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Hendrick Motorsports dominated Sunday at Phoenix, but Kevin Harvick methodically made his way to front of the field. In his final season of competition, the veteran driver took the lead in the final stage and was living up to his nickname as ‘The Closer.’
But a caution with ten laps to go changed everything. Harrison Burton spun, and there was split strategies among the frontrunners as they filed down pit road. While several went with a two-tire call, Harvick fell back to seventh after taking four.
The ensuing restarts didn’t go his way and it was an HMS driver claiming the checkered flag once again. William Byron won for the second consecutive week, earning his sixth career win as a Cup driver.
Alex Bowman collected his fourth straight top-ten and moved into the points lead after Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain had yet another run-in at the end of the race.