Harvick Has Trouble in Bristol

Unfortunately a win was not in the cards for Harvick as the Shell-Pennzoil driver had trouble early in the 500-lap event causing damage to the No. 29 RCR Chevrolet. After losing a tire late in the race, Harvick finished 30th four laps down to the leaders.

Starting from the 30th position, Harvick didn’t take long to start picking off positions to make his way toward the front gaining seven spots in the first 25 laps of the race.

The first caution flag waved on lap 26 with Harvick reporting to his team that he was a little free up off the center but was not too bad. The 2007 Daytona 500 champion brought his Shell-Pennzoil Chevy to the pit lane on lap 27 and the Todd Berrier led crew gave him for fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment before sending him back on the track.

When the second caution waved on lap 32, the same lap as the restart, Harvick now was too tight. However, having just come from the pits the Bakersfield, California native remained on the race track.

It was the next caution on lap 59 that saw the race change for the Shell-Pennzoil team. Harvick was involved in a chain-reaction incident and the No. 29 Chevrolet received damage to both ends of the car.

Crew Chief Todd Berrier called Harvick to the pit lane many times for repairs to the Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet. The team worked on the car fixing the damage as well as giving the two-time Nationwide champion regular service before the restart on lap 67. With the quick work of his team, Harvick took the green flag in the 36th spot but remained on the lead lap.

As green-flag racing resumed Harvick radioed to his crew that it was going to be a long day however as the laps continued to click off the Shell-Pennzoil Chevy got better.

When caution waved on lap 122, Harvick commented that he thought he would be okay if they got the fender fixed. The California native returned to the pit lane for continued work on his Chevrolet.

It was on lap 171 that Harvick was passed by the leader putting the Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet down a lap. When caution waved on lap 188, the Shell-Pennzoil driver returned to pit lane for an air pressure adjustment along with tires and fuel.

When the race resumed on lap 195, Harvick was posted in the 28th position the first car a lap down.

Caution waved again on lap 318 and now Harvick was two laps down. He reported to his crew that his right rear tire was completely worn out. After two trips to pit road Harvick returned to the track for the restart in the 32nd position.

The next 100 circuits saw the 33-year-old making laps while running in the 30th position. Harvick lost another lap before losing a tire on lap 442 bringing out the caution.

The Shell-Pennzoil driver lost another lap with the tire problem and restarted the race in the 32nd position, four laps down from the leaders.

The final laps of the race saw the Shell-Pennzoil driver gain two positions and take the checkered flag in 30th position.

"That was a long day for the Shell-Pennzoil team. We picked up a few spots early but then we got caught up in somebody else's wreck (on lap 58) and that pretty much ended our day. We got in position at one point to get the Lucky Dog but there was so much green-flag racing that it never happened."

Harvick’s 30th place finish dropped him four spots to the 12th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship point standings. He sits 210 points out of the lead.

Kyle Busch won the Food City 500 followed by Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five.

Next up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the running of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia.

Live television coverage begins on Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on FOX.  The event will also be broadcast live on MRN (Motor Racing Network) and Sirius Satellite Radio with coverage beginning at 1:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).