HARVICK BLOWS

Kevin Harvick had a great Sprint Cup season finishing third in points but finished last in Thursday afternoon’s Victory Lap.

He must have thought NASCAR’s edict of “boys, have at it” was to carry through until after Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.

In a pre-Lap drivers meeting it was made clear to the 12 Cup drivers that there were areas where they could do burnouts but to limit their tire-smoking performances.

Harvick must not have been listening.

Each car successfully made it through the intersection of Spring Mountain and Las Vegas Boulevard. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin got to smoke the hides as they turned onto Harmon Avenue en route to the Hard Rock Hotel.

That’s when Harvick ruined it for the next nine drivers. Harvick lit him his tires long enough to blew them out and his car needed to be towed off the Strip. Metro officers began waving the others through and did not allow any more smoking mischief.

I’m sure Harvick had fun, but these guys need to follow the rules or the city will put the kibosh on future Victory Lap parades.

Las Vegas Events and city officials stepped up this year’s edition of the Victory Lap by adding a stage to the starting line near Planet Hollywood.

Mayor Oscar Goodman presented five-time champ Johnson with a key to the city and retired Gen. Wesley Clark waved the checkered flag to get the parade rolling.

Maybe Goodyear will do a tire test before next year’s Lap, and all drivers will follow the rules.

JUNIOR WINS BUT NOT ON TRACK

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won NASCAR's most popular driver award for the eighth consecutive year Thursday during the NMPA Myers Brothers Awards luncheon.

He is third in most popular driver awards behind the 16 won by Bill Elliott and nine by Richard Petty.

The fans continue to show the love for Junior despite not winning a Cup race in two years and finishing a career-worst 25th in the final standings last year and 21st this year.

"They just keep plugging away each year for you, and want you to do good and it just motivates you to keep going to the track and keep working hard," he told The Associated Press. "It just means a ton every time."

Earnhardt received the award Thursday at the annual NMPA Myers Brothers Awards luncheon. He is third in most popular driver awards behind the 16 won by Bill Elliott and nine by Richard Petty.

"Each year that I've won it, it just means more and more," Earnhardt said