Kevin Harvick dominated at Atlanta Motor Speedway to win Saturday night under the lights!

Harvick gave up the lead to make a late race pit stop, but was able to hustle back through the field in just the nick of time to collect the checkers.

(Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

Harvick took the lead back from polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the next-to-last lap in an exciting finish! Earnhardt, who gambled on fuel, was also passed by Kyle Busch before the race’s conclusion.

“It was nice to race the 18 (Busch) head-to-head like that and have fun with him,”  Harvick said in victory lane. “I really thought everybody had to pit. Just a great night for the fans who came out to watch the race — Dale Jr. on strategy, Kyle good on short runs and us good after about 10 laps — so you had all kinds of that good Atlanta racing tonight.”

Harvick led 6 times for a race-high 131 laps of the scheduled 195 laps. The win marks Harvick’s 34th career victory in the Nationwide Series. It was the first time Harvick won in the series for his own racing organization, Kevin Harvick Inc. It’s also his first series win at Atlanta and second of the year. Harvick won earlier this season at Bristol.

Kyle Busch scored a runner-up finish. He was up front throughout the night and led 45 laps. It was his 22nd top-10 finish in the series so far this season.  “Harvick was gone,” Busch said. “What a non-race that was, but hopefully it was a show at the end. … Man that 33 was great. Flawless.” Busch congratulated Harvick in victory lane.

After starting from the pole, Dale Earnhardt Jr. put himself in the right position at the right time during the closing laps of the race, but couldn’t hold off Harvick’s dominant run. He finished third. Earnhardt led the first 5 laps and went on to lead 16 laps. It was Earnhardt’s best finish this season in the series.

“We saved enough gas, and we finished closer to them two guys than we were on the racetrack,” Earnhardt said. “So I guess it was the right call. We just didn’t have enough at the end to hold them off. I tried to get going when they were coming. … Hopefully we put on a good show for the fans out there.”

Brad Keselowski and Jeff Burton finished 4th and 5th, respectively. Only the top-5 drivers finished on the lead lap.

For the (unofficial) race results, click here.

There were 3 cautions for 14 laps and 13 lead changes among 5 drivers: D. Earnhardt Jr. 1-5; K. Harvick 6-27; K. Busch 28-46; K. Harvick 47-49; K. Busch 50-52; K. Harvick 53-85; K. Busch 86-87; Brad Keselowski 88; R. Sorenson 89-90; K. Harvick 91-125; K. Busch 126-146; K. Harvick 147-182; D. Earnhardt Jr. 183-193; K. Harvick 194-195

Kyle Busch padded his point lead over 2nd place Carl Edwards. He’s now ahead by 221 points.