CONCORD, N.C. -- If Kevin Harvick's going to win a third straight points race for the second time this year, he'll have to earn it.
After failing pre-qualifying inspection multiple times Thursday, Harvick will start at the rear of the field for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition to starting at the back, Harvick will be without the services of car chief Robert Smith, who was ejected from the track. He'll also serve a 30-minute hold during Saturday's final practice session.
Kevin Harvick will not qualify tonight. Rodney Childers told me the more they sanded on it, the more it went into the "red" pic.twitter.com/k4ng8EiANQ
— Wendy Venturini (@WendyVenturini) May 24, 2018
Crew chief Rodney Childers told PRN's Wendy Venturini that the more the team worked to get the No. 4 to pass inspection, the worse it seemed to get with each trip through the optical scanning station.
Harvick has two career wins in NASCAR's longest race, collecting the checkered flag in 2011 and 2013 in the Coca-Cola 600. Counting last week's Monster Energy All-Star Race, the 2014 Cup Series champion is aiming for his fourth straight trip to victory lane.
The Performance Racing Network will have live coverage of Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 starting at 5 p.m. EDT. Click here to find an affiliate near you.