Race 2 Win: Sprint Cup Series Race Notes

Sprint Cup Series

Goody’s Cool Orange 500 - Kevin Harvick Notes

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

Event/Date: Goody’s Cool Orange 500 – March 30, 2008
Venue: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Martinsville Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 242 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is a brand new Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS.

Harvick in the Loop …

Stat Facts … In 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the paper clip-shaped oval, Harvick has five top-10 finishes. Additionally, “Happy” has led laps during four of the events with the most coming in October 2004 when he led 104 laps and finished eighth.

Leading the Way … Harvick is one of only three drivers who have completed all laps so far this season. Harvick’s RCR teammate Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle are the other two. Additionally, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has completed 86.4% of the total laps (1,338 of 1,548 laps) running in the top 15 and ranks second of the drivers with the most laps ran on the lead lap (1,541 of 1,548 laps).

Driver Rating … Harvick currently sits third (104.4) in NASCAR’s Driver Racing rankings. 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.

The Year for Cheer … In five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season, Harvick has earned two top-five and four top-10 finishes, including a season-best second-place effort two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Bakersfield, Calif., native is currently third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship point standings and has completed 100 percent of the laps contested this season. By comparison, he was fifth in points heading into Martinsville’s first race last year and had one win (Daytona 500) but only two top-10 finishes.

March Madness Picks … Harvick currently leads the www.washingtonpost.com celebrity NCAA tournament pick challenge. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner has a 10-point lead over second place Dan Steinberg (Blogger, D.C sports Bog) and 15 points over third place Michael Wilbon (Washington Post Columnist and co-host of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption”). Harvick has the University of North Carolina (UNC) and University Memphis meeting in the finals with UNC winning the National Championship.

Former Winner … Harvick is a former winner at Martinsville Speedway, claiming victory in the 2006 NASCAR Nationwide Series Goody’s 250 on his way to capturing the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.

Iron Man … Harvick has not recorded a DNF (did not finish) in 49 consecutive races. Harvick’s last DNF was at Dover in September (2006). Additionally, he has run 88 consecutive point-paying races without crashing out of a single one. Combined, Harvick has gone 156 points races in NASCAR’s two top divisions without crashing out.

RCR at Martinsville … In 100 previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville, RCR has earned three poles and posted six wins between Ricky Rudd and Dale Earnhardt. Additionally, team owner Richard Childress has earned 22 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes at the .526-mile paper clip-shaped track dating back to April 10, 1972. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed four of those top 10s from 1976-1978.

Points Check … Harvick remains third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings after his second-place finish two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner is 33 markers out of the lead and just three points out of second. Additionally, the 32-year-old driver is currently the highest Chevy driver in the point standings.

Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will be telecast on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for sixth of 36 points-paying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races will air live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What is the best way to get around Martinsville?
“Martinsville is one of those tracks where you can be good all day long and have something go wrong at the end. You have to make the car roll through the tight corners and keeping the brakes on the car the entire race is very important. Avoiding wrecks is another key to a successful day at Martinsville. It’s a short track and things happen in a hurry. If we can stay out of trouble, I think we have as good a chance as anyone.”

How do you feel about the start that the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Team has gotten off to so far this season?
“If feels good. This is the best start we have ever had. As we have gone through year, usually we have some hiccups, whether it is Vegas, Atlanta or California. In the past, those always seemed to be hard spots for us to make something happen. This year we have been fortunate to have test out there, which went really well. All the races went really well. We just have to keep it headed in the right direction. As long as we do good on the tracks we normally do good on, we will be ok. The 1.5-mile stuff in the past has been hard for us, so we feel like we have made that better and have to continue to make it better.”