![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/NCS_DAR1_VL_051720-scaled-e1589809742601.jpg\")
<\/a>Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light YOURFACEHERE Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 17, 2020 in Darlington, South Carolina. NASCAR resumes the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n NASCAR\u2019s return to real-time action Sunday afternoon was a resumption of the close-quarter, high-action brand of racing that fans have long expected at historic Darlington Raceway, culminating with Kevin Harvick claiming his first trophy of the season in front of a robust television and radio audience eager to welcome sports back.<\/p>\n Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light YOURFACEHERE Ford, celebrates winning the NASCAR Cup Series The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 17, 2020 in Darlington, South Carolina. NASCAR resumes the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n The Real Heroes 400 was the first on-track activity in nearly two months after NASCAR suspended competition because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The return to track included specific guidelines unique to this unprecedented situation \u2013 no fans in the grandstands, temperature checks at track, a limit on number of team members and of course, social distancing.<\/p>\n The competitive drama, however, remained as intense as ever.<\/p>\n Harvick\u2019s 2.154-second victory over Alex Bowman was his first of the season and extends his points lead in the standings to 28 points over Bowman. His only previous win at Darlington came from pole position in 2014, the same year Harvick went on to win the series championship. Sunday\u2019s victory was the 50th win for the Stewart-Haas Racing veteran, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time wins list.<\/p>\n Bowman, Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin followed Harvick\u2019s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the finish line. Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top 10. It was the best showing of the season \u2013 and first top-10 finish \u2013 for the rookies Reddick and Nemechek.<\/p>\n Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light YOURFACEHERE Ford, performs a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 17, 2020 in Darlington, South Carolina. NASCAR resumes the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe first thing I want to do is thank everybody from NASCAR, all the teams, the whole industry, for getting us back on the racetrack,” Harvick said. \u201cI think everybody in this garage is so excited to be here. I was up this morning at 6:00 a.m. pacing around my porch trying to decide when I was going to leave. I was excited to get back in the car. Today was just a well-executed day.”<\/p>\n NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O\u2019Donnell said he was both proud and encouraged by the success of NASCAR\u2019s first race back on track \u2013 and hopeful it bodes well for a compressed schedule that will feature 20 more races between now and the third week of June at a variety of venues for all three of NASCAR\u2019s premier series \u2013 the NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as the vibe in the garage area, I think everyone\u2019s spirits were really, really high,” O\u2019Donnell said. \u201cThey all knew the effort that this took collectively to pull this off. This was not easy, but everybody came together in a real spirit of collaboration. It was odd just with limited number of people here and when you look up into the stands, you certainly miss the fans, that vibe, that energy.<\/p>\n Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light YOURFACEHERE Ford, leads Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford, during the NASCAR Cup Series The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 17, 2020 in Darlington, South Carolina. NASCAR resumes the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cI think the participants were able to create their own positive vibe knowing this was a big day for the sport, knowing it was a day we could showcase the sport to a live television audience and hopefully give some people a little bit of joy to watch them race.”<\/p>\n As good as the situation was at the track \u201cbehind the scenes,\u201d the drivers turned in a typically competitive day on-track with consistent drama \u2013 and depending on who you cheer for, some for the good and some not-so-much.<\/p>\n Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, for example, was leading and headed for the victory in the race\u2019s first stage when he collided with Chris Buescher a half-lap before crossing the finish line to claim the opening stage win.<\/p>\n \u201cGosh, what I would do to get that corner back to do it over again,” Johnson said. \u201cComing to the end of the stage, I was just trying to make sure I got a good run off of Turn 2. I felt like I was going to be able to exit the corner side-by-side with him, things just went horribly wrong there.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>