You know I am so blessed to have the time to travel each day into the world of the Nascar racing sites. I come upon so many different articles and I like to bring them here when I know that we have active members that will enjoy them. Since bigE and Flash are good members of this community, I figured I would start a thread for Kevin Harvick. Check in and when I come across a new article about Kevin I will post it here. Thanks guys for you participation in Nascar Space, it is members like both of you that make this such a great site!
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KEVIN HARVICK, DRIVER OF THE NO. 29 SHELL-PENNZOIL MONTE CARLO SS, TALKED WITH MEDIA ABOUT THE AFFECT OF NASCAR PENALTIES AND THE ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS AT RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING:
ON A GOOD FINISH AT DAYTONA MAKING OR BREAKING THE REST OF THE SEASON:
"Not really. I have had it both ways here. We have had 42nd place finishes and fourth place finishes and had bad seasons on the good finish and good seasons on the bad finish so it can go either way. For me, we approach this race as almost a whole separate week itself. Once you leave here, the season actually starts. We treat this as its own race."
ON AFFECT OF PENALTIES THIS WEEK ACCOMPLISHING NASCAR GOALS:
"I think it is just a big message as to where they want to see everybody. They have made it a pretty clear message, I think everybody understands that they need to not to do the obvious cheating stuff and do the things you know are right and try to work within that box."
ON ANY CONCERNS AS A TEAM OWNER OVER HEIGHTENED SUSPENSIONS AND OTHER PENALTIES:
"Not at all. I have told my guys at KHI and I know Richard (Childress) has told everybody at RCR that we are going to stay within the box whether we run last or first. That seems to be the way they want it and needs to be, as owners in all the different series, that the thing needs to be played. If they are going to let things slide, you have to play by the rules and if they aren't going to let things slide, you need to play by those rules. Nothing is going to slide and I like that message. I think it is going to make it a lot easier to know what is right and what is wrong."
ON IF NASCAR IS BEING CONSISTENT:
"I think it is consistent and I think they have done a good job so far."
ON WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAR DURING THE DUEL:
"It was one of those deals where the stars weren't lined up right and it snapped the pinion shaft on the rear end gear. We haven't had one of those break since 2001. It is a matter of dropping the car off the jack, me letting the clutch out and something not timed absolutely perfect. It snapped the pinion. It is unfortunate but better now than Sunday."
ON RACE PLAN FOR 500 GIVEN STARTING POSTION:
"I think you need to get to the front as fast as you can. Just for the fact that track position is important and you want to have your car handling as good as you can, it becomes harder to make it handle when you are in traffic. So you need to get to the front as fast as you can."
ON CAR OF TOMORROW:
"We have tested it a lot. It is a little bit wider and a little bit safer and we are looking forward to that part of it. As far as how it will be on the track in a race, I don't think anybody knows until we get it on the track with everybody else and see what we have to work on from there. We have had a lot of testing with it and everything has gone really well. It is just a matter of getting it in a race and really understanding where the areas are you have to work on because we have worked on these particular cars for a long time. We need to just get in there and work on the things we need to work on after we race it and see what we need to fix."
ON WHAT TEAM EXPECTS TO ACCOMPLISH IN PRACTICE SESSIONS BEFORE DAYTONA 500:
"We know what we need to work on. We feel like our car is handling good, we are just a little bit down on speed. We feel like we are a gop-10-car, we just need that little big extra to be able to win."
ON VERSITILITY OF THIS TEAM:
"We were good last year at all kinds on all different kinds of race tracks and that is the way you have to be to compete for a champion. We were able to put ourselves in position to compete for that championship, just came up a little bit short. But we have to stay good on the mile and halves and you have to be good in the COT and keep the development going in the right direction there. We have to stay good at all those different kinds of race tracks. Atlanta has become our worst race track for whatever reason so we have to get better there try to minimize the bad days and make them mediocre."
ON RCR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS DURING THE OFF SEASON:
"I feel like we have made our current car a little better on the downforce tracks. We have done a fair amount of testing with the Car of Tomorrow. It is hard to tell until you get in to the season and see where everybody falls and know what you have to work on. I always talk about the adjustments you have to make as a team to make sure everything is going right. We will continue to do that and hopefully our COT stuff is headed in the right direction. I know our engine staff is working hard everyday to try and get the new engine in the car as soon as possible. It is a lot of hard work or a lot of people. We will be all right."
ON DESIRE TO BE IN THE CHASE AGAIN THIS YEAR:
"I think any time you run for a championship, you want to continue to a part of that. Every thing that happened last year and being able to do that is something you just want to do a little bit better. That is what we want to do.
"We want to win a championship, but in order to do that, you have to be competitive for one first. We proved to ourselves we can do that. What we learned from being in it will carry forward to this season."
ON CALE GALE:
"It is going to be a lot of fun to watch him make his first laps around Daytona. He is a great kid. He has done a lot in his late model cars, and had a lot of experience. For the most part, I think he will do a good job and it is going to be a lot of fun to see him get his first experience."
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Kevin Harvick Third California Native In A Row To Win Daytona 500
PRESS RELEASE
Kevin Harvick Third California Native In A Row To Win Daytona 500
Will Attempt Triple-Duty This Weekend at California Speedway
California Speedway, Press Release
San Bernardino, California (February 19, 2007) – Bakersfield, California native, Kevin Harvick is the third California native in as many years to win the Daytona 500. Harvick follows Vallejo native, Jeff Gordon (2005) and El Cajon native, Jimmie Johnson (2006) as he put his name in the record books as the 49th champion of the Daytona 500.
Harvick, Gordon and Johnson, along with Daytona 500 pole winner David Gilliland, formerly of Riverside, California, will return to their home state this weekend for the West Coast Premier of NASCAR at California Speedway.
“The success of these four drivers is a testament to the racing talent that is born and bread in the state of California,” stated Gillian Zucker, California Speedway president. “We look forward to the return of our California natives for an exciting weekend of racing at California Speedway.”
Harvick competed in his first race at California Speedway the first year the track opened in 1997, finishing 20th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race that year. He has nine career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starts, with a best finish of sixth in February 2005; eight NASCAR Busch Series starts, with a best finish of second in February 2005 and September 2006; and three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts, with a best finish of 15th in October 1999.
Johnson, who has eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starts and four NASCAR Busch Series starts at California, won is first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at his “hometown track” in April 2002.
Gordon tops the list with three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series wins in 10 starts at California Speedway.
Harvick, who is the only California native to attempt triple-duty during the West Coast Premiere of NASCAR, will join California Speedway president Gillian Zucker to celebrate California Speedway Day in LA on Wednesday, February 21. The event, which runs from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., will take place at the Hollywood & Highland Center, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., and is open to the public. Harvick will greet the crowd and sign autographs from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The West Coast Premiere of NASCAR at California Speedway kicks off with the San Bernardino County 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday night, February 23, the Stater Bros. 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, February 24 and the Auto Club 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Sunday, February 25.
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NASCAR NEXTEL Teleconference Transcript - Kevin Harvick
GM Racing Communications, Press Release
An interview with:KEVIN HARVICK
HERB BRANHAM: Welcome to this first NASCAR teleconference of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Our guest today, none other than Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet. Kevin also won this past Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series season opener at Daytona, the Orbitz 300. As a result, he leads both the Nextel Cup and Busch series points standings this week
Kevin, now this week you're going on to California Speedway, Sunday's Auto Club 500, back to your home state, from Bakersfield. This has really been an exciting couple weeks for you, I got to think.
KEVIN HARVICK: Oh, yeah, it's been as exciting as you can get. To win the Daytona 500 and the Busch race in the same weekend, get those first Superspeedway wins down is a lot of fun. Now we get to go home and see my family and friends. It will be that much more exciting in California.
HERB BRANHAM: We're ready to go to questions from the media for the 2007 Daytona 500 champion, Kevin Harvick.Q. How does it feel when you hear the sentence, "Kevin Harvick, Daytona 500 champion"?
KEVIN HARVICK: It feels really good. Just to be able to put your name on that trophy next to all the 500 winners that have come before us, just know how much it means to the sport, our whole race team, it's quite an honor.
Q. I was there and watched all the excitement at Talladega when you unveiled the new car with the Pennzoil and Shell sponsorship. First time out of the box at Daytona, bringing home a win for them, how big is that in developing the new footprint for Richard Childress Racing?
KEVIN HARVICK: I think it's important. This is obviously a new chapter in our book. Things change. Things move forward. To have Shell and Pennzoil be involved is very exciting for us. It's a huge global company. To see the way they support everything is a lot of fun.They had hundreds of people at the race, their president, John Hoffmeister, all the different people involved in the program were there. It was a lot of fun to win for them first time out
Q. Could you talk about anything you may have summoned up from your experience in Bakersfield to help you either Sunday or in the Nextel Cup in general? Was there anything that your upbringing that prepared you for what you're going through now with Letterman, Kimmel, Regis and Kelly, all that?
KEVIN HARVICK: I don't know that there's a whole lot that can prepare you for the media side of it. You don't really understand how big it is until you actually get involved in it, have to do the things week in and week out. On that side of it, it's just kind of trial and error. We've been able to do it for a few years now.Racing in Bakersfield is something where I got my start in go-karts, stock cars, were able to race week in, week out. The Collins family were a big part of my career, giving us somewhere to race, being supportive of my racing career. Just being able to learn how to race, get my career started, was a big part of what we get to do today just because Bakersfield was such a huge racing town.
Q. You've had a couple days to look at the replay of the race. Looking back, you probably feel NASCAR made the right call letting you race to the finish, but how did you view the replay?
KEVIN HARVICK: I mean, it was pretty cool. We won the race. After the caution, when the first car spins, we're still ahead. It's a hard call to make, just for the fact you don't throw the caution, you're in hot water, you do throw the caution, you're in hot water. There's really no right or wrong answer.I don't know that we've ever actually come off of turn four and had the circumstances be that way before. I know we've wrecked on the 'green-white-checkered's before, the caution has come out on the backstretch or something like that the lap before. It's a hard spot to be in. I'm glad I don't have to make those calls
Q. Does that overshadow the fact you were sixth going into the final lap?
KEVIN HARVICK: I don't think so. I think everybody who's watched the race and understands racing really likes the fact that the race came down to everything that it did. It was a close finish. We were able to make a little bit of a comeback there.I think most people know where we came from, I think.
Q. With all the PR and the attention you're getting from your win at Daytona, how hard has it been for you to be able to move forward and focus yourself on California?
KEVIN HARVICK: California has been a little bit of a struggle for us as a race team the last couple years. It's probably been one of our worst racetracks, to be honest with you, going in there. We want to go in there and have a solid weekend and see where we fall with everything.It doesn't get any bigger than the Daytona week. Finding the focus to race the car is usually not a problem for us.
Q. With the past struggles you've had, does that make it more important for you to focus on what you have coming up this weekend?
KEVIN HARVICK: It's something where you learn how to juggle everything. Last week we did more at the racetrack than we ever have done before. I think this week going into California, I don't think it's any more important than any other week. When it comes time to be in the car, as a team, we'll be as focused as we always are.
Q. Jimmie Johnson earlier today talked about putting the bad start to the season behind him, focusing on the rest of the year. From your perspective, do you make sure you don't get too high from the win and focus on the rest of the year?
KEVIN HARVICK: Yeah, you really can't. You have to kind of keep yourself even-keeled across the board to really focus on racing for the championship. No matter how high it gets, how bad it gets, you have to forget what happened last week and concentrate on the week at hand.
Q. Can you talk about the track at California, why it seems to be one of your worst tracks?
KEVIN HARVICK: I don't know. It just seems like it's hit-and-miss. Atlanta has become our worst track for some reason. Just one of those places where I can't seem to get the car like I need it to, just struggle finding the right feel for the particular race.Just something that I need to get better at and really focus on getting my car right and knowing how I need it to drive in practice to focus over on the race.
Q. Everybody talks about how Daytona is such an anomaly, but this is where the season really starts. Do you feel that way?
KEVIN HARVICK: Yeah, I do. We approach Daytona as it's almost a separate season. We go down there knowing there's going to be a couple long weeks. There's going to be some ups and downs. There's going to be some things that are unexpected. Daytona is kind of its own beast, and California is really where the week-to-week grind starts.
Q. The last I checked you were racing in all three events this weekend at California Speedway. With your schedule after winning at Daytona, having any second thoughts? Would you rather be on the racetrack more than anywhere else this weekend?
KEVIN HARVICK: Yeah, I'd definitely rather be on the racetrack. It's something to where this week, you get to celebrate winning the Daytona 500. They've been very organized with everything, really making things go really smoothly. We've been able to rest at night and have somewhere nice to sleep, too. It's really not been much worse than being at home.Still going to race all three races. We planned on doing that from the beginning. Just trying to get the truck program started off on the right foot. Be in the Busch car this week, too. When you're in the car at the track, you can kind of get away from the rest of it.
Q. You have the Busch Series team and Truck Series team. Have you had any thoughts about moving up to Cup? Any timetable to move into a Cup team?
KEVIN HARVICK: We don't have any plans right now. DeLana and I are really trying to get our arms around what we do need to do, don't need to do in the Busch and Truck Series, really try to focus on that. The Cup car, there's so much involved. I see how much time it takes from Richard. We can still enjoy being the driver and being a team owner with the Busch and Truck, where I don't think we could do both if we owned the Cup car.
Q. Getting a lot of emails about how comfortable you looked on Regis and Kelly, also with Letterman. Seems like you've been doing this forever. I know you've made those appearances before. Can you tell us more about how it went? You looked so calm there.
KEVIN HARVICK: I don't know why I've been so calm for the last couple weeks, to tell you the truth. Everything has just been very to the point. Just relaxed with all my surroundings. This hasn't been different. We've been able to win the race and do all the shows. It helps when you have people like Letterman, Regis and Kelly, who understand the sport, have been paying attention to what goes on. That makes it a lot easier as well.
Q. We think that Letterman even got your sense of humor. It was pretty cool.
KEVIN HARVICK: Yeah. I got to make a couple jokes on there. That was kind of fun.
Q. You've been now involved with that very close finish at Atlanta and the very close finish at Daytona. Did you take anything from the first finish to the second finish? Can you talk a little bit about what is inside you as a racer that helps you thrive in those situations?
KEVIN HARVICK: Well, I think any time you get that taste of victory and you really want to go after winning everything that you can. If you can get yourself in position, you know how hard the races are to win, you want to capitalize while you're in that particular moment.When they come down to as close as they were Sunday and you have the finishes like we did, there's no way that you could ever even plan any of that out or try anything different. You race as hard as you can to try to capitalize on the moment and hope it comes out your way.
Q. Drivers were comparing Daytona to Darlington with the tire situation, slipping and sliding. How were you able to overcome that situation?
KEVIN HARVICK: Well, I think the first part of the race, during the sunlight, the cars were moving around a lot, kind of pushing a little bit as you would get into the run. As the sun went down, everybody's car gained a little bit more grip it seemed like and we were able to race two- and three-wide. There with the last 50 laps or so, it was pretty wild.We got a little bit of experience the day before in the Busch race with the car's handling characteristics and were hopefully able to carry that - we did carry a little bit of that over to Sunday.I enjoy the fact that we didn't have any tire problems. I would rather slip and slide around than worrying about my right front tire blowing out.
Q. Can you compare winning at the Brickyard 400 and winning the Daytona 500? Not a whole lot of guys can say they have both trophies in their case.
KEVIN HARVICK: Yeah, it's pretty neat to have been able to win both races. I grew up an IndyCar fan. Just being from Bakersfield, we all wanted to be like Rick Mears and got to grow up with Clint and Casey and those guys racing go-karts.Personally to win the Brickyard 400 was really cool. In the end, there's nothing bigger in this country to win than the Daytona 500. To be able to look at that trophy and see your name up there next to a lot of the guys that have won the Daytona 500 before, it's definitely the biggest thing that you can do in the United States in racing.
Q. When did you realize that your teammate Clint Bowyer had flipped like that? What was your reaction?
KEVIN HARVICK: I didn't really know he had flipped until the race was well over into the night. I got to go back and watch it a little bit later that night, realized that he turned over. I talked to him yesterday. He's fine. That's the main thing is everybody's fine. We can build new cars.
Q. Have you talked to Mark Martin yet?
KEVIN HARVICK: I congratulated him in the media center. I got to see him, do some of my interviews next to him. Mark is a big part of what NASCAR racing is today. He's one of the most fierce competitors in the garage. I've been fortunate to get to know Mark a little better over the last couple years, just understand that he is one of the hardest racers that ever took behind the wheel of NASCAR racing.It's really neat to be able to race against guys like that and especially against Mark.
HERB BRANHAM: Kevin, thank you for taking time out. I know you're up doing a little media blitz in the New York City area. I hear that's going great. We appreciate you taking time out from the busy schedule. Congratulations again
KEVIN HARVICK: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
HERB BRANHAM: Sincere thanks to all the media getting on the call today to talk to our Daytona 500 champion. Great way to start the year. As always, from everyone at NASCAR, we appreciate the coverage.
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Daytona 500 Winner Kevin Harvick Leads Strong Team Chevy to Fontana
GM Racing Communications, Press Release
FONTANA, CALIF - Team Chevy will make its next appearance at California Speedway with tremendous momentum from the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.
In the 13 previous NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races (NNCS) held on the two-mile, slightly banked oval, Chevrolet has taken five trips to victory lane. Kyle Busch, No. 5 Carquest/Kellogg's Monte Carlo SS became the youngest winner at the speedway with his 2005 win.
The Auto Club 500 marks a homecoming for four Team Chevy drivers - Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Monte Carlo SS, Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Monte Carlo SS, Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Monte Carlo SS and Casey Mears, No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Monte Carlo SS.
As if Bakersfield, CA native Harvick, hasn't been busy enough since his remarkable Daytona 500 victory (he also won the NASCAR Busch Series Race on Saturday), he is set to drive a Bowtie brand in the three NASCAR national series events on tap this upcoming weekend at the Fontana, CA two-mile track.
Harvick, who is ready to claim his first win in his home state, sits atop the NNCS point standings as the 2007 season swings in to high gear.
"Since winning the race, it's been as exciting as you can get," said Harvick. "To win the Daytona 500 and the Busch race in the same weekend, get those first Superspeedway wins down is a lot of fun. Now we get to go home and see my family and friends. It will be that much more exciting in California.
"I'd definitely rather be on the racetrack. It's something to where this week, you get to celebrate winning the Daytona 500. They've been very organized with everything, really making things go really smoothly. We've been able to rest at night and have somewhere nice to sleep, too. It's really not been much worse than being at home.
"I am still going to race all three races. We planned on doing that from the beginning. Just trying to get the Truck program started off on the right foot. Be in the Busch car this week, too. When you're in the car at the track, you can kind of get away from the rest of it."
Gordon was born and raised in Vallejo. Gordon has the most wins (three); most top-five finishes (six) and most top-10 runs (six) of all active NASCAR Nextel Cup Series drivers at the Fontana track. The four-time NNCS champion left Daytona 10th in the final finishing order and stands prepared to make a statement in the 250-lap/500-mile race.
Defending NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion, Johnson, has one win at California Speedway on his resume, taking the victory in 2002. After being sidelined as a result of an accident early in the Daytona 500, Johnson is poised to make a charge to the front of the field on Sunday.
Race two of the 36-race 2007 NNCS marks the second start for Mears as a member of Team Chevy. The Bakersfield born driver joined Hendrick Motorsports at the conclusion of the 2006 season. His 20th place finish at Daytona is further incentive for Mears to put on a great show with a stellar finish before his hometown crowd.
Practice for the Auto Club 500 will begin Friday, February 23 at 11:30 a.m. PST followed by qualifying at 3:10 p.m. that afternoon. Final practice is set for 2:20 p.m. on Saturday, February 24. The race has a schedule start time of 12:30 p.m. PST. Live coverage will be provided by FOX with MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio bringing the action live over the airwaves.
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Harvick Has To Treat California Like Any Other Race
Even With Race Being Closer To Home, Harvick Has To Treat California Like Any Other Race
Daytona 500 Winner Still Has To Put Job Above Friends And Family When Coming Home To Race
Richard Childress Racing, Press Release
NOTES:
· This Week’s Race Car at California Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 174 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new in 2006, this is the same car Harvick raced to a third-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This car also saw action last year in October at Charlotte (started fifth – finished 18th).
· Turnaround Continues … After a turnaround season in 2006, which included 18 wins in NASCAR’s NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series, RCR shows no signs of faltering. Harvick’s dramatic victory in last Sunday’s Daytona 500, coupled with his teammate Jeff Burton’s third-place finish, puts RCR back on the fast track for 2007. Additionally, it was Harvick’s first win for new sponsor Shell-Pennzoil, which took over this season from longtime sponsor GM Goodwrench.
· Special Caller … Harvick received a call from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday to congratulate him on his Daytona 500 win.
· Whirlwind Tour … Prior to his arrival at California Speedway for the Auto Club 500 race weekend, Harvick spent Monday-Thursday participating in the Daytona 500 winner’s media tour. Harvick made appearances on Good Morning America, David Letterman, Live with Regis and Kelly, Fox News, SportsCenter, ESPN News, ESPN Radio, Best Damn Sports Show, ROME is Burning, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE and other top-25 media outlets.
· California Boys … Harvick is the third consecutive California native to win the Daytona 500 behind 2006 series champion Jimmie Johnson and 2005 Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon.
· California Truck Trifecta … In addition to his usual NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series obligations, Harvick will run his first Craftsman Truck Series race in two years, behind the wheel of the Kevin Harvick, Inc.-owned No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet Silverado. The San Bernardino 200 will be televised live on SPEED and also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, Feb. 23 beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
· RCR Rocks Daytona … Harvick’s Daytona 500 win was the second in RCR’s history; Dale Earnhardt won the other in 1998. Dating back to 1986, RCR has won seven poles and owns 24 victories at Daytona International Speedway, including 10 straight (1990-1999) Twin 125 wins with Earnhardt.
· Did you Know … By winning the Orbitz 300 and the Daytona 500, “Happy” Harvick became only the fourth driver to win both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series season-opener.
· Photo Finish … The 31-year-old driver won the Daytona 500 by two one-hundredths of a second. It was the closest finish since electronic scoring started in 1993.
· Bushing It … On Saturday, Feb. 24 Harvick will make his first of 12 appearances behind the wheel of a Kevin Harvick Inc. NASCAR Busch Series entry. He will drive the No. 33 RoadLoans.com Chevrolet in the Stater Bros. 300 which takes the green flag at 7 p.m. EST live on ESPN2 and also broadcast live on MRN and Sirius.
· Points Leader … By winning the Daytona 500, Harvick grabbed the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points lead. This is only the second time in “Happy’s” career that he has led the points in NASCAR’s top division.
· Young Gun … Timothy Peters, the latest addition to RCR’S stable of drivers, will make his 2007 NASCAR Busch Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 21 AutoZone Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS. Peters competed in one Busch Series race last season for RCR, starting 10th and crossed the finish line 13th at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park.
· Catch the Action … The Auto Club 500 will be televised live Sunday, Feb. 25 beginning at 3 p.m. EST on FOX and broadcast live on MRN and Sirius. Qualifying for the Auto Club 500 will air live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius Friday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. EST.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
How do you treat racing in Fontana near family and friends?
“It is nice to go out there, but I don’t treat it as time to get to see my family and friends. I treat it as a job and go out like everybody else. We get there the day before everything starts on track, so I don’t spend a lot of time with them. It is cool to have time out there and obviously we are supported well there, but we still have to go out and make it happen.”
Does your season start after Daytona?
“I think it does. After the weeks of Daytona, it is almost a breeze to go out to California and have a regular race weekend. There is not as much pressure and you can get back to your normal week to week grind. It is just such a different pace from Daytona.”
Why do you seem to struggle at California?
“I don’t know. It just seems like it’s hit-and-miss. Atlanta has become our worst track for some reason. Just one of those places where I can’t seem to get the car like I need it to. I just struggle finding the right feel for me to be comfortable. It is just something that I need to get better at and really focus on getting my car right and know how I need it to drive in practice to focus on the race.”
You were really excited when you unveiled the new car with the Shell and Pennzoil sponsorship in Talladega. Now that you won the Daytona 500, how big is that in developing the new footprint for RCR?
“I think it’s important. This is obviously a new chapter in our book. Things change and things move forward. To have Shell and Pennzoil be involved is very exciting for us. It’s a huge global company. To see the way they support everything is a lot of fun. They had hundreds of people at the Daytona 500. John Hoffmeister, the president of Shell, and all the different people involved in the program were there. It was a lot of fun to win for them their first time out.”
RICHARD CHILDRESS QUOTES:
What does it feel like to win the Daytona 500?
“It’s great. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and scream. It was unbelievable to see the moves that Kevin made. I’ve seen a lot of these Daytona 500’s, and this had to be the wildest one I have ever watched. I am just proud of everybody at RCR and Kevin and Shell-Pennzoil, everybody that’s involved, Todd Berrier and his group … our restrictor plate engine guys did a great job, as well.”
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Flat Tire Derails Destined Top-Five Finish For Harvick at California
Richard Childress Racing, Press Release
Race/Date: Auto Club 500/February 25, 2007
Location: California Speedway – Fontana, Calif.
Start Position: Fourth
Finish Position: 17th
Points Position: Fourth
Four laps might as well have been a thousand for Kevin Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil Racing Team on Sunday at California Speedway.
After starting fourth for the Auto Club 500, Harvick powered his No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet to the front of the field, and was second with four laps to go. Unfortunately, a career-best finish at California Speedway was not to be for Harvick and company as a left-front tire went flat just before a restart on lap 246.
The misfortune dropped Harvick to 17th in the final rundown and also cost the team three spots in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings.
Prior to the flat tire, the only hiccup of the race was on lap 55 when Harvick was caught for speeding exiting pit road. The Bakersfield, Calif., native was forced to restart in the 22nd spot on lap 59.
Instead of letting the penalty set him back, he returned his attention to the front of the field. By lap 60, he was 17th and by lap 69 he had sliced and diced his way back into the top 10.
The caution flag was displayed again on lap 91 and Harvick informed crew chief Todd Berrier that the car was a little tight in the gas exiting the corners.
Berrier elected to have his driver pit during the day’s fifth caution period for air pressure and chassis adjustments, four fresh tires and fuel.
Back under green, now in sixth, Harvick patiently worked the top and bottom of the racetrack to find a comfortable spot for the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet. Harvick lost one spot to his Richard Childress Racing (RCR) teammate Jeff Burton before the next caution flag flew for debris on lap 114.
Berrier called Harvick to pit road for four more tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment after the 31-year-old driver informed his crew chief the car was still too tight off the corners. After the Shell-Pennzoil team ripped off a fast pit stop, Harvick returned to the action fifth in the running order.
Over the next 35 laps of the race, Harvick’s No. 29 machine was suffering from an extremely tight-handling condition. He lost a couple of spots before green-flag pit stops began on lap 156. “Happy” Harvick waited until lap 160 to bring the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy down pit road for service. This allowed him to lead a lap and gain five valuable bonus points.
Once he hit pit road, Berrier called for four tires, fuel and a major chassis adjustment. After the green-flag stops cycled through, Harvick found himself riding in sixth.
As the race headed in the late stages, Harvick’s bright yellow and red Monte Carlo SS started to come alive. By lap 192, he was fifth and when green-flag pit stops began again, he was third.
The 11-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series winner hit pit road on lap 198 with a slightly loose-handling Chevrolet. The No. 29 pit crew changed four tires, added racing fuel and made a small air pressure adjustment. Harvick returned to the track in the eighth position but had little trouble working his way back into the top four before the race was slowed for its eighth caution period on lap 225.
Harvick hit pit road for what he thought was going to be his final stop of the evening. The Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet received four fresh Goodyear tires along with fuel and a minor chassis adjustment. Harvick was sitting third for the restart on lap 230.
“Happy” worked his way into the second spot on lap 233 and was on the path to pass Matt Kenseth when the final caution flag flew on lap 242.
The race was red-flagged for nearly 15 minutes to clean debris from a multi-car melee. When the cars rolled off again, 10 cars, including Harvick’s, stayed on the race track while the rest on the lead lap hit pit road.
As the field came toward the green flag for the restart with four laps remaining, Harvick realized his left-front tire was flat. He had to come to pit road, ending his challenge for two straight wins. He crossed the finish line 17th.
Kenseth won the event, followed by Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Burton and Mark Martin.
Harvick’s other RCR teammate, Clint Bowyer, finished sixth.
The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 will take the green flag Sunday, March 11 beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Live television coverage on FOX kicks off at 4 p.m. EST. The race will also be broadcast live from coast-to-coast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the third of 36 points-paying NEXTEL Cup races will air live on SPEED, PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, March 9 beginning at 6 p.m. EST.
KEVIN HARVICK - NO. 29 SHELL CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO SS –
"It is a little disappointing, the thing was really good. Man what a great job this Shell-Pennzoil team did did. This Chevrolet was really fun to drive today. To come to California where we have struggled before and have a chance to win is awesome. We just had some bad luck. There is nothing we can do about that. That is two days in a row we had tire trouble so what do you do."
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
For bigE and Flash (my 2 favorite #29 fans)
Behind The Hauler Chat With Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick Third California Native In A Row To Win Daytona 500
Harvick Has To Treat California Like Any Other Race
Flat Tire Derails Destined Top-Five Finish For Harvick at California
