Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team earned an 11th-place finish at Kansas Speedway after spending much of the 267-lap affair running in the top 20 while battling handling issues. The Richard Childress Racing driver started the Kansas 400 from the 10th position and alerted crew chief Gil Martin that he was battling a loose-handling condition on the black and red Chevrolet during the early laps. The Martin-led pit crew made several two and four-tire pit stops throughout the 400-mile event as they worked to improve the handling of the Budweiser Chevrolet. As the race progressed, Harvick informed the team that the car’s handling improved during longer green-flag runs, but with less than 70 laps remaining he reported the loose-handling condition returned. The pit crew made one final attempt to alleviate the handling issue Harvick was battling during their final pit stop on lap 218 making a chassis adjustment and taking four tires and fuel. The Bakersfield, Calif., native returned to the 1.5-mile track in the 12th position for the ensuing restart and was able to pick up one spot, crossing the finish line in the11th position.
Harvick remains 10th in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings, 59 points out of the lead.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“We weren’t sure exactly what to expect coming into this race with the repave, and we did struggle a bit, but we were able to figure a few things out as the race went on. This wasn’t the finish we were really looking for, but we figured out a few things that worked and a few that didn’t. Next week is another race, so we’ll move on and switch our focus to Martinsville (Speedway).”