Race 2 Win: Sprint Cup Series Race Notes

Sprint Cup Series

Food City 500 - Kevin Harvick Notes

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Food City 500– March 16, 2008
Venue: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Bristol Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 235 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable, a new race car for the 2008 season that Harvick raced to a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Additionally, the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team tested this Impala SS at the Las Vegas race track during preseason testing Jan. 28-29.

Harvick in the Loop at Bristol …

Stat Facts … In 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at NASCAR’s fastest half-mile, Harvick has one win, seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Additionally, “Happy” has led 358 laps and has a 10.5 average finishing position.

Average Running Position… According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Harvick is the fourth-best driver in the Average Running Position (ARP) category at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average running position of the last six races at the “Thunder Valley” oval is 11.8. The ARP is sum of the driver position on each lap divided by the number of laps run in the race.

Driver Racing … The 11-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner has a 99.2 Driver’s Rating, placing him fourth among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Driver Rating is a formula that combines the following categories: wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum points a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The Driver Rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.

Points Check … Harvick jumped to third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings after his seventh-place finish last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner is 91 markers out of the lead and just 18 points out of second. Additionally, the 32-year-old driver is currently the highest Chevy driver in the point standings.

RCR at Bristol … In 102 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol, RCR boasts eight wins – seven with Dale Earnhardt and one with Harvick – three poles, 26 top-five and 46 top-10 finishes. Additionally, Richard Childress leads the way for Nationwide Series car owner victories at Bristol with five – four of them coming with Harvick and one with Jeff Green. In 38 starts, RCR boasts four poles, 17 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes and has led 1,313 laps at the high-banks of Bristol.

Bristol Sweep … Harvick captured his first NASCAR sweep in April 2005 at Bristol Motor Speedway, winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the same weekend. Since then, Harvick has added three more weekend sweeps to his resume (Phoenix International Raceway in April 2006, Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in September 2006 and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2007).

Iron Man … Harvick has not recorded a DNF (did not finish) in 48 consecutive races. Harvick’s last DNF was at Dover in September (2006). Additionally, he has run 87 consecutive point-paying races without crashing out of a single one. Combined, Harvick has gone 154 points races in NASCAR two top-divisions without crashing out.

Making a Pit Stop … Before heading to Bristol Motor Speedway to compete in this weekend’s Food City 500, the Shell-Pennzoil driver will participate in the Richmond Winner Circle program on Wednesday, March 12. Harvick’s first stop will be at the Richmond Coca-Cola plant where he will tour the facility and help bottle Coca-Cola. Harvick will depart Richmond and head to Philadelphia where he will be a special guest at the Flyers game. While at the game he will swap jerseys with Jeff Carter (Center for the Flyers) and participate in a variety of other pre-game activities.

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 Food City 500, 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.

Double Down at Bristol … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Harvick, a 32-time race winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will drive Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s No. 33 Chevrolet in the March 15 Sharpie Mini 300. The race will air live on ESPN2 beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and can also be heard on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Up to Speed … The Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. EDT and will be telecast live on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the fifth of 36 races on the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series tour will air live on SPEED, PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, March 14 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
Why do you enjoy running at Bristol so much?
“Bristol is one of my favorite race tracks. I enjoy the short track stuff and we’ve always been fortunate to run really well there. We go there with high expectations but you never know what’s going to happen. You can get caught up in a wreck in a hurry and have your day ended. You have to go to Bristol and enjoy it but know that the outcome could be the opposite of what you want it to be.”

What is the key to success at Bristol Motor Speedway?
“Stay out of trouble and don’t wreck. To win you have to be there at the end and with Bristol, like any other short track, the racing is tight and you can easily get into trouble. You just have to stay clean and stay focused. As long as you are there at the end, you have a shot.”