Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Diamond Hill Plywood 200 - Kevin Harvick Notes

Kevin Harvick
No. 21 AutoZone Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Diamond Hill Plywood – May 11, 2007
Venue: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Darlington Raceway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 052 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Most recently, Harvick grabbed the Bud Pole and finished seventh with this race car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last Season, Chassis No. 052 hit the wall at Gateway International Speedway in July and Lowe’s Motor Speedway in October and has been completely rebuilt both times. Additionally, last season this car won and finished third at Nashville and finished fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Stat Facts … In eight Busch Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Harvick has posted one pole, one top-five and four top-10 finishes. The Bakersfield, Calif., native also has been running at the finish of each of his eight Busch races at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped track.

RCR Busch Cars in Darlington … In 24 previous NBS starts at Darlington Raceway, RCR has earned one pole (Kevin Harvick 2003), five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. RCR cars have also led 204 laps.

Did you Know … Harvick has an average finishing spot of 8.6 in NASCAR Busch Series competition (175 starts), ranking him first all-time in average finishing spot with a minimum of 100 starts.

Owner Victories … With RCR’s five wins this season (Daytona, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Phoenix and Richmond) Richard Chiildress has collected a total of 43 wins in the NASCAR Busch Series, putting him second on the all-time car owner career wins list. Jack Roush tops the charts with 88 victories.

RCR Engines … With Clint Bowyer’s win last weekend at Richmond International Raceway, the RCR engine program has earned six wins this season (Harvick – Daytona, Jeff Burton – Las Vegas and Atlanta, Bowyer – Phoenix and Richmond and Bobby Labonte/Kevin Harvick Inc. – Talladega).

Saturday Night Special … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 21 AutoZone Chevrolet, Harvick, a 11-time race winner in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, will driver the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet in the May 12 Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington Raceway. The race will be televised live on FOX beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 11th of 36 points-paying NEXTEL Cup Series races will air live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, May 11 at 3 p.m. EDT.

Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway will take the green flag Friday, May 11 beginning at 8 p.m. EDT and will be telecast live on ESPN 2. The event will also be broadcast live on MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 12th race of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series schedule will be televised live on SPEED the same day beginning at 5 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
Do you still get a Darlington stripe when you race there?
“Oh yeah. Last year I think I got a couple that pretty much ended my day. It can reach out and grab you at any point, any time during the race.”

Are pit stops going to be a big concern on Friday night?
“Pit stops will definitely play a big role. With tires, we try to take it easy. Instead of trying to kill the car early, we take it easy the first 50 laps and just stay patient. You learn quickly at Darlington that you’re going to have to put on four tires every time you come in. Once they’re gone, you have to rely so much more on pit stops.”

CREW CHIEF SHANE WILSON QUOTES:
What will it take to be competitive at Darlington?
“The most important thing at Darlington is having a good handling car. If we can go in with a good set-up and keep the forward bite when the tires go away, we’ll have a better chance at surviving. Qualifying is important as well as consistent pit stops.”