Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: Pepsi 400 – July 7, 2007
Venue: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at Daytona International Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 161 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new for the 2006 season, this is the same chassis Harvick raced to a sixth-place finish at Talladega earlier this season. Additionally, this chassis finished 14th in the 2006 Daytona 500 and ninth in the 2006 Pepsi 400.
Restrictor Plate Success … Harvick has competed in 25 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races on restrictor plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega), completing 98 percent of the laps. He has also collected one win (2007 Daytona 500), two poles, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Additionally, “Happy” has led 139 laps and has only recorded one did not finish (DNF).
The Fast Way Around … Harvick captured his only Daytona pole at the 2002 Pepsi 400. He posted a fast lap of 48.638 seconds (185.041 mph).
Points Check … Harvick’s eighth-place finish last week at New Hampshire International Speedway helped the 31-year-old driver maintain the eighth spot in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings. Additionally, the 11-time Cup Series winner has remained in the top 11 in NASCAR’s championship point standings during the first 17 weeks of the season.
RCR Rocks Daytona … Dating back to 1986, RCR has won seven poles and owns 23 total victories at DIS, including Kevin Harvick’s dramatic win in the 2007 season-opening Daytona 500. Additionally, RCR won 10 straight (1990-1999) Twin 125s with Dale Earnhardt. All totaled, RCR has won five Bud Shootouts, 13 Twin 125 qualifying races, two Pepsi 400s and two Daytona 500s. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also won the February 2002 NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) race at Daytona driving a car fielded by RCR and Kevin Harvick won this year’s Busch Series opener at DIS in the AutoZone Chevrolet.
Vote for Kevin Harvick … Harvick has been nominated for two ESPY awards: “Best Finish” for his .02-second victory over Mark Martin in the Daytona 500, and “Best Driver.” Cast your vote at www.espn.com and help him win both categories. The ESPY Awards will be shown live on ESPN July 15 at 9 p.m. EDT.
Daytona 500 Champions Walk of Fame … At the Daytona 500 Champions Walk of Fame, race fans, much like at the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, can mill around the outside of the attraction gazing down at the 3 sq. ft cement blocks that showcase the past 10 Daytona 500 champion’s handprints, right foot and autograph in the legendary cement. On Friday, July 6 from 11-12:30 p.m., Harvick will cement his place in history by partaking in this special ceremony.
Double Down … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Harvick, a 28-time race winner in the NASCAR Busch Series, will drive the No. 21 AutoZone Chevrolet in the Winn Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, July 6. The race will be televised live on ESPN 2 beginning at 7:30 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 19th race on the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series schedule will be televised live on SPEED the same day beginning at 1 p.m. EDT.
Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Pepsi 400 from Daytona International Speedway begins Saturday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. The race will also be broadcast on MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 18th of 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races will be televised live on SPEED Friday, July 6 beginning at 4 p.m. EDT.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What is it going to be like next week going back to Daytona after winning the Daytona 500?
“It’s going to be busy, I know that. There are a lot of things going on. However, it was such a big deal for us to win the Daytona 500 and knowing everything that goes along with that now means so much. People ask what it means and really, you can’t explain it until you’ve been through it. It’s been a neat experience for us and to win the biggest race of the year is something we’re all pretty excited about. So to go back, we’re all pretty pumped up to roll in there and see how it feels.”
How does it feel to rub shoulders with Richard Pretty, Bobby Allison, and Jeff Gordon – all the elite drivers who have won the Daytona 500?
“It’s an elite group of drivers. It’s the who’s who of our sport. We’ve been fortunate to win a lot of the big races like the Brickyard, the Daytona 500 and the All-star race, and that’s pretty neat to be a part of that club.”
What is different at Daytona during the July races compared to the races in February?
“The track gets hot and slick during the races in July. The handling characteristics become magnified a lot more. We are shooting for a good-handling race car. We are willing to knock a little speed out of the car for it to handle better.”
