Harvick OnLine: Post-Race Report: Auto Club 500

Flat Tire Derails Destined Top-Five Finish For Harvick at California

Race/Date: Auto Club 500/February 25, 2007

Location: California Speedway – Fontana, Calif.

Start Position: Fourth

Finish Position: 17th

Points Position: Fourth

Four laps might as well have been a thousand for Kevin Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil Racing Team on Sunday at California Speedway.

After starting fourth for the Auto Club 500, Harvick powered his No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet to the front of the field, and was second with four laps to go. Unfortunately, a career-best finish at California Speedway was not to be for Harvick and company as a left-front tire went flat just before a restart on lap 246.

The misfortune dropped Harvick to 17th in the final rundown and also cost the team three spots in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings.

Prior to the flat tire, the only hiccup of the race was on lap 55 when Harvick was caught for speeding exiting pit road. The Bakersfield, Calif., native was forced to restart in the 22nd spot on lap 59.

Instead of letting the penalty set him back, he returned his attention to the front of the field. By lap 60, he was 17th and by lap 69 he had sliced and diced his way back into the top 10.

The caution flag was displayed again on lap 91 and Harvick informed crew chief Todd Berrier that the car was a little tight in the gas exiting the corners.

Berrier elected to have his driver pit during the day’s fifth caution period for air pressure and chassis adjustments, four fresh tires and fuel.

Back under green, now in sixth, Harvick patiently worked the top and bottom of the racetrack to find a comfortable spot for the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet. Harvick lost one spot to his Richard Childress Racing (RCR) teammate Jeff Burton before the next caution flag flew for debris on lap 114.

Berrier called Harvick to pit road for four more tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment after the 31-year-old driver informed his crew chief the car was still too tight off the corners. After the Shell-Pennzoil team ripped off a fast pit stop, Harvick returned to the action fifth in the running order.

Over the next 35 laps of the race, Harvick’s No. 29 machine was suffering from an extremely tight-handling condition. He lost a couple of spots before green-flag pit stops began on lap 156. “Happy” Harvick waited until lap 160 to bring the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy down pit road for service. This allowed him to lead a lap and gain five valuable bonus points.

Once he hit pit road, Berrier called for four tires, fuel and a major chassis adjustment. After the green-flag stops cycled through, Harvick found himself riding in sixth.

As the race headed in the late stages, Harvick’s bright yellow and red Monte Carlo SS started to come alive. By lap 192, he was fifth and when green-flag pit stops began again, he was third.

The 11-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series winner hit pit road on lap 198 with a slightly loose-handling Chevrolet. The No. 29 pit crew changed four tires, added racing fuel and made a small air pressure adjustment. Harvick returned to the track in the eighth position but had little trouble working his way back into the top four before the race was slowed for its eighth caution period on lap 225.

Harvick hit pit road for what he thought was going to be his final stop of the evening. The Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet received four fresh Goodyear tires along with fuel and a minor chassis adjustment. Harvick was sitting third for the restart on lap 230.

“Happy” worked his way into the second spot on lap 233 and was on the path to pass Matt Kenseth when the final caution flag flew on lap 242.

The race was red-flagged for nearly 15 minutes to clean debris from a multi-car melee. When the cars rolled off again, 10 cars, including Harvick’s, stayed on the race track while the rest on the lead lap hit pit road.

As the field came toward the green flag for the restart with four laps remaining, Harvick realized his left-front tire was flat. He had to come to pit road, ending his challenge for two straight wins. He crossed the finish line 17th.

Kenseth won the event, followed by Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Burton and Mark Martin.

Harvick’s other RCR teammate, Clint Bowyer, finished sixth.

The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 will take the green flag Sunday, March 11 beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Live television coverage on FOX kicks off at 4 p.m. EST. The race will also be broadcast live from coast-to-coast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the third of 36 points-paying NEXTEL Cup races will air live on SPEED, PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, March 9 beginning at 6 p.m. EST.

KEVIN HARVICK - NO. 29 SHELL CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO SS –
"It is a little disappointing, the thing was really good. Man what a great job this Shell-Pennzoil team did did. This Chevrolet was really fun to drive today. To come to California where we have struggled before and have a chance to win is awesome. We just had some bad luck. There is nothing we can do about that. That is two days in a row we had tire trouble so what do you do."

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