Harvick’s victory marked the first time the award-winning Chevy R07 has visited Victory Lane in NCWTS competition.
The victory for Harvick was a continuation of the tradition of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Earnhardt Childress Racing (ECR) engines scoring the first-ever win for both the Chevy SB2 and R07 engines in NASCAR competition.
“Congratulations to ECR engines for completing the sweep of first wins for both the SB2 and R07 engines in NASCAR Series competition,” said Pat Suhy, GM Racing NASCAR Group Manager. “The streak began with Dale Earnhardt, Sr.’s victory in 1998 at the Daytona 500 with the SB2 and continued with Kevin Harvick’s win in the 2007 Sprint Cup All-Star Race with the R07. RCR driver Clint Bowyer brought home the first Nationwide Series win for the R07 at the 2008 Bristol Spring race. Harvick capped off the string with his win last night at Phoenix in the NCWTS.
“Richard (Childress) and Teresa (Earnhardt) have put together a great organization that knows how to maximize the performance and durability of the racing engines used by their teams and customers. Our GM Racing Powertrain group designs parts that provide a strong foundation for them to build from. We are proud to be associated with such a successful organization.”
Drivers from both RCR and Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI) have contributed to the impressive string of “firsts” for Chevy racing engines.
“ECR Engines would like to congratulate Kevin Harvick and KHI for winning last night’s NCWTS race at PIR,” said Danny Lawrence, ECR Assistant Chief Engine Builder/Trackside Engine Department Manager. “We appreciate the opportunity to build the Chevrolet R07 engine that powered his No. 4 Longhorn Chevrolet Silverado to victory.
“Kevin has a strong record at PIR, so we knew we had a great opportunity and all of the hard work ECR and KHI did together paid off with a win. The staff of ECR’s R&D and production departments use the most advanced technology in the industry, and we’re fortunate to have our Chevrolet engines in some very competitive cars and trucks.
“All of us at ECR Engines are proud of the ‘firsts’ we’ve been able to achieve for Chevrolet. Beginning with Richard Childress Racing’s engine department, we were the first to win with a Chevy SB2 engine when Dale Earnhardt won the 1998 Daytona 500 in the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet Monte Carlo. ECR Engines won the first race with a Chevy R07 engine in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car when Harvick and RCR’s No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS won the 2007 Sprint All Star race. Clint Bowyer earned the first win with the R07 engine in the NASCAR Nationwide Series when he took the No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS to the winner’s circle last March at Bristol Motor Speedway. And, now we capped things off with the first win in the Truck Series with a Chevy R07 engine.”
RCR/ECR Engines Chevrolet Engine “Firsts”
First to win with SB2 Cup 1998 Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt
First to win with R07 Cup 2007 Sprint All Star Kevin Harvick
First to win with R07 NNS 2008 Bristol 1 Clint Bowyer
First to win with R07 NCWTS 2009 Phoenix Nov Kevin Harvick*
*Kevin Harvick drove a Kevin Harvick Incorporated entry powered by an ECR Engine
- GM Racing Communications Press Release