12th In Fuel Mileage Race At Michigan

Kevin Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil team took the checkered flag in the 12th position in Sunday's running of the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Harvick fought handling problems and pit strategy finish just outside the top-10 in what boiled down to a fuel mileage race.

Starting from the 22nd position, Harvick quickly moved up seven spots to 15th by lap three. It was just a few laps later that the first caution flag waved for a rain shower. The cars were brought down pit road on lap nine as the red flag was displayed. Just a short time later the drivers were called back to their cars as the race was ready to go back green.

Prior to the green flag, the Bakersfield, California native ducked onto pit road for two right-side tires. Harvick is pleased with the pit stop telling the Shell-Pennzoil crew "good job" before getting ready for the restart while running in the 18th position.

By lap 16, the Shell-Pennzoil driver moved back into the 16th spot and was knocking on the door of the top-15. On lap 23 Harvick reported that his car was back to being too loose with crew chief Gil Martin planning to undo the chassis change he made during the first stop.

A cycle of green-flag stops began around lap 42 with the 2009 Budweiser Shootout winner coming in on lap 43. Another nice stop by the Shell-Pennzoil team kept Harvick in the top-15 after receiving four tires, fuel and adjustments. The RCR driver ended up in the 13th spot after the pit run cycled out trailing the leader by a little over 13 seconds.

Harvick returned to pit road under the caution on lap 55 receiving four tires and fuel. After several cars only took on two tires and some chose not to pit at all, the Shell-Pennzoil driver had to settle in the 19th position for the restart on lap 59.

Thirty laps into this run, the two-time Nationwide Series champion began to complain about the car chattering. He reported he thought the vibration may be a tire and pulled down the pit lane on lap 91. Back on the track under green-flag conditions, Harvick was posted in the 17th spot at the half-way point of the race.

Continuing to fight handling problems, the Shell-Pennzoil driver remained in the top-20 through the next caution on lap 116. Returning to pit road on lap 118 the Shell-Pennzoil crew serviced the car in 14.8 seconds before sending their driver back on the track for the lap 121 restart.

By lap 127, Harvick had inched his way back into the 16th position running just outside the top-15. Lap 132 saw the 2007 Daytona 500 champion in the 12th spot just six seconds behind the leader. Another caution flag waved on lap 133 with Harvick returning to pit road for two tires and fuel.

The race resumed on lap 141 with Harvick running in the 15th position. But just five laps later the caution flag waved again for a rain shower. However the track remained dry enough to continue the race and Harvick returned to pit road for service on lap 150. With only a two-tire and fuel stop he returned to the track in the 11th position for the restart.

Lap 153 saw the Shell-Pennzoil driver break into the top-10 for the first time of the day as he was scored in the ninth position. Just four laps later, the California native picked off another spot moving into the eighth position. Caution waved again on lap 158 with Harvick staying out and working on saving as much fuel as possible. With most of the leaders pitting the Shell-Pennzoil driver moved up into the fourth spot for the restart on lap 162.

Moving into the third position just after the restart the Shell-Pennzoil driver began to fall back in the closing laps of the event as other cars who pitted began to pass him. Dropping out of the top-10 by lap 184 Harvick was able to hold on to the 12th spot as he took the checkered flag for the 200-lap event.

Harvick lost one spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings. He now sits 23rd with round 23 of 36 in the record books.

Brian Vickers crossed the start-finish line first earning his second career Sprint Cup win. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. followed finishing second and third with Carl Edwards and Sam Hornish, Jr. rounding out the top-five.

Kevin Harvick Quote

"The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team never quit today and we were able to save enough fuel to make it to the end. During that last caution Gil (Martin - crew chief) told me to conserve as much as I could which I tried to do. Overall, we had a pretty good run today and we'll try to carry this over to Bristol."

Next up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the Sharpie 500 at the high-banked ½-mile oval of Bristol Motor Speedway. Live Coverage of racing action will begin on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN along with radio coverage on MRN/Sirius-XM Satellite Radio at 7:00 p.m. (ET).