Harvick Fights Handling Problems At Pocono

Kevin Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil team struggled with handling issues in Sunday's running of the Pocono 500. Starting out with a tight car, the No. 29 RCR team worked all race long making adjustments to try to get the car handling better for their driver. A mid-race run saw the Shell-Pennzoil Chevy come around but late in the race the handling went away again dropping Harvick back in the pack and he would go on to finish in 24th position.

After Friday's qualifying session was rained out and the field set according to owner's points, Kevin Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil team settled in for 500 miles of racing at the unique shaped Pocono Raceway.

With an early caution on the second lap, the field got to test the new double-file restart rule right away. Harvick settled in after taking the green flag for the restart reporting that the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy was tight in traffic.

When the caution flag waved on lap 13, crew chief Gil Martin called his driver to the pit lane for adjustments, tires and fuel. Coming in on lap 14 Harvick returned to the track in the 12th position after a two-tire stop.

By lap 30 the Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet began to handle better for the 2009 Budweiser Shootout winner. A little more than a dozen laps later the first green-flag pit cycle started with Harvick returning to pit road on lap 46 for additional adjustments along with tires and fuel. Once the pit stops cycled out, Harvick was posted in the 20th position.

The next several laps saw the two-time Nationwide Series champion continue to run in the top-20. After a pit stop on lap 76 where Harvick received tires and fuel only he began to get really loose. At the halfway point of the race the Bakersfield, California native found himself in the 17th position and just beyond lap 100 Harvick had moved his way into the top-15 running positions. 

By lap 122 the 2007 Daytona 500 winner was fighting an extremely tight race car reporting to the Shell-Pennzoil crew that his car was "plowing". A green-flag pit stop on lap 137 allowed his crew to make adjustments to help with the tight conditions as well as give him tires and fuel. After the pit cycle was complete, Harvick was scored in the 19th position.

After pitting on lap 157 during a short rain delay, Harvick took the green flag for the restart on lap 165 in the 23rd position. Almost immediately the Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet began to handle extremely tight. A final pit stop on lap 184 allowed Harvick to take on two right side tires along with a splash of fuel to get him to the end of the race.

Continuing to fight handling problems in the closing laps, Harvick managed to score a top-25 finish by taking the checkered flag in the 24th position.

Tony Stewart scored his first win of the season and was followed by Carl Edwards and David Reutimann. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-five.

Next up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the running of the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14. Green flag coverage will being at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on TNT with radio coverage on MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio at 12:30 p.m. (ET)