Kevin Harvick wins third Brickyard 400 after Denny Hamlin crashes late - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS -- Kevin Harvick turned up the pressure on Denny Hamlin late in the Brickyard 400.

As the sun set Sunday over Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Hamlin seven laps from one of the few victories that has eluded him, he went careening into the first-turn wall with a flat right-front tire, and Harvick beat Matt Kenseth off the final restart to win his second straight Brickyard.

"We had great tire wear today, so I was able to really push my car as hard as I could," Harvick said after his third 400 title.

And for the third straight race, it looked as if it would be another one-two finish for Harvick and Hamlin.

"It's just, it's tough.

After trading victories and runner-up finishes at Pocono last week and Sunday's result, they've combined for seven of 12 victories since the season restarted at Darlington in mid-May, and it's only the second time in seven races Hamlin and his No.

But as crew chief Rodney Childers plotted strategy and monitored tire wear, he sensed Hamlin was on borrowed time.

"It just depends on how that situation plays out at the race and it just so happened we were out there a long time on tires, so backing down was the way to go.".

"We weren't going to get by him (Hamlin) unless he made a huge mistake, and obviously his tire was wearing out," Harvick said