Harvick’s car and four other top-10 finishers were equipped with “Performance Driven” Champion spark plugs from Federal-Mogul Corporation.
Harvick, who skipped his final pit stop and masterfully conserved fuel over the last 57 laps, overtook Earnhardt with just half a lap remaining to win his third Sprint Cup contest – and the Champion brand’s seventh – of the season. With the win, Harvick moves up to second place in Sprint Cup points, just 36 behind Carl Edwards.
“The team struggled a little bit early in the race, but Kevin and (crew chief) Gil Martin don’t know the word ‘quit,’” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Champion plugs are engineered to help improve engine performance and efficiency, and Kevin had an advantage in both at the end of the race.”
Fuel efficiency became the ultimate competitive advantage when the race – already NASCAR’s longest – was extended by two laps due to a late caution. Earnhardt appeared to have the race in hand but his Chevrolet ran out of fuel within site of the finish line.
Champion plugs for NASCAR engines feature leading-edge projected surface gap designs that help optimize spark location for maximum burn rate of each cylinder’s air-fuel charge. Each plug is equipped with a solid nickel core electrode for superior performance and thermal efficiency. The same Champion plug designs used in NASCAR competition are available through any Champion spark plug dealer.