Just exactly how can dominance be defined in sports? I suppose that depends on the sport itself. Football is one where there’s different types of dominance. Teams can have a dominating game, overpowering the opponent and routing them in the score, no matter if it’s at the high school or professional level.
Then there’s a dominating season, but even then it becomes a debate on how dominant it was. Ask the Miami Dolphins when they went 14-0 to be the lone undefeated season in NFL.
The New England Patriots finished a regular season 16-0, but it culiminated in 18-1, losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
But, the other dominance in football is another “D”, as in dynasty. In the 1970’s, it was the Steelers, then the 49ers the next decade, followed by the Cowboys. New England has been dominant in that category for nearly two decades now, and seems to constantly find a way to continue adding to that dominance, even if they got beat last month by the Eagles inside US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Racing is a bit different, because it’s not just one week that showcases dominance, but also a season. Look at the season Martin Truex Jr. had a year ago, where he dominated every aspect in the sport, from wins, to stage points, playoff points, and it all ended with a rightfully-earned championship.
Over the last two weeks, the No. 4 team of Kevin Harvick showcased a different type of dominance, one that goes from hours and weeks of preparation at the shop, to even more hours of work in the garage to change anything that needed done to make the car run better. It was dominance because last weekend in Atlanta, leading the most laps and taking the opening stage victory, along with the final checkered flag.
This week, a similar result, but with one twist.
Harvick pulled off what only Truex did a season ago, and that is take victory in stage one, then stage two, and finally culminated in him taking the checkered flag at the end of the afternoon.
The team led the most laps, again, and maxed out on the amount of points a team can earn in one weekend, that being 60 (10 for winning each of the first two stages, plus 40 for winning the race), along with the seven playoff points earned towards the playoffs later this season.
What this also indicates is when NASCAR returns to Las Vegas in September, the first time Las Vegas has held two races in the season, he already is favored to win. It also plays in his favor because now his odds of winning the championship have gone up, even just three races into the season.
Next week, NASCAR goes to a place that Harvick not only loves, but is dominant at. He’s yet to win there in a Ford, but he still is considered the guy to beat.
If his Vegas win was a double down, like in blackjack, then maybe a three-peat in consecutive weeks could be considered a trifecta if he pulls it off.
If I were a betting man, that’s some favorable odds to use. Place those bets wisely.
STAGE 1:Â Kevin Harvick
STAGE 2:Â Kevin Harvick
RESULTS: 1-Harvick 2-Kyle Busch 3-Larson 4-Truex Jr. 5-Blaney 6-Keselowski 7-Logano 8-Jones 9-Menard 10-Almirola
NOTABLE FINISHES: 12-Johnson 13-Dillon 17-Hamlin 34-Elliott
CAUTIONS: 4 for 29 laps. Lap 82-88 (Stage 1 Conclusion); 162-166 (Stage 2 Conclusion); 177-182 (#1 Incident-BS); 184-194 (#9, 41 Incident-FS).
LEAD CHANGES: 11 among 6 drivers.  R. Blaney 1; K. Harvick 2-38; M. McDowell 39-49; K. Harvick 50-121; Kyle Busch 122-125; K. Harvick 126-163; J. Logano 164-176; M. Truex Jr. 177-182; J. Logano 183-194; K. Harvick 195-224; Kyle Busch 225-230; K. Harvick 231-267.
TIME OF RACE:Â 2 Hrs, 49 Mins, 31 Secs.
AVERAGE SPEED:Â 141.756 MPH
MARGIN OF VICTORY:Â 2.906 Seconds
POINTS (Earned/Behind Leader [Playoff Points]):Â 1. Harvick, 135 [13]; 2. Logano, -3; 3. Blaney, -4 [1]; 4. Truex Jr, -20; 5. Kyle Busch, -31; 6. Larson, -31; 7. Keselowski, -36 [1]; 8. Hamlin, -38; 9. Menard, -39; 10. Dillon, -41 [5].