Catchfence

Kevin and DeLana Harvick with RCR Owner Richard Childress Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

This Week’s Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet at Phoenix International Raceway …Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 322 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable.  Built new for 2010, this Chevrolet made its debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September, where Harvick finished fifth.  Additionally, Harvick piloted this chassis at Martinsville three weeks ago, where he led six times for 97 laps and scored his career-first Martinsville top five and finished third.

Career Phoenix Stats … The Kobalt Tools 500 marks Harvick’s 357th career start in the NSCS.

• In 15 NSCS starts at the one-mile oval, Harvick owns two wins, three top-five and six top-10 finishes.
• He has completed 99.6 percent (4,729 of 4,750) of the total laps contested at PIR, and led a total of 316 laps.
• He owns an average start of 18.7 and an average finish of 15.0 at PIR.
• In 2006 Harvick swept both NSCS races at PIR.

Last Time Around … Harvick and the No. 29 team are looking to improve upon their result at PIR in April, when the Bakersfield, Calif., native finished 13^th.  Harvick started 24^th and maneuvered his way inside the top five at the race’s halfway point, only to succumb to an extremely tight-handling car in the closing stages.

Texas Recap … Harvick and the No. 29 overcame two separate incidents with debris on their Chevrolet’s nose and a late scrape with the turn four wall to finish sixth and remain in the middle of the championship hunt.  The effort was the team’s seventh top-10 finish in the eight Chase races to date.

Mr. Consistent … The RCR driver leads all NSCS drivers in top-10 finishes with 24, and is tied for the lead in top-five finishes with 15.  For the season, Harvick owns three points-paying wins (Talladega, Daytona in July and Michigan in August), a second straight Budweiser Shootout victory at Daytona in February, and 30 top-15 finishes in the season’s 34 races.

In the Loop … Harvick owns some very impressive loop data statistics over the season’s first 34 races.

• First in average finish (8.9).
• Second in Closer category, total positions improved during the last 10 percent of each race.
• Third in fastest drivers late in a run.
• Third in fastest speed in traffic.
• Third in green flag speed.
• Fourth in Driver Rating, a formula combining the following categories:  wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average running position while on lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, led most laps, and lead lap finish.
• Fifth in percentage of laps run on lead lap.
• Fifth in fastest drivers early in a run.
• Fifth in average running position.

Chevrolet Allows Fans to Celebrate Like a Champion in Las Vegas … Kevin Harvick fans can enter the “Team Chevy Celebrate Like a Champion” Sweepstakes for their chance to win a grand prize package that includes a meet and greet with Team Chevy driver Kevin Harvick during Champions’ Week in Las Vegas.  The grand prize winner will also win two Chevrolet Cruze LTZs, a trip for four to Las Vegas-Including four tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony and $2,000 spending cash-and the chance to meet both Kevin Harvick and Miss Sprint Cup.  Fans can enter the “Team Chevy Celebrate Like a Champion” sweepstakes at the Win Your Chevy Sweepstakes page now through Nov. 15, 2010.  No purchase is necessary. See official rules for details at www.winyourchevy.com.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your…Grocery Carts? The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil crew will be participating in a Grocery Bagging Challenge at the Fry’s Food Store located at 160 W. Yuma Road in Goodyear, Ariz., on Thursday, November 11 from 5-7 p.m. MST.  The competition will pit the crew against fans to see who can bag groceries the fastest. Fans who fill their bags faster than the crew will win a $25 Shell Gift Card.  Additionally, the Fry’s logo will run on the TV panel and rocker panels of the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet during the November 14 race at Phoenix International Raceway.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

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“Jeff (Burton) ran really well there at the beginning of the year, so we should have good solid notes, and see why we were a little off.  If we just go back there and do things like we’ve done in the past, we’ll be in good shape. That’s the nice thing about having cars that run well.  When one of us is having a bad day, usually all three of us aren’t having a bad day.  I feel good about it.  Phoenix has obviously been a good track for us in the past with winning races and running well.  Flat tracks have been good for us at Richmond, Loudon and Martinsville, so, hopefully we can build on that.”

Can you be perfect with your set-up for Phoenix? When you won your races there, were you giving up something in some places to make things better in other places?

“I don’t think so.  You can be good on both ends.  I guess it’s all relative to how well everyone else is doing in certain spots.  I don’t think we’re ever satisfied.  It’s a unique race track because you have turns three and four with a long sweeping corner that you lose a lot of grip and the cars become really loose coming up off the corner.  You have to be able to have your car turn in the middle of the corner on both ends.”

Looking at how the Chase is going, you look at how Jimmie (Johnson) and Denny (Hamlin) have done at Phoenix, this could be a real dogfight because you all have been successful there.

“Yeah, you look back at Martinsville and we spent half the race racing each other.  I don’t think top-10 finishes are going to cut it.  I think it’s going to come down to putting yourself in victory lane and capitalizing on the most bonus points in the next two weeks.”

Is the sun a little bit of an issue at Phoenix this time of year?

“The sun is definitely an issue when we come down the front straightaway.  You have to make sure you’re prepared, whether that be a tinted shield or tape on the windshield, or whatever the case may be. The last resort is your hand.”

Have you had to use your hand before?

“Oh yeah, absolutely, you use your hand going down the front straightaway to get some sort of visual to see where you’re going into turn one.  Usually, what happens is, you pick a mark on the wall and you go in there blind and just turn down the race track.”

So when you’re using your hand no driver thinks you’re saluting or anything?

“No, you’re just using your left hand as a shield.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release