Harvick OnLine: Event Preview: Las Vegas

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet: Las Vegas

Event/Date: UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 – March 11, 2007

Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas

NOTES:

· This Week’s Race Car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 139 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is the same car Harvick raced to a second- and 11th-place finishes last season at Bristol Motor Speedway. Most recently, Scott Wimmer raced this car to a 12th-place finish in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Additionally, Harvick raced the car in 2005 at Martinsville in the fall (32nd), Atlanta in the fall (21st) and Bristol in the spring (37th).

· Stat Facts … In 15 starts in NASCAR’s three top-divisions at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Harvick has one win, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. Additionally, “Happy” has led over 250 laps and completed 99 percent of laps attempted.

· Former Winner … Harvick is a former winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, claiming victory in the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series Sam’s Town 300.

· You May Kiss the Bride … Las Vegas was the site of Kevin and DeLana Harvick’s wedding. The two were wed February 28, 2001 – two days prior to his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series top-10 finish (eighth – Las Vegas Motor Speedway).

· RCR in the Loop … All three RCR drivers are in the top six in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings - Jeff Burton (second), Harvick (fourth) and Clint Bowyer (sixth). Additionally, they are in the top eight in the Driver Rating standings (a formula that combines the following categories: wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average running position while on lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. Maximum: 150 points per race). Burton (114.7, second), Harvick (104.7, third) and Bowyer (93.4, eighth) have all started the season in strong fashion.

· Vegas Odds … According to Vegasinsider.com, Harvick has a 10:1 chance of winning the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. Additionally, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has a 6:1 chance to win the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship.

· Testing, Testing … Harvick and Team Shell-Pennzoil tested Las Vegas Motor Speedway Jan. 29-30 in preparation for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 as part of NASCAR’S Preseason test session.

· More Double Duty … Harvick will also race RCR’s No. 21 AutoZone Chevrolet at LVMS on Saturday, March 10 in the Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series race. The race will be televised live on ABC beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and also broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio.

· Up to Speed … The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, March 11 at 4:30 p.m. EST and will be telecast live on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying will air live on SPEED, PRN and Sirius Friday, March 9 at 6 p.m. EST.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Do you think this is the year for RCR?
“I hope so. Our cars are strong and I think we are being a little conservative right now. All the cars that we have brought to the track so far have been capable of winning the race. So we will see what happens as we go forward into the season.”

How did the car handle over the two-day test you participated in before the season started?
“We unloaded pretty well but the track is extremely fast. I am a little worried about the tires and how they are going to wear on the new surface. Both days were pretty good. We tried a lot of different stuff. I just hope that we are consistent throughout the weekend and can put ourselves in a position to win the race.”

How well is the 1.5-mile program at RCR?
“I think the only real struggle we had last year was Atlanta. For some reason or another, that has been a struggle for us the last three or four years … it has been our tough spot. We finished in the top-five at both Texas races and at Homestead. For the most part, the mile-and-a-half tracks like Chicago, Kansas, Las Vegas and all the other places have been pretty good to us the past couple of years. Atlanta has just been our tough spot.”

How do you feel about Las Vegas Motor Speedway getting reconfigured?
“Las Vegas is one of those places where I grew up racing. I had a lot of fun there. The track is kind of worn out and you can move around the racetrack a lot and do a lot of different things. It’s too bad they repaved it and screwed it up for the next four or five years. “