WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) -Kevin Harvick passed Tony Stewart on the front straightaway with three laps to go Sunday at Watkins Glen International and stole a caution-plagued race that had seemed to have been Kurt Busch's from the start.
Harvick then pulled away and easily beat Stewart to the line for his second win of the year for resurgent Richard Childress Racing. Jamie McMurray finished third, Robby Gordon was fourth, and Ryan Newman fifth.
Stewart, who ran second much of the race, had been unable to track down Harvick during the previous green-flag run, but when Casey Mears spun out with 11 laps left, it gave Stewart a chance.
Harvick got away on the restart. But Stewart, who had won three of the previous four races at Watkins Glen, caught him entering the curve, driving by on the outside, and easily took the top spot. Seconds later, the 10th caution of the race set up a five-lap shootout.
Harvick made a stunning pass of Stewart coming out of Turn 11, outbraking him through the turn, edged past him entering the first turn, then pulled away over the final two laps over the 11-turn, 2.45-mile layout.
