RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 09: Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 Mountain Dew Chevrolet,, Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 DOW Chevrolet,, Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota, Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota, Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford, Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Hurricane Harvey Relief Toyota, Ryan Newman, driver of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, Jamie McMurray, driver of the #1 McDonald's Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Great Clips Chevrolet, Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Fitzgerald Glider Kits Ford, Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, and Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, pose for a photo after making the playoffs following the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on September 9, 2017 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

One of the Championship 4 said he expects to win at Homestead despite being an underdog


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Kevin Harvick is three years removed from his Cup Series championship, and the 2014 champion is confident he can win his second championship this season.

Harvick won two weeks ago at Texas to clinch his spot in the Championship 4, and he will be competing against Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski for the title on Sunday at Homestead in Miami.

Despite only have two wins this season -- the fewest of any of the four drivers in the championship -- Harvick said via Motorsport that he expects to win on Sunday.

"Our intention is to go down there and win the championship, and I think if you're one of those four and you don't have that mentality, you're not prepared for what you're getting into," Harvick said.

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"I feel like you're going to have to win the race (to win the championship). You're going to have to not make mistakes, and we've seen it year after year - mistakes and circumstances and things happen.

"You have to have a chance, and you have to think you can do it, and we know we can do it."

Related: The Championship 4 is set for next Sunday's race at Homestead

Harvick is no stranger to the championship race at Homestead. While he won it all in 2014, he's been in the final four six other times.

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He said he and his team feel like the underdog since Truex, Busch and Keselowski have all had stronger seasons, but he still expects to win.

Truex has had the most dominant season of any driver, and Busch has been right up there with him for most of the year. Toyotas have been faster than Ford's for most of the year, so there's a good reason why Harvick probably feels like an underdog.

But with his championship pedigree, it's impossible to count Harvick out. He's certainly capable of winning the race, and NASCAR fans who have watched him over the last 17 years know he's capable of beating anyone.

 

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