FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway (all times local):
2:15 p.m.
Kevin Harvick has his fourth stage win of the season after taking the first stage Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, where he was the race winner last November.
Harvick started the race on the front row, alongside pole sitter Kurt Busch, who was finished the stage third behind his brother, Kyle Busch. Ryan Blaney, who won the Xfinity Series race at the 1½-mile track Saturday, was fourth.
The first stage ended under caution. Defending Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. brought out the yellow flag after his No. 78 Toyota slammed hard into the outer wall coming out of Turn 4. Truex was running second when his right front tire blew and the car shot up the track into the wall.
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1:30 p.m.
Alex Bowman got loose in the No. 88 coming out of Turn 4 just three laps into the race, bringing out a quick caution at the 1½-mile track.
Paul Menard, Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon also were caught up in the mess.
Suarez was still on pit road when the race went green again on lap 8.
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1:15 p.m.
Kyle Larson started at the back of the field after his No. 42 car failed pre-race inspection three times, which also led to the ejection from the track of his car chief, David Bryant.
Larson had qualified 10th in the Chip Ganassi Chevrolet.
Also starting at the back of the field were William Byron (engine change), Matt DiBenedetto (transmission) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (backup car). It is the second consecutive race with Stenhouse starting at the back of the field in the backup car. He crashed in practice.
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12:10 p.m.
Stewart-Haas Racing drivers have started in the top three spots at Texas Motor Speedway, with Kurt Busch on the pole and teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer right behind him.
Harvick won in Texas last November and Bowyer is coming off a win at Martinsville in the last NASCAR Cup Series race two weeks ago, before the Easter break. That snapped a 190-race winless streak for Bowyer that went back to 2012.
Ryan Blaney started fourth Sunday in the Cup race, a day after winning in the Xfinity Series on the 1½-mile track for Team Penske.
Jimmie Johnson has a 29-race winless streak, the longest in his career. He has won seven wins in Texas, five times more than any other active driver.
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