KEVIN HARVICK
Harvick Looking to end Atlanta Motor Speedway Slump
Huntersville, N.C. (March 14, 2006) – GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick is coming off a solid 11th place finish in Las Vegas, Nevada, and hopes to carry over the momentum to this Sunday’s running of the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). Harvick ran in and out of the top-five for 202 of the 267 laps last weekend and was sitting in the third position with 30 laps to go before a tight racecar doomed his chances of a top-five finish. Nonetheless, Harvick was happy with his team’s effort and looks to bring that success with them to another 1.5-mile track this weekend.
The No. 29 GM Goodwrench/Reese’s team has struggled in the past at the intermediate tracks and of those it’s no secret that AMS has been their biggest obstacle. Harvick has 10 starts at the 1.5-mile track with his best finishes coming in 2001. In just his third race in the NASCAR Cup Series, Harvick beat Jeff Gordon by mere inches to win at AMS in March of 2001. This victory brought a small amount of joy to a grieving Richard Childress Racing (RCR) organization, following the passing of legendary driver Dale Earnhardt. Harvick continued his success at AMS in the fall event of that year finishing third and solidifying the No. 29 team as a force to be reckoned with at the 1.5-mile track.
However, since that emotional year, things have not gone as well for Harvick and company. The No. 29 GM Goodwrench/Reese’s team has not finished on the lead lap in the five years that have passed. Harvick’s best finish since is a 19th place run, two laps down to the leader, in the spring of 2003. The goal for the team is to break out of the AMS slump and recapture the success of years gone by. Turning things around will have to be a team effort this weekend just like they did at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Points of Interest…
Runnin It…Team GM Goodwrench will race a brand new chassis, No. 137, this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Track Stat…Harvick has 10 starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Of those 10 starts, he has compiled a record of one win, two top-five finishes, two top-10 finishes, and three DNF’s.
Laps Led/Laps Complete...Harvick has completed 3033 of 3173 laps (95.6%) in 10 starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Of those 3033 laps complete, he has led 59 of them.
Avg. Start/ Avg. Finish... Harvick’s average starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway is 18.3 with his best qualifying effort coming in 2001 where he started fifth. His average finishing position is 23.2 with his best finish coming in 2001 when he took the checkered flag after taking over the driving duties of the late Dale Earnhardt.
“Rush Hour”… A new, high energy 30 second GM Goodwrench motorsports TV commercial debuted during the Daytona 500. The ad called “Rush Hour”, applies the energy of racing to the morning commute. It shows Kevin Harvick in a typical rush hour situation daydreaming of being in his race car. His ultimate objective is to find the expertise of Mr. Goodwrench …his own personal pit crew…at his GM dealership. The spot will continue to run throughout the year along with being integrated into general market programming such as; ESPN, CMT, MSNBC, Discovery Channel, TLC, Sci-Fi, HGTV and more. If you haven’t seen the commercial, you can view it by going to Goodwrench.com.
GM Goodwrench Racing Micro-site… Goodwrench.com has a whole new look. Part of the new design is a dynamic racing micro-site. The micro-site engages race fans into the world of the No. 29 GM Goodwrench race team. The design illustrates the vitality of racing and offers up a lot of new content for our loyal fans. Site enhancements like audio and text recaps of each race, car stats, along with photos highlighting the weekly races are jsut a few of the features. You can also order Kevin Harvick merchandise and get to know more about Kevin Harvick and our “personal pit crew.” We’ll continue to add more excitement as the racing season continues. Check it out at Goodwrench.com/racing
A New Partnership…The 2006 NASCAR season has a new look as Reese’s joins forces with GM Goodwrench to sponsor the No. 29 team in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. With the success that both of the sponsors have enjoyed over the years, one could only imagine what the No. 29 GM Goodwrench/Reese’s Chevrolet has in store for 2006. GM Goodwrench will hold the primary paint scheme for 24 races and Reese’s will run the remaining 13 races.
Start time… On Sunday March 19th, the running of the Golden Corral 500 is set to begin at 1:00 p.m. EST on FOX. If you can’t catch the race on TV, it can be heard on your local PRN Radio affiliate and XM Satellite Radio – Channel 144 starting at the same time. Remember to check your local listings as dates and times of the race may change.
No. 29 GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick on Atlanta Motor Speedway…
What is the key to Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“You are in the corners so long at Atlanta, that the car has to handle well. The tires fall off pretty fast so you have to make sure the car handles through the long runs.”
What do you remember from your first NASCAR Cup Series win at AMS in 2001?
“I remember how emotional it was for everyone, including myself, and RCR. It almost felt like a dream. I think that race was very important to the beginning of the healing process that still goes on to this day.”
