Harvick, Shell-Pennzoil Racing Show Perseverance in Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. – The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team overcame an early-race setback to finish 12th in the rain-delayed American Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway.

The result boosts driver Kevin Harvick and his Richard Childress Racing crew up one spot, to 22nd, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings after 21 events of the 36-race season.

Bad weather plagued the NSCS teams throughout the weekend, as rain began to fall midway through the first practice session on Friday afternoon. When it became apparent the weather would not improve enough to allow for a qualifying session, the starting order was determined by the owners’ point standings, giving Harvick and his Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS the 23rd starting spot.

Fortunately, the teams were able to complete both practice sessions on Saturday, with Harvick posting fast lap times in both – fifth-fastest and second-fastest, respectively. From looking at the speed charts and listening to their driver’s feedback, the No. 29 team members were confident they had a strong entry for the 500-mile race.

When the teams arrived at the track Sunday morning, they were met by rainy conditions that persisted throughout the day, forcing NASCAR to postpone the start of the race until Monday afternoon.

From his 12th-row starting position, Harvick immediately began his move through the field, picking up six spots in the first six circuits around the 2.5-mile track. By the time the first caution flag was displayed, the No. 29 was being shown in 15th position. Crew chief Gil Martin took advantage of the yellow flag, calling his driver in for fresh tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment.

Returning to the track for the lap-26 restart, Harvick maintained his position inside the top 15 over the next 27 laps. Martin called his driver back to pit road on lap 53 for more service, which is when the setback occurred.

As Harvick was exiting his pit stall following his stop, the caution flag was displayed for debris on the track. Race leader Denny Hamlin, who was coming down the frontstretch at the time, passed the end of pit road before Harvick could reach it, which put the No. 29 team a lap down. Under the new double-file restart rules Harvick was waved around the leaders, putting him on the tail end of the lead lap, in 34th, for the restart.

Determined to regain the lost track position, the No. 29 team went on a tear with Harvick gaining 11 spots in a 10-lap period from laps 66-76.

Through the middle of the event, the Shell-Pennzoil crew used strong pit stops and various chassis adjustments to help its Chevy regain a spot in the top 20, and a two-tire stop around lap 144 moved Harvick up to 11th for the lap 146 restart.

After running in the top 15 over the next 19 laps, a caution flag on lap 165 allowed Martin to bring his driver in for four fresh tires and fuel, figuring the newer tires would pay off in the long run for the No. 29 team. Many other competitors chose to take just right-side tires, or fuel only, to gain track position, which dropped Harvick back to 25th for the lap-169 restart.

The four-tire strategy paid dividends, as he jumped up to 12th position by lap 180. Over the final 20 laps, Harvick found himself fluctuating between 15th and 12th position. A pass on the No. 48 car in the final laps moved Harvick back into 12th position, where he remained as the checkered flag was displayed.

The race was won by Denny Hamlin, who beat Juan Pablo Montoya to the line. Harvick’s RCR teammate, Clint Bowyer, posted a third-place result, while Sam Hornish, Jr., and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top-five finishers.

Harvick’s other RCR stablemates, Jeff Burton and Casey Mears, posted finishes of 21st and 25th, respectively.

The NSCS competitors now head to New York state for the second and final road course race of the season at Watkins Glen International. Harvick knows the track well, having scored a NSCS win there in 2006, and a NASCAR Nationwide Series victory there the following year.

The Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen takes the green flag Sunday, Aug. 9 at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on ESPN, with pre-race coverage beginning at 1 p.m. EDT. MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Ch. 128 will provide radio coverage. Qualifying is slated for Friday at 3 p.m. EDT on ESPN2 with radio coverage on MRN Radio and Sirius XM Radio Ch. 128.

Kevin Harvick Quote: “I’m really proud of how the Shell-Pennzoil team performed.  We had a fast car, but we got bit when the caution came out while we were pitting. It was all about track position today, so that cost us. We’ve been making progress over the past few weeks, so that’s encouraging.”