Arizona 200 - Kevin Harvick Notes

Kevin Harvick / REESE’S Racing
Phoenix 200 Pre-Race Notes

EVENT INFORMATION – Event: NASCAR Busch Series Phoenix 200; Time and Date: 1:10 p.m. EST, Saturday, Nov. 12; Site: Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Ariz. Live Coverage: TNT (television) at 1 p.m. EST and MRN (radio) at 12:30 p.m. EST; Qualifying: 11 a.m. EST, Saturday, Nov. 12, live on SPEED (television).

HARVICK AT PHOENIX – Harvick has competed in six Busch Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, 95 percent of the laps. He has an average start of 8.8 and an average finish of 14.3 to accompany three top-five finishes.

EMOTIONAL VICTORY – REESE’S Racing driver Kevin Harvick returned to victory lane last week at Texas Motor Speedway for his fourth NASCAR Busch Series victory this season. It was his 17th career victory in the Busch Series. Harvick, whose father-in-law died recently after a long illness, took the lead after a fast pit stop on lap 168 of 200. Harvick was leading by approximately two seconds when a final lap crash forced the race to end under caution.

11th ALL-TIME – After Kevin Harvick’s victory this weekend, he is tied for 11th on the all-time Busch Series win list. Harvick is tied with Greg Biffle and has the fifth-most wins on the active drivers list. Mark Martin leads this category with 47 wins.

HARVICK MARCHES ON – Of the 19 Busch Series events Harvick has competed in this season, he has four wins, 12 top-five finishes, 13 top-10 finishes and two poles. “Happy” finished fourth at Phoenix International Raceway in the inaugural spring race this year.

RCR WINS – With Harvick’s win this past weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) Busch stable of drivers has tallied six wins for the 2005 season. Harvick has won four (Richmond, Chicago, Texas and Bristol), and Clint Bowyer has won two (Memphis and Nashville). With six combined wins, the 2005 RCR stable has tied the 2001 most wins record at RCR. If Bowyer or Harvick can win one of the next two races, their names entered again in the RCR record books.

OWNER STANDINGS – The REESE’S Racing team is currently fourth in the Busch Series Owner Standings, 338 points out of the top spot.

QUICK QUOTES AND NOTES

Kevin Harvick on his win at Texas – “Everything just worked out. We had a great pit stop and the 39 (Ryan Newman) didn’t pit and then got bit by the caution. If we hadn’t made a lot of good adjustments on the last stop, though, it wouldn’t have been such a good day.”

“It’s been the hardest week I’ve ever had to go through.” “This win has been a little release to help heal things, but you’ve just got to take it day by day.”