2015 Rearview: There may not have been a more dominant car week after week than the No. 4. Leading the field in Top-5 (22) and Top-10 finishes (27), tell part of the story. The three wins and 12 second place showings tell the rest. In fact, Kevin Harvick has taken last year's run to his first Cup Championship and gotten even better. No he didn't match the gaudy pole awards (eight) from 2014, but his average starting position is nearly a full spot better than it was last season. He's set a new career marks in nearly every category, and were it not for an expired engine at Pocono (a race he was leading at the time) those numbers could look even better. There's little that Harvick hasn't accomplished this season, and every time a truly great performance has been needed, "The Closer" answers the call. He needed a win at Dover to advance in the Chase, and 355 laps led later he had just that. Now he has the opportunity to do what only 10 drivers have done in their careers, and repeat as NASCAR Champion.
His Career: They say things get better with age, and that can certainly be said for Harvick's career. Since 2010, his age-34 season, he's seen multi-win campaigns every year but one (2012), and has finished third or better in points in those same seasons. Only Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have more Chase wins to their name, and he has the chance to add a second Cup Championship trophy to his mantle.
History at Homestead: Harvick's rattled off seven straight Top-10's, including the most important one of his career in last year's Sprint Cup Championship performance. In fact, the No. 4 driver has finished outside the Top-10 just twice in his 14 starts at the track. No other Chase competitor has dominated South Florida quite like the reigning champ, making him the odds-on favorite to take home the win this weekend.
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