KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kevin Harvick went to the front on a late restart and outran Carl Edwards on Sunday at Kansas Speedway to lock up a spot in the next round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Harvick was among the fastest in the final qualifying session and hung around the front all day while other Chase contenders faltered. He was still at the front when Regan Smith brought out the final caution, and he was able to keep Edwards at bay over the final 30 laps.

Harvick joined Jimmie Johnson, the winner a week earlier at Charlotte, in the round of eight of Sprint Cup’s playoffs, while the pressure is on the rest of the contenders heading to Talladega.

“These races are hard to win and these guys are so good at the details,” said Harvick, the 2014 season champion, “and when you put their backs against the wall they’re even better. I’m so proud of them.”

Indeed, Harvick found his back against the wall after electrical trouble at Charlotte resulted in a 38th-place finish, leaving him eight points out of the eighth and final spot for the round of eight.

“They usually, when it comes to this situation, find a little more speed in their cars,” said Joey Logano, who finished third and now sits in the precarious eighth spot in points. “I don’t know how, but it seems like in must-win situations they always find a little more speed.”

Johnson finished fourth, followed by fellow Chase drivers Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon. Matt Kenseth was ninth after dominating the first half of the race from the pole.

Other drivers competing for the championship dealt with trouble all afternoon.

Martin Truex Jr. again found himself at the front at Kansas, only to have trouble with the refueling mechanism, forcing him to pit out of sequence. He finished 11th.

Kurt Busch finished 13th after having to go to his backup car following a spin into the grass during the final practice.

The biggest losers on the day were Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott.

Keselowski began wiggling with 78 laps remaining and was tapped from behind by Hamlin. He slammed into the grassy turf and tore up the front of his car and wound up 38th. He’s seven points out of the eighth spot in the Chase. Elliott had trouble with his left rear tire rubbing on his fender, wound up 31st, and is 25 points out of the final spot in the round of eight.