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Pre-Race - Sharpie 500
Event/Date: Sharpie 500 - August 22, 2009
Venue: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
Notes
This Week's No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 192 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Sharpie 500. Before it carried the No. 29 colors, this car was a workhorse for the No. 07 fleet. It was driven by Clint Bowyer in five races last season and eight races in 2007. Most recently, Casey Mears piloted this car to a 24th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, and Harvick drove it to a 17th-place finish at Dover International Speedway in May.
Bristol Stats … In 17 NSCS starts at NASCAR's fastest half-mile, Harvick has one win (April, 2005), nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Additionally, "Happy" has led 390 laps and has a 10.8 average finishing position. He's finished on the lead lap in 13 of those 17 events, and has amassed over $2.4 million in NSCS earnings at "Thunder Valley."
RCR in Thunder Valley … In 112 Sprint Cup starts at Bristol, RCR boasts nine wins - seven with Dale Earnhardt, one with Harvick and one with Jeff Burton- three poles, 30 top-five and 52 top-10 finishes. RCR-prepared race cars swept the top three positions in the 2008 Food City 500 when Burton drove to Victory Lane, Harvick finished second and Bowyer rounded out the top three. Additionally, in 44 starts, RCR Nationwide Series teams have claimed six wins - four with Harvick, one with Bowyer and one with Jeff Green - four poles, 20 top-five and 25 top -10 finishes.
Bristol Sweep … Harvick captured his first NASCAR sweep in April 2005 at BMS, winning the NNS race and the NSCS race in the same weekend. Since then, Harvick has added three more weekend sweeps to his résumé (Phoenix International Raceway in April 2006, Richmond [Va.] International Raceway in September 2006 and Daytona [Fla.] International Speedway in February 2007).
Double Duty … Harvick will pull double duty this weekend, competing in both the NSCS and NNS events at BMS. In addition to his duties in the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS in Saturday's Sharpie 500, Harvick will drive the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick, Inc., in the Friday, August 21 Food City 250. Earlier this season, Harvick captured the win in the March 21 NNS race at Bristol, marking the first time he had visited Victory Lane in a Kevin Harvick, Inc.-owned NNS entry. Qualifying for the NNS will be broadcast live on SPEED at 4 p.m. EDT Friday, and the race will air live on ESPN2, as well as the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT that evening.
Volunteer … Gil Martin, crew chief for Harvick and the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Racing team, is originally from Nashville, Tenn. Martin and his son, Ford, are avid fans of the Tennessee Titans National Football League team.
State Street … Harvick will appear on behalf of his RCR sponsor, Reese's, to meet fans and sign autographs at Food City Family Race Night on State Street in Bristol, Tenn., Thursday, August 20, from 6-8 p.m. EDT. To receive an autograph, fans will each need to pick up one of 400 wristbands that will be distributed on a first come-first served basis at the autograph line location, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT that day. The No. 29 Reese's show car will also be on hand from 1-9 p.m. EDT. Harvick's RCR teammates, Bowyer and Mears, will sign autographs at the event on behalf of General Mills and Jack Daniel's at their respective displays. For more information, visit www.FoodCity.com.
Honored … Food City will honor Harvick and Reese's at Food City Family Race Night on Thursday, August 20, in downtown Bristol, Tenn. Harvick was selected for the honor based on his contributions to NASCAR, his charity work and especially his support of the annual Food City event. Past honorees include NASCAR president Mike Helton, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, as well as team owners Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick.
This ceremony will take place on State Street from 5:30-6 p.m. EDT. The CEO and President of Food City, Steve Smith, will present Harvick with the award and make a donation in honor of him to Victory Junction Gang Camp. In conjunction with the presentation, the Mayors of both Bristol, Tenn. and Bristol, Va. will read proclamations and present Harvick with the key to the cities.
Catch all the Action … The Sharpie 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Race coverage will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 6:30 p.m. EDT and broadcast worldwide on PRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 24th race on the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will be televised live on ESPN Friday, August 21 at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Kevin Harvick Quotes
What is your mindset going into Bristol since it's a track where anything can happen?
"Bristol has always been a pretty good track for us. Bristol, like any short track, is tight and you can easily get into trouble. You just have to stay clean and focused. As long as you are there at the end, you have a shot at winning the race."
What is the key to success at Bristol Motor Speedway?
"Stay out of trouble and don't wreck. To win you have to be there at the end and with Bristol, like any other short track, the racing is tight and you can easily get into trouble. You just have to stay clean and stay focused."
Did you like racing better at Bristol when it was more bumping and single-wide racing or do you like it better now that there are multiple grooves and you can pass a whole lot more?
"I think Bristol did a great job with the race track and making more racing grooves. The first time we went there, I think the tires were a little too hard and you could run all the way up at the wall. The last couple of times we went there, it was more like the old Bristol, but you still had a couple of options from the bottom to the middle. I think once they got the tires squared away, the race track kind of came back around and the racing was a lot more normal in the fall."
Why do you enjoy running at Bristol so much?
"Bristol is one of my favorite race tracks. I enjoy the short track stuff and we've always been fortunate to run really well there. We go there with high expectations but you never know what's going to happen. You can get caught up in a wreck in a hurry and have your day ended. You have to go to Bristol and enjoy it but know that the outcome could be the opposite of what you want it to be."