Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: Sylvania 300 – September 16, 2007
Venue: New Hampshire International Speedway – Loudon, N.H.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS) … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 206 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is the same Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS Harvick drove to a seventh-place finish last weekend at Richmond International Raceway.
Stat Facts … In 13 NASCAR Cup Series races at NHIS, Harvick has earned one win (fall 2006), one pole (fall 2006), three top-five and eight top-10 finishes. Additionally, the 11-time NASCAR Cup Series winner has earned a 13.5 starting average and a 12.3 finishing average and has completed all but six laps at New England’s Magic Mile.
The Chase is on … “Happy” ended his 26 races to the Chase in 12th position but will start the Chase in 11th given the emphasis on the bonus-points-for wins procedure implemented for the first time in 2007. He is involved in a six-way tie for sixth place in total points (5010) but officially sits in 11th. Jimmie Johnson holds a 50-point advantage over Harvick heading into the 10-race playoff.
RCR at NHIS … Richard Childress is tied for fifth all-time with Robert Yates for car owner victories at NHIS with two – Robby Gordon (2001) and Harvick (2006). In 57 starts at the one-mile oval, Childress boasts one pole, nine top-five and 24 top-10 finishes with seven different drivers including Dale Earnhardt, Mike Skinner, Harvick, Gordon, Jeff Green, Steve Park, and Jeff Burton.
Testing, Testing … Harvick and the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team tested at Talladega Superspeedway September 10-11 in preparation for the UAW-Ford 500. This test was the sixth of seven allowed under NASCAR’s 2007 testing policy. The final test available to teams in NASCAR’s top division will be conducted at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Oct. 29-30).
Media Darling … Harvick will join his fellow Chase participants in NASCAR’s media blitz in New York City this week. The top-12 drivers will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday, then participate in an all day media tour on Thursday.
Record-Holder … The 2007 Daytona 500 winner holds the record for Busch Series qualifying at NHIS. This record was set May 11, 2001 when he recorded a fast lap of 29.138 seconds (130.716 mph) at the one-mile New England race track.
Up Close and Personal … The No. 29 team will be one of five teams featured this weekend on DirecTV’s NASCAR Hotpass. With a channel dedicated solely to the Shell-Pennzoil Racing team during the running of the Sylvania 300, fans will be able to watch all the action through DirecTV’s multiple camera angles, real-time car telemetry and listen to in-car audio communication.
Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Sylvania 300 at NHIS will take the green flag Sunday, September 16 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will be telecast live on ABC. The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 27 of 36 points-paying NASCAR Cups Series races will air live on ESPN2, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, September 14 at 3 p.m. EDT.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
Now that you’re in the Chase, and both your teammates made it as well, does the dynamic change?
“Nothing changes. You just go out and do the same thing you’ve done every week. We all share everything and we will continue sharing everything. Making the Chase really doesn’t change anything that we do as a team.”
With 10 races to go, do find that you will be racing against the other 11 guys in the Chase instead of the customary 42 cars that are normally out there?
“I think you have to do your own thing. You have to race as hard as you can. Obviously, you have to find another level of intensity in the last 10 races. I think we will have to take some chances that we normally wouldn’t take. If you don’t, there’s going to be somebody that beats you and take those chances and gets away with it. You know, you definitely are going to be at the maximum level of aggression. We are going to push cars and engines and everything else to the max.”
Why have you had so much success at New Hampshire?
“We had a lot of success at New Hampshire last season. Our flat-track program has been really good over the past few years – Richmond, Loudon, Phoenix – all those places have been really good to us. We look forward to going to New Hampshire every year and this year is no different. We enjoy the race track since they put the progressive banking in. You can now race side-by-side and pass people and do the things you need to do to get toward the front.”
