Harvick OnLine: Event Preview: Richmond

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Reese’s Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date:
Crown Royal presents the Jim Stewart 400 – May 5, 2007

Venue: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway

NOTES:

• This Week’s Race Car at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 190 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new this season, this is the same “Car of Tomorrow” Harvick raced to a fourth-place finish in March at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (started 40th). The Bakersfield, Calif., native also drove this chassis to a 10th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway (started eighth) and a 41st-place finish after suffering from a fuel line problem at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (started sixth).

• Change Of Scenery … Reese’s, a major associate sponsor RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, kicks into high gear this weekend in Richmond as Harvick and the No. 29 team transform their bright yellow-and-red Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet into a bright orange Reese’s racing machine for the Crown Royal 400. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are peanut butter-filled chocolate cups. They were created in 1928 by H.B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and foreman for Milton S. Hershey. The H.B. Reese Candy Co., established in the basement of Reese’s house in Hershey, Pa., went on to merge with The Hershey Company in 1963 due to the popularity of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Today, Reese’s has become the No. 1 selling candy bar in the United States and the Reese’s brand is the most successful brand owned by The Hershey Company.

• Stat Facts … In 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts at RIR, Harvick has earned one win, four top-five and six top-10 finishes. Additionally, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has earned a 19.8 starting average, 12.9 finishing average and has led 541 laps.

• RCR at RIR … Richard Childress is tied for fourth with Robert Yates for car owner victories at Richmond with six – five of them coming with Dale Earnhardt and the most recent coming last fall with Kevin Harvick. Additionally, in 90 starts, RCR boasts 30 top-five and 47 top-10 finishes at the three-quarter mile Virginia oval with nine different drivers including Earnhardt, Ricky Rudd, Mike Skinner,Harvick, Robby Gordon, Jeff Green, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, contributed three of those top 10s from 1976-1978.

• Testing One, Two, Three, Testing … Harvick and the No. 29 team tested April 3-4 at RIR in preparation for the Crown Royal 400. This was the fourth of seven tests allowed under NASCAR’s 2007 testing policy. The remaining tests available to teams in NASCAR’s top division will be conducted at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (May 7-8), Dover International Speedway (May 14-15) and Talladega Superspeedway (Sept. 10-11).

• Double Down … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 29 Reese’s Chevrolet, Harvick, a 27-time race winner in the NASCAR Busch Series, will driver the No. 77 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet in the May 4 Circuit City 250 at RIR. The race will be televised on ESPN2 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 11th race of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series will be televised live on SPEED Friday, May 4 at 4 p.m. EDT.

• History in the Making … It’s been two years since a driver other than Harvick has won a NASCAR Busch Series event at Richmond. The reigning NASCAR Busch Series champion could make track history with another NASCAR Busch Series win at Richmond this weekend. Harvick has won three consecutive NASCAR Busch Series events there, dating back to the fall 2005 event. He also won three of Richmond’s four NASCAR events last season – both NASCAR Busch Series events and the fall NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event. If he’s victorious in Friday night’s Circuit City 250, Harvick will become the first driver to win four consecutive NASCAR Busch Series events at Richmond in the series’ 26-year history. A win Friday night will also tie Harvick with Mark Martin for the most NASCAR Busch Series wins (five) at Richmond.

• Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Crown Royal 400 at RIR will take the green flag Saturday, May 5 beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT and will be telecast live on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 10th of 36 points-paying NEXTEL Cup Series races will air live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, May 4 at 6 p.m. EDT.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Do you approach RIR as more of a short track or a speedway?
“It really is a little of both. But I think you have to go in with the short-track mindset. There is more contact at Richmond than you have at a bigger track. I think sometimes drivers use the short track as an excuse to beat and bang, but as tight as the racing is there, it’s hard to not have incidental contact.”

Do you enjoy racing at night? Do you look forward to the next few Saturday night races?
“I enjoy being home on Sunday, I can tell you that much. You get Sunday afternoon to get back in the swing of things earlier in the week instead of having to waste Monday. I also enjoy racing at night. I think everybody enjoys the cooler temperatures and the night atmosphere.”

Was it frustrating to lead the most laps last May at Richmond and not win the race?
“It was a little frustrating because we had the best car all night. Sometimes that is what gets you in trouble. You get out front and start leading and you don’t want to adjust on the car. However, everyone else is adjusting on their cars to make them better for the end of the race. Last year we just got a little tight at the end of the race and couldn’t keep the lead.”

Do you enjoy racing at Richmond?
“We have been able to run really good at Richmond since I have been at RCR. We have been able to win three Busch Series races in a row and finish first and second in the Cup car last season. Richmond is one of those places that I really enjoy racing. You can move the car all over the race track. It seems like the groove moves around as the race goes on. I am just really comfortable racing at Richmond and I hope for another great finish this weekend.”