Race 2 Win: Busch Silver Celebration 250

NASCAR Busch Series

Busch Silver Celebration 250 - Kevin Harvick Notes

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

Event/Date: Busch Silver Celebration 250 – July 22, 2006
Venue: Gateway International Raceway – Madison, Ill.

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Gateway International Raceway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 052 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Chassis No. 052 won and finished third at Nashville earlier this season and also finished fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Stat Facts … In two NASCAR Busch Series starts at Gateway International Speedway, Harvick has posted two wins and has an average starting position of third. He has also led 221 of the 400 laps he has raced at Gateway.

Tying History … With Harvick’s win last weekend at Martinsville Speedway, RCR teams (No. 2, No. 21 and No. 29) have collected six wins in the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series season, tying a company record for the most Busch Series victories in a season.

Racing with the Fans … Harvick will visit NASCAR SpeedPark in Sevierville, Tenn., on Thursday, July 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. During his appearance at NASCAR SpeedPark, he will do a meet and greet for some of his fans as well as sign autographs and race on the Speed Park’s tracks.

First Win … Gateway International Speedway was the site of Harvick’s first NASCAR Busch Series win. He claimed the win July 29, 2000 in only his 21st Busch Series start.

It’s Russell’s Birthday … Russell Buchheit, a native of Old Appleton, Mo., pit support specialist for Harvick’s No. 21 Coast Guard Chevrolet, will celebrate his 48th birthday on Thursday, July 26th.

21 Wins … “Happy” Harvick has now collected 21 NASCAR Busch Series wins, tying him for seventh place all-time with Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Harry Gant. Mark Martin leads the series with 47 victories.

RCR at Gateway … Kevin Harvick scored back-to-back wins for RCR in the 2000-2001 races at Gateway International Raceway. Additionally, RCR owns four top-five and eight top-10 finishes at the 1.25-mile track.

There is Only One … Harvick is the only driver to complete every lap of NASCAR Busch Series competition for the 2006 season. He has completed 4,038 laps of competition.

Impressive Stats … Harvick’s NASCAR Busch Series career stats include 21 wins, 77 top-five and 107 top-10 finishes in 152 starts. That’s a victory in 14 percent of the Busch races he has entered, a top-five in 51 percent of the races and a top-10 in 70 percent of the races.

Up to Speed … The Busch Silver Celebration 250 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., will be televised live Saturday, July 29 beginning at 8 p.m. EDT on TNT. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio will also carry the race broadcast live. Qualifying for the 22nd of 35 NASCAR Busch Series events will take the green flag at 3:35 p.m. EDT Saturday, July 29.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
Is it tough at this point in the year for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series to get a weekend off?
“Actually, I am pretty excited about only having one race this weekend. My sister and her husband are coming to the race. We are taking that weekend as a little vacation with a race in the middle of it. Anytime that you only have to race one vehicle it is like a vacation. “

What to you most remember about your two wins at Gateway?
“I remember that is was extremely hot. Especially in 2001, when it was like 105 degrees at 7:30 at night when the race started. I think that was the most miserable I have ever been in a race car. After the race, I didn’t even have the energy to get out of the car. My team had to pull me out and hold me up during the victory lane celebration. I think I took two IV’s after the race and had to fly to New Hampshire to race the Cup car the next day. However, we won the race at St. Louis and that was the most important thing.”

When you won the Busch Series Championship in 2001, was there a particular race that was a turning point in the season when you felt like you could possibly when the championship?
“I think once we made it through the summer months, flying back and forth from Cup races to Busch races, I felt a certain level of confidence. It’s never over until it’s over. But, I knew those were going to be the toughest parts of the year. We were lucky that everything fell our way that year.”