Race 2 Win: Dover 200 - Kevin Harvick Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Dover 200 - Kevin Harvick Notes

Kevin Harvick
No. 21 U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Dover 200 – September 23, 2006
Venue: Dover (Del.) International Speedway

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Dover International Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 058 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new for 2006, this is the same car Harvick drove to a 13th-place finish in June in Dover and to an eighth-place finish in August in Michigan.

Stat Facts … In nine Busch Series starts at Dover International Speedway, Harvick has posted one top-five and five top-10 finishes. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has also led 290 laps and boasts an average starting position of 4.7.

Chasing Championships … Harvick currently leads both the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. This is the first time in Harvick’s career that he has led the NEXTEL Cup points and he could possibly be the first driver to win both championships. All totaled this season, “Happy” has collected 10 wins, one pole, 30 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes.

Million Dollar Baby … Harvick is the first NASCAR Busch Series driver this season to reach $1 million in earnings with $1,030,705. He is only the second driver in Busch Series history to top the $1 million mark this early in a season.

Leading the Way … The 30-year-old driver currently leads a number of NASCAR Busch Series stats. They include: wins (six), races led (16), miles led (984.68), laps led (913), top-five (18) and top-10 finishes (25). The only major category Harvick does not lead is Busch pole awards, which is lead by Denny Hamlin with six.

Chasing History … Harvick holds a 619-point lead over Carl Edwards in the NASCAR Busch Series point standings. The lead is three more that the largest season-ending point margin in Busch Series history, achieved when Jeff Green won the 2000 title by 616 points over Jason Keller.

Lead Lap Finishes … Harvick has finished on the lead lap in 31 consecutive NASCAR Busch Series races. The last time he did not finish on the lead lap was last October at Charlotte. He was leading the race and suffered a flat right-front tire and hit the outside wall. He finished 14 laps down in the 24th position.

Up to Speed … The Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway will be televised live Saturday, September 23 beginning at 3 p.m. EDT on TNT. The Motor Racing Network and XM Satellite will also carry the race broadcast live. Qualifying for the Dover 200 will air live on SPEED on Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
Do you think Dover is more like Bristol or Richmond?
“It is like a big Bristol. It is a place where you can lean on the banking a lot. You have to make your car turn and, as the race goes on, the track changes a lot as it takes rubber. You have to keep up with the race track as the rubber builds.”

What do you contribute to all your success in the NASCAR Busch Series this year?
“We have just had one of those years where everything has gone really well. The cars have preformed really well. I just happen to be the driver driving the cars. Everything has gone perfect. We have won a lot of races and finished in the top-five and top-10 and led a lot of laps. It has been a lot of fun and you know that it is not always going to be this way. It is fun every once in a while to have years like we are having.”

You could possibly be the first driver to win both the Busch and Cup Series. What are you thoughts going into the last nine weeks?
“I think the Busch championship is good for us, it has been a lot of fun. We have already won a Busch championship and, hopefully, we can close the Busch championship thing out before we get to the end of the year. But the Cup championship is what makes our world go around. That is what we all want to achieve and it’s the main focus right now.”

“It is a challenge and obviously an inspiration to do something that no one has ever done before. It adds a little incentive, not that we need anymore incentive to win the Cup and Busch championships. I think it is really cool to have a chance to do something that no one has ever done. I am just proud to have the opportunity, whether it happens or not.”