Kevin Harvick said experience led him and his No. 4 Ford to victory in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Pocono Raceway. His teammate Aric Almirola led a race-high 61 laps but was on the wrong end of pit strategy at the end of the race.

Almirola, ran that sequence to his final stop long, meaning he’d need more fuel which in turn meant he’d be on pit road longer. As a result, they had to take four tires. Harvick, pitted on the same lap but didn’t need as much fuel because he pit later on the pit sequence prior.

So, Harvick took two tires. That was the winning move.

Harvick, only led 17 laps on Saturday, the final 17 at that. He admitted that his car was good but not great. That’s where the experience factor came in.

On Sunday, they had an opportunity to learn from 325 miles of racing on Saturday and adjust. That made what Harvick called as a better car on Sunday than his race winning one on Saturday.

This time, Denny Hamlin went longer on hit pit sequence as Harvick pit for the final time on Lap 104 on Sunday and Hamlin Lap 119. That was the winning move.

Harvick, had to settle for second.

“I think we had a better car today than we did yesterday,” said Harvick. “That’s kind of the way it goes, right?  You win the one that you don’t think you have the better car.  You finish second in the one you think you have the best car.

“I think overall you can’t be dissatisfied with a first and a second.  I’d feel childish if I sat her and nitpicked that apart.”

Still, it was Harvick’s sixth top two finish in his last 11 Pocono starts, one of those being a win on Saturday and five others being runner-ups. In his previous 27 Pocono starts, his best finish was only third.

He’s now had eight top six finishes in his last nine Tricky Triangle starts overall, seven of those being in the top four.