Harvick Holds Off Bowyer for Victory

Kevin Harvick held off Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer by .271 seconds Saturday to win the Goody’s 250 NASCAR Busch race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. -- the first series race at the track since 1994.

The victory was Harvick’s series-leading fourth of the season. Harvick is one of six Nextel Cup drivers who are running full-time schedules in that series and Busch this season.

It was Harvick’s 21st career Busch victory and ties him for seventh place all-time with Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Harry Gant.

Mark Martin leads the series with 47 victories.

Harvick’s No. 21 Chevrolet was by far the dominant car Saturday, leading 149 of 250 laps. He did, however, have to navigate several tricky restarts as the race was marred by a track-record 19 cautions covering 87 laps.

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Helio Castroneves turned a lap of 172.477 mph, a series track record, and will start from the pole for today’s IndyCar Series race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis.

Sam Hornish clocked a lap of 172.380 and qualified second as Marlboro Team Penske swept the front row. It will be the team’s third 1-2 start of the 2006 season.

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Two-time defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais will start from the pole for today’s Champ Car Edmonton Grand Prix.

A.J. Allmendinger, who is going for his fourth consecutive victory, will start fourth in the 18-car field after crashing out of the opening round of time trials Friday and spinning out during a late-session effort in Saturday’s final qualifying.

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Ben Spies earned his eighth victory of the season, winning at Laguna Seca in Monterey to take his largest lead of the season in the AMA Superbike points race.

The win increased Spies’ lead over defending AMA Superbike champion and teammate Mat Mladin to 34 points with seven rounds remaining.