Harvick cruises to another big payday

Kevin Harvick smokes his tires after winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star Challenge. Harvick won the race Saturday in Concord, N.C.

? Kevin Harvick earned another $1 million payday Saturday night, winning the Nextel All-Star Challenge after Matt Kenseth got caught speeding and brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch took each other out of contention.

That made Jimmie Johnson, a two-time All-Star race winner, the last driver for Harvick to contend with.

But Johnson barely mounted a challenge, staying in line behind Harvick until the final lap at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Johnson made one attempt at a pass, Harvick blocked it, then drove off to his second win of the season.

Harvick’s other victory also was a jackpot – he earned $1.5 million for winning the season-opening Daytona 500.

“To win a Daytona 500 and the All-Star race, that’s pretty cool,” Harvick said in Victory Lane.

Harvick, who was second to Johnson last season, scored his first All-Star victory in seven tries and gave car owner Richard Childress his first win in the non-points event since Dale Earnhardt in 1993.

The All-Star race is usually good for some drama, and it came 18 laps from the finish when brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch wrecked each other.

Kyle Busch, who led 23 laps over the first three segments, was trying to pass his older brother on the outside when Kurt Busch drifted down and the two made contact. Kurt Busch surged ahead, Kyle Busch spun, tapped his brother, and both cars bounced off the wall.

“I was waiting for the day when we got together, and we did, and we were racing for a million bucks,” Kurt Busch said.