After pit mishap, Harvick couldn't catch pack

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- In an instant, Kevin Harvick made a decision.

He was right, but he was wrong.

With 63 laps to go in Sunday's Daytona 500, Harvick was slowing to head to pit road for a normal pit stop. He ran among the leaders up to that point, and because this was the penultimate stop, it would be crucial in determining the winner.

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As it turns out, it didn't determine the winner, necessarily, but it did end any chance Harvick had of going to Victory Lane.

Johnny Sauter, Harvick's teammate at Richard Childress Racing, goofed and ended up barreling down pit road at full speed. Leader Tony Stewart was followed by several cars, but things started piling.

That's when the moment of truth came. Do I pit now and take a chance of running into the back of someone? Or do I stay out and pit the next time?

The first choice might have been better Sunday, if Harvick managed to not hit anyone, for he still would have had a chance to win his first 500.

The second choice was the long-term pick. Playing it safe, as it were, would assure Harvick wouldn't blow a chance at a top-10 finish.

	Harvick was one of four Chevys in the top five. Credit: AP

Obviously, Harvick didn't have much time to run those scenarios through his head. He made a choice, and it was to stay out. Harvick said he didn't want to "tear stuff up," so he made another lap before pitting.

That cost Harvick a lot of time, and ultimately, any chance at winning. He ended up fourth, the first car out of the lead draft, some eight seconds behind Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"I just lost some ground there when I saw them all stacking up coming into pit lane," Harvick said. "I just decided to go back up. That ground that I lost right there was the ground that I never gained back."

That should've been frustrating for Harvick, but he took it in stride.

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"My car was capable of winning," Harvick said. "We just didn't put ourselves in the right spot."

Harvick and several other drivers tried to stay in line and draft up to the lead pack. That didn't happen, as Junior and Stewart were too strong.

"When they got out there, they were single-file and never really go side-by-side," Harvick said. "They were content to just sit there."

Harvick led once early in the race for five laps and was one of the few cars that could run with Earnhardt Jr.

"I got up there and pushed him one time to get him out of trouble," Harvick said. "He was down there by himself. Our car could run with him. We lost that ground and couldn't make it back up. What do you do?"

You count your points and head to the next race.

And you're thankful you didn't crash and finish 34th instead of fourth.