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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Dover Sunday Notebook
Engine failure costs Harvick the points lead.
Ben Blake  | http://www.racer.com  |  Posted September 23, 2006   Dover, Del.
Kevin Harvick's run for a championsihp hit a bump at Dover with an engine failure that relegated him to a 29th-place finish. (Photo: Getty Images/Chris Trotman)

Kevin Harvick, who had won the prior two races at Richmond and New Hampshire and came to Dover with the points lead, saw a middling day go up in smoke in Sunday's Dover 400 at Dover Downs.

Kenseth struggled with his car's handling most of the day, never getting higher than ninth place. On Lap 360, his engine began to fade, and he fell toward the rear. He coasted to the garage on 367, his engine ruined, and finished 29th.

That dropped Harvick to fifth in the points standings, 54 behind new leader (and teammate) Jeff Burton, who won the race. It also marked the first time this season that Harvick's No. 29 team had failed to finish a race, Busch or Cup.

Harvick let his frustration show. "I blew up," he said. "These guys have done a great job all year, so what do you do? It's the first failure we've had in a long time.

"We'll be fine. We'll just keep racing.

Crew chief Todd Berrier noted that the car was tight all day and that nothing the team did seemed to loosen it to Harvick's satisfaction. Most of the day, Kevin wandered in the wilderness, 20th or lower.

The third Childress driver, rookie Clint Bowyer, also noticed a fading engine near the finish but was able to make it to the checkered flag in eighth place.

The news was worse, much worse, for playoff contenders Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch. Kahne, who had made the playoff with a strong finishing kick through the summer, struggled to 16th last week at New Hampshire, then literally ran into early trouble Sunday.

Tony Stewart spun alone on Lap 12 and Kahne, with nowhere to go, ran into him, damaging the left-front of his Dodge. The team attempted to make repairs, but Kahne was out after completing just 172 laps, finishing 38th.

"No more championship," he said, subdued. "We all thought we had a shot to win the Nextel Cup, but you can't have two rough weeks, I don't think. I think we'd have to win the final eight to win the Cup.

Kahne is ninth, 182 behind, with eight races to go.

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