Pre-Race Report

Event/Date:  Daytona 500 – February 17, 2008 
Venue:  Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.

Highlights

From Kevin Harvick...

This Week’s Race Car at Daytona International Speedway

Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 219 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable.  This is a new Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS. 

Stat Facts

In 13 Cup starts at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), Harvick has posted one win (2007 Daytona 500), one pole, three top-five and five top-10 finishes.  Additionally, Harvick has led 88 laps of competition and has completed 96.9 % of all laps contested. 

The Fast Way Around

Harvick captured his only Daytona pole at the 2002 Pepsi 400.  He posted a fast lap of 48.638 seconds (185.041 mph).

Media Opportunity

Harvick will be available for interviews on Friday, February 15 from noon – 12:20 p.m. in the press conference room adjacent to the media center. 

RCR Rocks Daytona

Dating back to 1986, RCR has won seven poles and owns 23 total victories at DIS, including Harvick’s dramatic win in the 2007 season-opening Daytona 500. Additionally, RCR won 10 straight (1990-1999) Twin 125s with Dale Earnhardt.  All totaled, RCR has won five Bud Shootouts, 13 Twin 125 qualifying races, two Pepsi 400s and two Daytona 500s.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. also won the February 2002 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona driving a car fielded by RCR and Harvick won the 2007 Nationwide Series opener at DIS in the No. 21 Chevrolet.

On Stage

Fans can see Harvick live Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7:45 p.m. on the Chevy Stage, located in the merchandise area outside turn four at DIS.  Harvick will be part of a question and answer session hosted by Chevrolet. 

Grinding out the Preseason

During January, Harvick and both of his race teams – the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Cup team and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Incorporated Nationwide team – ground out a rigorous testing schedule.  From Jan. 14-16 Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil team tested at DIS and one day later, he was back for the Nationwide Series test with the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet.  The No. 29 team spent Jan. 28-29 testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then Harvick returned to Vegas the next day for Nationwide Series testing.  The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team rounded out the preseason testing schedule Jan. 30-31 with two days of hot laps at California Speedway. 

Restrictor Plate Success

Harvick has competed in 27 NASCAR Cup Series races on restrictor plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega), completing 98 percent of the laps.  He has also collected one win (2007 Daytona 500), two poles, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.  Additionally, “Happy” has led 143 laps and has only recorded one did not finish (DNF).

Double Dippin’

In addition to his driving duties with the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet at Daytona, Harvick, a 32-time race winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will drive the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Incorporated on Saturday, Feb.  16 in the Camping World 300 presented by Chevrolet.  The race will be televised live on ESPN 2 and will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio beginning at 1:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Catch the Action

The Daytona 500 will be televised live Sunday, Feb. 17 beginning at 3:15 pm. EST on FOX and broadcast live on MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.  The Gatorade Duel at Daytona, 150-mile qualifying races, will take the green flag Thursday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. EST and will be broadcast live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius.  Qualifying for the Daytona 500 will air live on FOX, MRN and Sirius on Sunday, Feb. 11 beginning at 1:15 p.m. EST.

Was winning the Daytona 500 one of the most rewarding wins in your career?

“I think winning the Daytona 500 was the biggest moment in my career so far.  Just to win the Daytona 500 last year was something I don’t think I realized the magnitude of.  We’ve been fortunate to win a few of the big races – I always thought winning the Brickyard was a bigger deal.  I was wrong.  Everywhere you go, that’s all anybody wants to talk about – winning the Daytona 500.  This one race can carry you for a long time.”

Being the defending winner of the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race, would it make a difference to you both as a driver and as a fan whether this race was at the beginning of the year or the end of the year?

“I prefer our super bowl to be at the beginning of the season.  Our sport is a little different from most – our championship game doesn’t come down to two teams.  With all the different teams, I don’t think there’s any other way you can build any more hype around our sport.  I don’t think that you could put the Daytona 500 race last and have the same prestige and hype that come with Daytona.”

Given that, with you being the defending champion of the Daytona 500, how is the complexion of that race going to be different in the Impala compared to the other ones?

“Well, last year I was part of a three-car pack that was the breakaway pack for three fuel runs.  I think if you’re looking for big-pack racing at Daytona, it’s probably not going to be there unless you have a caution.  There’s going to be packs, but I don’t think it’s going to be much different from last year.  In the past, we really haven’t had those big packs at Daytona.  We’ve had them at Talladega.”

What is the biggest thing you have learned from being an owner?

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you can’t jump to conclusions right off the bat.  You have to take a lot of information from a lot of different people.  In the beginning, owning the race team, I would just jump to conclusions, whether it was changing this person, changing that person.  Change is good, but it has to be at the right time.  I think it’s helped me understand and helped me communicate with Richard (Childress), and realize just how important the people are.  The people around you are what make it go.  Everybody in the garage can buy that right parts and pieces, and it’s all about the detail work after all that.”