowski, Joey Logano, William Byron, Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, and Aric Almirola.
Stage #2 began on lap 67 with Keselowski leading. Although he, Truex, and Harvick would exchange the lead, Keselowski’s race took a turn when he spun on lap 117. The stage would come to a hectic end when Dillon, Hemric, and Almirola all wrecked, forcing the stage to finish under caution.
Green flag racing resumed on lap 128 with Logano at the helm. Six laps later, Spencer Boyd – running his first Cup Series race – spun in turn four. An attempted restart fell apart when contact from Paul Menard sent Clint Bowyer into the turn three wall.
After an eight-lap green flag run with Logano leading, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun in turn four for the final yellow of the day. Logano continued to lead until Harvick passed him on lap 183. Although fuel mileage became a concern, Harvick was able to pull through to take his second win of 2019 and second in a row at the August Michigan race.
