FONTANA, Calif. – Kevin Harvick’s bid for a fourth-straight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win came undone just over halfway through the first stage of Sunday’s Auto Club 400 after contact with Kyle Larson sent Harvick’s Ford hard into the backstretch wall.

Harvick, who started 10th but had worked his way into the top five in less than 15 laps, was running third following the first round of green flag pit stops and being challenged by Kyle Larson on the inside when the pair came together off the exit of the second corner.

As Larson worked a lane underneath Harvick, Harvick’s car got loose and came down the track, while Larson came up just slightly as the 2014 Cup champion tried to gather his vehicle back up.

The two made heavy contact, and Harvick ultimately got turned hard into the outside SAFER Barrier as a result, with his car sustaining significant damage to the nose and the right side sheet metal.

Larson was adamant over his team radio that he was not at fault, while Harvick quickly took responsibility for the incident that knocked him from contention for a win at his home race track.

“I didn’t do a thing wrong!” Larson fumed to crew chief Chad Johnston.

“I’m sorry guys,” said a dejected Harvick. “That was my fault.”

Harvick’s crew was able to make repairs and get him back on-track, but he finished the first stage three laps down in 36th and ultimately fell to nine laps adrift in the end, despite picking up one position in the final rundown to come home 35th.

After climbing from his battered car, Harvick was firm in his stance that the undoing of his day was at his own hand.

“I went down to side draft and I knew he was coming up. We made contact and it knocked us to the right and I spun out,” said Harvick. “I don’t know if it’s his fault, really it’s my fault for coming down the race track right there and trying to side draft. Then, as we touched (my car) just came back up the race track.”

“I was just trying to get a little too much there; I knew the stage was coming to an end. I want to thank my guys for giving me a good car today. It was just my fault right there.”

Meanwhile, Larson was able to rally back from the contact to post a runner-up finish, and afterwards acknowledged the hard battle between himself and Harvick.

“We were racing really hard,” Larson admitted. “I was better than him through (Turns) three and four but he was better than me in (Turns) one and two. I was side drafting him down the front stretch; he’d side draft me down the back stretch. I don’t know if he was coming down to side draft me or what (at lap 38), but we made contact and it spun his car to the right.”

“Obviously you never want to make contact with anybody. The No. 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) was good, but I think the No. 4 (Harvick) … even though he didn’t get to race a whole lot, he was probably the best car again. We’re right there; we just have to continue to work hard. I’m having fun and just wanted to be one spot better today.”

Despite his dismal day, Harvick continues to lead the provisional playoff standings on the strength of three wins and 11 playoff points, though he lost the benefits of his Las Vegas victory due to penalties issued by NASCAR.

However, Harvick fell from the regular season lead to eighth and 46 points adrift of race winner Truex, who swept both stages and won the race for a perfect 60-point day.

Meanwhile, Larson’s 43-point haul bumped him up to seventh in points leaving Fontana.