Harvick OnLine: Event Preview: Martinsville

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

Event/Date: Goody’s Cool Orange 500 –
April 1, 2007
Venue: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway

NOTES:

• This Week’s Race Car at Martinsville Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 190 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is the same car Harvick raced to a fourth-place finish last weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Additionally, this Car of Tomorrow (COT) chassis tested at Bristol Motor Speedway on February 28 – March 1.
• Stat Facts … In 11 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starts at the paper clip-shaped oval, Harvick has four 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.
• Former Winner … Harvick is a former winner at Martinsville Speedway, claiming victory in the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Goody’s 250 on his way to capturing the NASCAR Busch Series championship.
• Moving on Up … With Harvick’s fourth-place finish last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, he moved up two positions, to fifth, in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings. The Bakersfield, Calif., native is 144 points out of first which is occupied by Jeff Gordon.
• Leading the Way … Harvick has led laps in four of five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races, helping him receive 20 bonus points this season.
• 600 Wins for the Home Team … With Kyle Busch’s win at Bristol Motor Speedway, Chevrolet won its 600th all-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series win – a historical landmark that continues the Bowtie Brand as the most successful manufacturer in NASCAR history. Fonty Flock took the first-ever NASCAR win for Chevrolet on March 26, 1955. In addition to claiming the unequaled 600th win, Chevy’s win at Bristol marks victory number one, 61 total, for Impala SS making its return to NASCAR competition. When the SS brand competed in NASCAR from 1959 to 1964, the legendary nameplate scored 60 wins, including the first-ever event in which it competed. On February 20, 1959, Bob Welborn took the victory at Daytona.
• RCR at Martinsville … In 94 pervious 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 37 top-10 finishes at the .526 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.
• Short-Track King … Harvick’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup short track stats include four wins, 16 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes in 56 starts. That’s a victory in seven percent of the NEXETEL Cup Series short track races he has entered, a top-five 29 percent of races and a top-10 in 49 percent of the races. He has also led 1,441 laps on tracks that are less than one mile.
• Media Opportunity … Harvick will be available for interviews outside the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil hauler on Friday, March 30 at 12:10 p.m.
• Trucking It … Harvick will also race Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s No. 2 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, March 31 in the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. The race will be televised on FOX beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio.
• Up to Speed … The Goody’s Cool Orange 500 from Martinsville Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, April 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT and will be telecast live on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying will air live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius Friday, March 30 beginning at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Do you have a strong comfort level at Martinsville since you have had some good runs there?

“We work really hard on our flat-track program because we know it’s one of my strong points. Martinsville is one of those places where you have to have great pit stops and do everything right and we have been able to do that. However, with the Car of Tomorrow coming in, it is going to throw a small monkey wrench into the whole deal but I think, after our success at Bristol, we will be just fine. I am also going to run the truck race so hopefully we can work something out on Saturday that will help us on Sunday.”

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.”

Do you think it helps to have two Car of Tomorrow races back-to-back?

“The setups from Bristol to Martinsville are very different from each other. However, being able to run the same style of car and going through the same inspection process and all the other processes that you have to go through will definitely help the teams out. Anytime you can do something consistent is better for everyone.”

CREW CHIEF TODD BERRIER QUOTES:

Did you learn anything new about the car at Bristol?

“Not really. I think it ended up being a typical race. I don’t think the guys could pass as well as they should have, but I still think you had Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick – all the same guys who run up front at Bristol – running up front.”

Were you satisfied with the way you were able to make the car work for you?

“I don’t think there was anything else we could have done different, given the circumstances. We might have tuned it a bit different had we been running differently. It ended up during the race that we were doing the same things to the car that we usually do, except maybe doing some of it on a different end of the car than usual. I just think they drive really terrible, they’re free off of the corner and then push really bad. But that’s just a product of what it’s going to be, that’s all. So we’ll all have to deal with that.”