Pre-Race Report

Event/Date:  Kobalt Tools 500 – March 9, 2008
Venue:  Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, Ga.

Highlights

From Kevin Harvick...

This Week’s Race Car at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 238 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable.  Built new for the 2008 season, this is the same Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS that Harvick drove to an eighth-place finish two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California. 

Stat Facts

In 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at NASCAR’s fastest track, Harvick has one win and two top-five finishes.  Additionally, “Happy” has one top-five and three top-10 finishes in six NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS).

First Win

AMS was the site of Harvick’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.  He claimed the win by .006 second over Jeff Gordon, the third-closest margin of victory at Atlanta, on March 11, 2001.

Points Check

Harvick jumped to fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings after his fourth-place finish last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The 2007 Daytona 500 winner is 63 markers out of the lead and just 16 points out of fourth.  Additionally, the 32-year-old driver is currently the highest Chevy driver in the point standings. 

Iron Man

Harvick has not recorded a DNF (did not finish) in 47 consecutive races.  Harvick’s last DNF was at Dover in September (2006).  Additionally, he has run 86 consecutive point-paying races without crashing out of a single one.  Combined, Harvick has gone 152 points races in NASCAR two top-divisions without crashing out.

Daytona 500 Car Induction

The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS that Harvick drove to victory in the 2007 Daytona 500 will be inducted into the RCR Racing Museum Wednesday, March 5, at 2 p.m.  Fans and media are invited to the ceremony.  For more information please contact Stacie Fandel at 336-392-1730 or by email at sfandel@rcrracing.com. 

Testing, Testing, Testing

Harvick and the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team tested at Phoenix International Raceway on Monday and Tuesday of this week to prepare for the upcoming short track races on the 2008 schedule.  The test was the fourth of six allowed under NASCAR’s 2008 testing policy.  The remaining tests available to teams in NASCAR’s top division will be conducted at Pocono Raceway May 27-28 and at Lowe’s Motor Speedway September 23-24.  

RCR in the ATL

In 99 starts at AMS, RCR has earned four poles and nine wins including Harvick’s emotional victory in the Cracker Barrel 500 on March 11, 2001. Prior to that, Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the ultra-fast Hampton, Ga., track. Additionally, RCR boasts 25 top-five and 42 top-10 finishes at AMS. Meanwhile, RCR prepared race cars have also led 2,695 laps at the 1.54-mile quad-oval. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, recorded his best finish at Atlanta with a ninth-place effort in the Atlanta Journal 500 on Nov. 2, 1980.

Media Opportunity

Harvick will be available outside the No. 33 Nationwide transporter to field questions from the media Friday, March 7 at 12:45 p.m. 

Double Down in Atlanta

In addition to his driving duties with the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Harvick, a 32-time race winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will drive Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet in the March 8 Nicorette 300.  The race will air live on ESPN2 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).  The race will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio.  Qualifying for the fourth of 35 races on the 2008 Nationwide Series calendar will air live the same day on SPEED at 9 a.m. EST. 

Up to Speed

Live coverage of the Kobalt Tools 500 at AMS will take the green flag Sunday, March 9 at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and will be telecast on FOX.  The event will also be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.  Qualifying for fourth of 36 points-paying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races will air live on SPEED, PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio Friday, March 7 at 6:45 p.m. EST. 

What do you remember about your win in 2001?

“The circumstances that we won the first race under… we won’t ever forget that moment just because of everything that went on.  When I start thinking about it, it brings those same chills back that I got when I won that race.  I know that I can’t do that again and that’s obviously because of the circumstances.  Those are the kind of situations as professionals you dream about.  You look for that opportunity to take those moments and try to capitalize on them.”

How important do you think qualifying is now with the new Impala SS?

“I think qualifying is important but you know, we went to the back in California and we ran right up through the pack.  I felt like we got back to where we were running in two runs, so I didn’t feel like it was a very big problem to pass.  I think the handling on the cars goes in a lot of different directions for different people and that is going to equal more mistakes and more passing.  I haven’t found it harder to pass this year than it has been in the past.  I think it has actually been a little easier.”

What is your comfort level with the Impala SS since you guys tested there at the end of 2007?

“I think we are so far advanced from where we were during the Atlanta test.  I think our cars were night and day different from where we are now.  It will be interesting to take the cars back and see where we are compared to the competition.  Our speeds were comparable during the test, but the cars just weren’t comfortable to drive.  As we have progressed with this car everything we tested with in Atlanta doesn’t even exist anymore.  We have advanced tremendously since that test so I am interested to see where we line up to the competition this weekend.”