BROOKLYN, Mich. -- For Sprint Cup points leader Kevin Harvick, the most important moment of this season wasn't when he won the Budweiser Shootout to kick-start the rebirth of Richard Childress Racing. It wasn't when he won at Talladega to snap a 115-race winless streak. It wasn't even Sunday, when he won at Michigan International Speedway to give his organization its first victory in 20 years on the big track in the Big Three's backyard.

No, the most important moment of Harvick's season came in a loss -- a runner-up finish at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California, when he tried to force his way past Jimmie Johnson, slapped the wall, and wound up second. But in the process, he learned a valuable lesson -- how to win again.

“

When you're that much faster than the guy in front of you, you've got to take your time until the laps are out.

”

-- KEVIN HARVICK

And the benefits of that experience were certainly on display Sunday, when Harvick stalked Denny Hamlin before overtaking him with 11 laps remaining and running away to score a victory that should dispel any lingering doubts about his ability to contend for the Cup Series crown. It was RCR's first win at Michigan since Dale Earnhardt prevailed here in 1990. But more importantly, it was Harvick's third victory of this season, allowing him to close the bonus-point gap between him and win leaders Hamlin and Johnson. It was also his first win on a track other than a restrictor-plate venue, and evidence that he's more than capable on the intermediate tracks that dominate the Chase.

"They're strong," said Jeff Gordon, who had a solid car early but faded to 27th. "They showed it all day. All three of their cars were strong, especially Kevin. This is the time to get momentum, going into the Chase. He's leading the points. Even though they've shown strength, they haven't gotten the victories on these types of race tracks, and these are very important race tracks to win on right now. I think that was a huge win for them."

Although Harvick has led the points for all but five weeks this season, he's lagged behind championship rivals Johnson and Hamlin in race victories, a fact that's threatened to unseat him from that top spot once the playoff begins and the top 12 drivers are reseeded based on wins. Until Sunday, his victories this year had come on restrictor-plate tracks Talladega and Daytona, only one of which is in the Chase. He hadn't won on an unrestricted track larger than a mile since Indianapolis in 2003, something that led to valid questions about his viability as a championship contender given the preponderance of intermediate ovals in the season's final 10 events.

At Michigan, those questions were answered authoritatively. Harvick's victory made him the first driver to clinch a Chase berth, and left even his rivals conceding that he is the man to beat for the title.

"I don't think you can put together any 10-week stretch during the year when Kevin has been off," said Hamlin, who finished second Sunday. "He's always been solid. Even when we had that 10-week stretch when we won all those races, there were a few bad races in between, and I'm sure probably Kevin scored the most points probably still in that 10-week stretch. Through the course of the regular season he has just been really, really good, really reliable. He's been a guy who's been super solid. I really don't see how he can't be the favorite going into it, as solid a performances as he's had. And he's really not tapered off, he's gotten better." (Continued)