Race 2 Win: Carquest Auto Parts 300

NASCAR Busch Series

Carquest Auto Parts 300 - Kevin Harvick Notes

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

Event/Date: Carquest Auto Parts 300 – May 27, 2006
Venue: Lowe’s Motor Speedway – Concord, N.C.

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Lowe’s Motor Speedway … Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 026 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable, which is making its 2006 debut. This car was completely rebuilt in the off-season and was tested May 8-9 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Stat Facts … In 10 Busch Series starts at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Harvick has posted two poles, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. The 20-time NASCAR Busch series winner has also led 124 laps and has completed 99% of laps attempted at the 1.5-mile oval.

In the Loop … Harvick continues to dominate the NASCAR Busch Series which is illustrated by the current NASCAR loop data report. He leads four categories – driver rating (112.3), miles lead (421.19),. Quality passes (613) and percentage of laps run on lead lap (100%).

Starting Spot Success … Harvick has started from the pole 13-times in his NASCAR Busch Series career and has one win from that starting spot (Bristol 2000). The Bakersfield, Calif., native has the most success when he starts from either second or 11th. He has won three races from each of these starting sports. Starting from the second spot he has wins at Gateway (2001), Bristol (2001) and Memphis (2000). From the 11th position he has wins at Las Vegas (2004), Bristol (2003) and Kentucky (2001). Harvick’s worst starting spot with a win, occurred in 2005 at Bristol when he started 38th.

At the Top … The U.S. Coast Guard team has accumulated four wins, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season. In addition, they lead the NASCAR Busch Series owners’ points standings by, 356 over teammate Clint Bowyer’s No. 2 ACDelco team.

Did you Know … “Happy” Harvick’s has not finished outside of the top-seven in eight starts behind the wheel of the No. 21 Coast Guard Chevy. His worst finish came at Darlington Raceway where he started 43rd ,due to an engine change, and finished seventh.

Dirty Track School … On Monday Harvick went to Georgia to participate in a day long class on the fundamentals of driving a dirt car. This is in preparation for the charity race that Harvick and several other NASCAR drivers will participate in at Eldora Speedway, owned by Tony Stewart, on June 7th.

GM Promotion … GM Goodwrench announced a new national promotion last Saturday, the No. 29 Goodwrench Expertise Challenge. If Harvick wins two out of 12 selected NEXTEL Cup races, 29 lucky fans will receive a 2007 Chevy Avalanche, and GM Goodwrench will set up a $200,000 scholarship fund to encourage young men and women to purse careers as automotive technicians.

100 and Counting … Harvick hit the 100 mark in top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Busch Series with his seventh-place finish at Darlington Raceway.

Up to Speed … The Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, May 27 beginning at 8 p.m. EDT on FX. The Performance Racing Network (PRN) and XM Satellite will also carry the race broadcast live. Qualifying for the Carquest Auto Parts 300 will air live on SPEED Thursday, May 25 beginning at 9 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What do you think about the tires that Goodyear brought to Lowe’s?
“I would much rather have a tire that is too hard and slide around a little bit then blow out right front tires all night. I think we came up with a pretty good tire from the test. The thing that I don’t understand is why Goodyear made such a hard tire that will last forever and on the Cup cars we are running a smaller fuel cell so we have to pit ever 35 to 40 laps. If it is a question of safety then why aren’t the trucks and Busch cars running the same fuel cell?”

During the Charlotte weekend you are going to run 900 miles. Do you think it will have an effect on you?
“It’s something that we have come pretty used to during the season. A couple of years ago we had to run it on the same day. That was a workout. All in all, it’s good for me. It keeps me sharp.

So far this season you have three wins, seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes behind the wheel of the No. 21 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS. Are you and the U.S. Coast Guard team confident coming into this weekend?
“It’s a good feeling to have had such great success this season. We haven’t had the best car in all those races, but we have been in position to win races and take an advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself. Its been a lot of fun to drive in the Busch Series this year. The U.S. Guard Coast is great to have on board as a sponsor and to give them some success and represent our country is really neat.”