Sam’s Town 300 - Kevin Harvick Notes

Kevin Harvick / Reese's Racing
Sam's Town 300 Pre-Race Notes

EVENT INFORMATION - Event: NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300; Time and Date: 3:30 p.m. EST, Saturday, March 6; Site: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev.; Live Coverage: FX (television) and PRN (radio) at 3:30 p.m. EST; Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. EST, Friday, March 5; Happy Hour: Following Nextel Cup qualifying, Friday, March 5.

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS - For the first time in NASCAR Busch Series history, the Owners' Championship and the Drivers' Championship were split. The No. 21 PayDay Chevrolet team won the Owners' Championship in commanding fashion, clinching the title at Rockingham with one race remaining in the season. The team finished 261 points ahead of the No. 5 team of Brian Vickers, who claimed the Drivers' Championship. In 2004, the No. 21 Chevrolet carries the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups colors as the team attempts to defend its title. Harvick will compete in 20 of the 34 Busch Series events this season, and rookie driver Clint Bowyer will drive the No. 21 Reese's Chevy in the 14 other events on the schedule.

"GOOD CALL" - Two weeks ago at North Carolina Speedway, Harvick finished a career-best third at "The Rock." Harvick's strong finish can be credited to a great call made by the Reese's Racing pit crew. As the leaders began pitting under green flag conditions near the end of the event, Harvick's crew decided to keep the No. 21 on the racing surface. Because Harvick stayed out, he put the field one lap down, while hoping to become the benefactor of a caution flag. That is exactly what happened. Harvick caught a break and was able to come into the pits with the lead. He left the pits with the lead before he eventually taking the checkered flag in third.

POINTS LEADER-Although Kevin Harvick currently leads the NASCAR Busch Series drivers' points standings, the No. 21 Reese's team finds itself in second position in the series owners' standings. The No. 8 team, with drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr., leads the Owner's standings by 35 points over the No. 21 team. The 2004 season will see three teams, each utilizing two different drivers, as serious contenders for the Owners' title: The No. 21 Reese's team (Harvick and Bowyer), the No. 8 team (Earnhardt Jr. and Truex Jr.) and the No. 87 team (Joe Nemechek and David Reutimann).

VEGAS TEST -Harvick's RCR Busch Series teammate Ron Hornaday tested his No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet in January at Las Vegas. Hornaday commented on the extreme tire wear and the effects it will have on the car over long runs. The team was happy with the test and is very optimistic going into this weekend. Harvick also tested his No. 29 GM Goodwrench Nextel Cup car at Vegas during the same test.

VEGAS 2003 - Harvick's last Busch Series trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway was an exciting one. Harvick started third and led for much of the race. After a rain delay near the end of the event, Harvick pitted upon the restart of the race. He left the pits in 12th, then put on the show of the day, racing all the way to the second position before the checkered flag waved. The No. 21 team is optimistic and excited about its chances at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

DOUBLE DUTY AGAIN - This weekend marks the third of 21 weekends in which Harvick will pull "double duty," driving in both the Busch Series race and the Nextel Cup race. Harvick will compete in a handful of Craftsman Truck Series races and IROC Series events this season.

THE CAR-This week, crew chief Ricky Viers will load chassis No. 040 onto the Reese's transporter. It is a brand-new chassis that has never seen the racing surface. The team will start the car with the same setup that Harvick was so successful with last year at Vegas.

QUICK QUOTES AND NOTES:

Crew Chief Ricky Viers on tire wear at as Vegas-"We're going to be in the same situation that we were in at Rockingham. Tire management will be key. This is one place where downforce is extremely important. We learned from the No. 2 car test on how the tires will work on short and long runs. We'll just have to continue working on it through practice, and hopefully we'll be good to go on race day."

On calling a race-"There's different strategies for different tracks. Last week we looked at the odds of a yellow coming out. Turns out that in seven of the last 10 races at Rockingham, a caution flag has come in the last 30 laps, so we went with the odds. This week at Las Vegas we'll be looking at pit windows and trying to figure out how far we can go on fuel and how far we can go on tires. It's just like playing the odds downtown."

* Feb. 28 was Kevin and DeLana Harvick's third wedding anniversary. The couple was married in Vegas in 2001.

* Harvick's third-place finish last Saturday was his 20th top-10 finish in his last 21 Busch Series starts.

* Bowyer tested a Craftsman Truck for Harvick at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on Tuesday and Wednesday.

* Bowyer will attend every Busch Series event he is not driving in to learn from Harvick and the team.

* Hershey Foods became champions in its first season as a primary sponsor with its PayDay brand.