Race 2 Win: Aaron's 312 - Kevin Harvick Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Aaron's 312 - Kevin Harvick Notes

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

Event/Date: Aaron’s 312 – April 29, 2006
Venue: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Talladega Superspeedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 054 from the Richard Childress Racing stable. Built new for 2006, this is the same U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet that Burton drove to a 30th-place finish at Daytona, after suffering a broken valve spring.

In the Loop … According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Harvick leads all Busch Series drivers with 384.44 miles led in the 2006 season, a total that is more than 100 miles better than second place Matt Kenseth (280.42). Harvick also leads the field in the percentage of laps run on the lead lap, running all 1,688 laps this season on the lead lap. The Bakersfield, Calif., native also leads the way with 330 quality passes (passing a car running in the top 15 while under green flag) in NASCAR Busch Series competition.

Restrictor Plate Success … Harvick has competed in 11 Busch Series races on restrictor plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega), completing 96 percent of the laps. He has an average starting position of 6.5 and an average finishing sport of 9.5. Additionally, Harvick boasts one pole (Daytona 2005), seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes.

Crew Chief … Crew Chief Shane Wilson has started the season off with nine straight top-10 finishes. Seven have come in the No. 21 Coast Guard Chevy and one in the No. 29 Hershey’s Kissables Chevy at Daytona. Wilson has also led the Coast Guard team to three wins (Atlanta, Nashville and Phoenix)

RCR at Talladega … In 12 previous Busch Series races at Talladega, RCR has posted two poles (Clint Bowyer 2004 and Johnny Sauter 2003) and three top-five finishes. RCR cars have also led 66 laps at Talladega Superspeedway. Repaving the Way … RCR team owner Richard Childress will be on hand at Talladega on Monday, May 1, as construction crews begin the repaving project of Talladega’s 2.66-mile track surface for the first time in 26 years. Childress competed as a driver in the track’s inaugural race and used his winnings from that race weekend at Talladega to help start RCR. Fittingly, he now holds the record as the car owner with the most success at the storied Alabama track, with nine victories to his organization’s credit, all of them coming with Dale Earnhardt.

NEXTEL Cup Star … Harvick has three top-five and five top-10 finishes in his last six starts at Talladega Superspeedway, including two second-place finishes (2003 and 2004). Additionally, Harvick boasts one pole (2005) and an average finishing position of sixth.

Chasing History … Harvick is on a two-race winning streak. He comes to Talladega seeking his third victory in a row; the last driver to win three NASCAR Busch Series races in succession was Ryan Newman last year (Watkins Glen, Michigan and Bristol).

Coast Guard Heroes … April 24th marked the second anniversary of the loss of a Coast Guard hero, Nathan Bruckenthal, and two United States Navy sailors who were killed in the line of duty while conducting maritime intercept operations in the North Arabian Gulf. Bruckenthal was a proud Coast Guardsman who served his country and his fellow man with honor and compassion. He willingly entered into harm’s way to protect our nation and his fellow servicemen from terrorists and to assist the people of Iraq as they pursue freedom and democracy.

Points Leader … Harvick maintained the lead in the NASCAR Busch Series drivers’ point standings after winning at Phoenix International Raceway. He is currently 289 points ahead Richard Childress Racing teammate Bowyer. The No. 21 U.S. Coast Guard race team is also sitting first in the NASCAR Busch Series owners’ point standings, 298 points ahead of Bowyer’s No. 2 ACDelco team.

Up to Speed … The Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live Saturday, April 29 beginning at 3:30 p.m. EDT on FOX. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite will also carry the race broadcast live. Qualifying for the Aaron’s 312 will air live on SPEED Friday, April 28 beginning at 4 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

What do you think about NASCAR making the bumpers softer?
“To be honest with you about the bumpers, we don’t really have to change a whole lot on them. I think it is going down the right road and it is a good idea. However, all in all the bumpers really aren’t that much different. We were shown the specs of the new bumper and it really didn’t change our front end that much.”

Do you like restrictor plate racing? Is it more mental than physical?
“I have always really liked the bigger tracks. It’s way more mental than physical. You’re worn out by the end of the race. You spend a lot of time looking in the mirrors anticipating the other guy’s next move.”

CREW CHIEF SHANE WILSON QUOTES:

You have nine top-10 finishes in your first nine starts as a crew chief at Richard Childress Racing. What do you contribute to your early success?
“I would say a little luck and a lot of skill. The team is doing well. We haven’t made any costly mistakes. Kevin and Jeff have done a great job and they have also stayed out of trouble. Everything has just been going our way. We have had good cars every race, which is nice. That won’t happen every week. There will be days that we miss the setup and how we recover from that will really show how good of a team we are.”