KEVIN HARVICK
Returning to his Roots
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (April 21, 2003) - It's not often that NASCAR Winston Cup
drivers get a chance to go back and race like they used to growing up. With
the busy 36-race schedule, all the appearances, and the non-stop traveling
that goes along with the job, most of them are more concerned with taking a
little time off than returning to their roots.
Not so for GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick. The first thing he's going
to do once he gets home to Bakersfield, Calif., on Thursday is spend a day
testing the Late Model car he will run Saturday night at Mesa Marin Raceway
on behalf of its owners, Gary and Marion Collins. If he gets lucky, he'll
get to spend some time with family and friends before heading to (Fontana)
California Speedway in the evening for the weekend's NASCAR events.
Once in Fontana, it's practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Winston Cup and
Busch Series as usual on Friday. Saturday, he's back in the No. 21 PayDay
Chevrolet Monte Carlo for his fifth Busch Series race of the 2003 season.
When that's over, he'll fly back to Bakersfield to run the Late Model race
in front of the hometown crowd. This will be the second year in a row he
participates in the 75-lap shootout, and he's going for two in a row after
winning from the back of the pack in 2002.
Sunday will bring the culmination of a long weekend of racing as Harvick
participates in his third NASCAR Winston Cup Series event at the two-mile
oval. He's won all kinds of races at California, including Winston West and
last year's IROC event. With his California conglomerate behind him, he'll
look to celebrate his first Winston Cup victory of the 2003 season.
No. 29 GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick on Caly...
What's racing like at California?
"It usually comes down to fuel mileage because there's so much room to race.
Last year, the groove really spread out up high in the corners so you could
run three-quarters of the way up the racetrack, or at the bottom, or in the
middle. It's really hard on the motor. The year before last, we had a car
capable of winning and broke a valve spring. Last year, we didn't run all
that great, but that was par for the course. We're expecting to go there
and run well this time around. I always put a little extra pressure on
myself being that it's close to home."
You touched on the motors. How do you make sure it lasts?
"The problem is that you sit at the same rpm for so long and you're on the
throttle for so long down the straightaway that it puts a strain on the
motor. Sometimes valve springs break, then the thing blows up. The guys at
the shop feel pretty confident going in that our motors are going to be
okay. Hopefully, we have the right balance on the motor and it'll be a good
weekend."
How much will the aero-package come into play?
"It's all aero at California. You do have to have a good motor, but you
also have to be able to get through the corners. There's not 28-degrees of
banking, or 24-degrees of banking, it's relatively flat. This is probably
one of the most important aero-racetracks that there are, and this will be
the first really, really big test of it for our new bodies."
You're running the Busch race on Saturday, any special reason?
"Honestly, I'd like to win a race at California in either Busch or Winston
Cup. That's the biggest reason I'm doing it. It's not really a huge rhythm
racetrack that will get me ready for Sunday. I mean, every racetrack is
some sort of rhythm racetrack, but it's not a Charlotte, or a Bristol, or
Darlington, somewhere like that. I like to keep busy when I'm close to home
so I don't have a lot of distractions. I like to stay in the racecar and
keep moving."
How are your heels?
"They definitely hurt. My left foot's not bad, but my right foot, I can't
even put tennis shoes on. I tried to put some gel pads in my shoes after I
noticed the burning in the truck race. Turns out it was a bad idea, a
really bad idea. Once they got hot, they kept getting hotter and they never
got cool. I've been wearing sandals or walking around bare foot most of the
time letting them recover. It was nice to have some extra time to do that."
No. 29 GM Goodwrench crew chief Todd Berrier on Caly...
What's hard about racing at California?
"It's not so much that there is anything hard about the track itself, it's
more about what the racetrack can do to a car. The last couple of times
we've been out there, we've blown up motors and had our day end early. That
puts a little strain on the engine guys who are trying to figure out how to
keep that from happening again. The good thing is, our 2003 Monte Carlo
body is getting better. We're taking the same car we raced at Texas, so
we're cautiously optimistic."
Points of Interest...
* Team GM Goodwrench will take chassis No. 112 west for this weekend's
Winston Cup race in Fontana. This chassis, new for the 2003 season, saw
it's first action at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2003, where Harvick
started eighth and finished 15th.
* After a three-week hiatus, Harvick will be back in the cockpit of
the No. 21 PayDay Chevrolet for Saturday's CaliforniaSpeedway.com 300.
Already with a Busch win at Bristol this season, this will be his third
Busch race at the two-mile oval.
* Despite his 16th place finish in Martinsville, Va., Harvick jumped
two spots to sixth in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver points
standings with 1,097 points. This is a remarkable turn around from last
year, where he was 29th after the first nine events.
* Start time for Sunday's Auto Club 500 is slated for 3:00 p.m. ET.
TV coverage of the race on FOX starts at 2:30 p.m., with radio coverage on
MRN beginning at 2:30 p.m. Remember times and dates of the race may change,
so check your local listings.
