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Kevin Harvick wins for sixth time at Michigan International Speedway

BROOKLYN, Mich. — For Kevin Harvick, a trip to Michigan was just what the doctor ordered.

Harvick won the 2022 FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, his sixth career victory at Michigan International Speedway (2010, 2018, 2019 and a sweep of two wins in 2020).

The win, his first since September 2020, snaps his 65-start winless streak and punches his ticket into the 2022 NASCAR Cup playoffs. He led just 13 laps the entire season entering Sunday.

But he took the lead on Lap 163 on Sunday and did not relinquish it.

"Good timing for sure," Harvick said of his win to USA Network after the race. "Everybody who doubted us doesn't know us. They know we thrive in these types of situations.

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"A lot of things went our way today, which we haven't had happen a lot this year ... once I got clear track today that baby was hunting."

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Bubba Wallace, who won the pole for the first time in his career, took second, finishing in the top 10 for his career-best fourth straight race. Denny Hamlin, who won Stage 2, took third followed by Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

Sunday was the eighth consecutive victory for Ford at MIS (43rd all time), with Ford taking three of the top five spots.

Toyota (Wallace, Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.) took the other three spots in the top six when Chevrolet (Kyle Larson, Erik Jones and Alex Bowman) finishing seventh through ninth.

Byron's Erik Jones (eighth) and Rochester Hills' Brad Keselowski finished 15th, extending the streak of no Michigan-born driver having won a top-circuit NASCAR race at MIS.

The race was delayed more than 1½ hours after a quick but substantial rainstorm moved through the area around 2:30 p.m. Harvick was the 15th different winner in the season's first 23 races — tying a NASCAR record — with three races remaining before the postseason.

"Coming to Michigan has been a great place for us," Harvick said. "You have to thank the fans, they stuck with us though this dry spell and hopefully we will get back to victory lane soon."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kevin Harvick wins FireKeepers Casino 400, secures NASCAR playoff spot