Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: UAW-Ford 500 – October 7, 2007
Venue: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at Talladega Superspeedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 217 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is a new Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS.
Talladega Totals … In 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, Harvick has one pole, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Additionally, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has earned a 20.2 starting average, 13.1 finishing average and has completed 2,445 of the 2,456 laps contested at the Alabama race track.
Restrictor Plate Success … Harvick has competed in 26 NASCAR 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 142 laps and has only recorded one DNF (did not finish).
Keep on Rolling … Harvick has yet to record a DNF in 2007. He and teammate Clint Bowyer are the only two Chase drivers to have finished every race this season. Harvick has been running at the end of every race dating back to Dover last September, a steak of 37 races.
RCR at Talladega … Richard Childress competed as a driver in Talladega’s inaugural race in 1969 and used his winning from the race weekend to help start RCR. He now holds the record as the car owner with the most success at the storied Alabama track, with nine victories to his organization’s credit, all of them coming with Dale Earnhardt. Additionally, in 102 starts, RCR boasts 28 top-five, 44 top-10 finishes and over $6 million in earnings.
Made to Move … Harvick climbed four spots in the NASCAR Cup point standings after his sixth-place finish at Kansas Speedway. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner now sits fifth, 126 markers out of the lead and nine markers out of the fourth-place spot.
RCR Fan Day … RCR is hosting a fan day October 12 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. All RCR drivers will be in attendance signing autographs. Additionally, there will be special museum tours, pit stop ride-a-longs, product discounts, food and live music. Get to RCR early to get your tickets for the autograph sessions.
Still in the Hunt … Last year after three races were completed in the Chase, 2006 NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was 165 points out of the lead. He finished 39th in New Hampshire and, 13th in Dover and 14th in Kansas with an average finish of 22nd. Johnson went on to tally five top-five and six top-10 finishes in the final seven races to capture his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. Right now, Harvick is in much better shape as he is only 126 points out of the lead. He finished 17th at New Hampshire, 20th at Dover and sixth at Kansas with an average finish of 14.3.
Up to Speed … Live coverage of the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will take the green flag Sunday, October 7 at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will be telecast on ABC. The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for 30th of 36 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races will air live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Saturday, October 6 at 1 p.m. EDT.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What is your thought about racing the Impala SS at Talladega?
“It’s going to be like Talladega always is. You never really know what’s going to happen when you get there. It’s still just typical Talladega and the cars are very comfortable to drive. At no worse, it’ll be just as exciting as it always has been but, it will probably be more exciting just because the cars are a little less stable than the old ones which could cause a few more tense moments.”
What’s your outlook based on where you are in the standings? Are you still in the championship hunt?
“Oh yeah. We’re further ahead than where Jimmie (Johnson) was last year. We’re only three weeks into the 10 week journey. It doesn’t seem like anybody has really kind of stepped up and really had three good weeks so far. Everybody’s kind of had trouble and we’ve had trouble two of the three weeks so far. You go out and you race as hard as you can and if we can keep the performance level at what it’s been the last three weeks we’ll get back in it but if we keep having stupid things happen to us we’re in trouble.”
