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Pre-Race: Coca-Cola 600 – May 24, 2009
Event/Date: Coca-Cola 600 - May 24, 2009
Venue: Lowe's Motor Speedway - Concord, N.C.
Notes
This Week's Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet at Lowe's Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 276 in the Coca-Cola 600. This just-completed car is brand new to the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable and has never been on a race track.
Tough Track … Though he won the 2007 All-Star Race, the 33-year-old driver has just one top-five finish in 16 points-paying NSCS races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has a 17.9 starting average and an average finish of 20.2 at the famed 1.5-mile Concord, N.C., quad-oval and has completed 5,525 of 5,753 laps contested (96 percent).
Race Recap … In the most recent NSCS points race, Harvick and his No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team used pit strategy and a strong car to post an 11th-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Following the finish, Harvick moved up two spots to 21st in the NSCS point standings.
Back in Yellow and Red … After showcasing the Pennzoil paint scheme last weekend during the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the No. 29 Chevy will return to its traditional bright yellow and red Shell-Pennzoil colors this weekend during the Coca-Cola 600.
RCR at Charlotte … In 103 starts at LMS, RCR has earned five points-paying victories. Four of those were won by Dale Earnhardt, while Jeff Burton added to that total with a win in the October 2008 race. Harvick also recorded an impressive win at the 2007 All-Star Race to go along with Earnhardt's three victories at the annual all-star showcase, giving RCR nine total Sprint Cup Series checkered flags at LMS.
Additionally, RCR boasts 19 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile oval with seven different drivers including Earnhardt, Ricky Rudd, Mike Skinner, Harvick, Burton and Clint Bowyer. Richard Childress, a former driver on NASCAR's senior circuit, contributed two of those top 10s from 1978-1979.
Logging Miles … Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Harvick will drive well over 900 miles this weekend at LMS. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner will participate in practice sessions, qualifying and compete in both the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 on Saturday and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. In all, Harvick will likely drive the equivalent of three times the distance from the Earth's surface to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.
Double Down in the Queen City … In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Harvick returns to the seat of the No. 33 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Chevy for this weekend's Nationwide Series event at LMS. Live coverage of the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 will take the green flag Saturday, May 23 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
The race will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 11th race on the 2009 Nationwide Series calendar is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED the same day at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Speed Street … Harvick and his RCR teammate Clint Bowyer will be appearing at the Chevrolet display during the Food Lion Speed Street Festival, Friday May 22nd beginning at 3 p.m. EDT in Uptown Charlotte. For more information about Food Lion Speed Street please visit www.600festival.com.
Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 at LMS will take the green flag Sunday, May 24 at 5 p.m. EDT and will be telecast on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 12th of 36 points-paying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races will air live on SPEED, PRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. EDT.
Kevin Harvick Quotes
What do you think about the Coca-Cola 600?
"The 600 is long, but it's really only 100 miles longer than we normally run. I really don't think it is that big of a deal. However, it's our longest race of the season. Coming to Charlotte is always kind of special because you get to have all your guys at the shop, who don't normally get to come to the race, there and see all their hard work in action."
Does the extra 100 miles wear on you at the end of the night, or is it just another 100 miles?
"You're programmed to go 500 miles, so that last 100 miles is always a little bit different than what we normally do. We will probably lose a little more water weight than normal. However, all in all, it's really not that big of a deal."