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Pre Race Report: Southern 500
Event/Date: Southern 500 Presented by GoDaddy.com - May 9, 2009
Venue: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
Notes
This Week's Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 266 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Built new over the off-season, this is the same chassis Casey Mears drove to a 24th-place finish in the Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway in February. This weekend's race will be the second time the car will be used in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.
Stat Facts … In 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington, Harvick has earned two top-five and four top-10 finishes. Additionally, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has earned a 15.6 starting average coupled with a 20.8 finishing average and led 14 laps of competition. Harvick has completed 3,795 of 4,111 laps in those 12 races, or 92.3 percent, with one DNF (did not finish).
Tough Luck Times Two … Last weekend at Richmond, Harvick was caught up in an accident not of his making for the second race in a row. Two weeks ago, Harvick's No. 29 was caught up in an early accident at Talladega that sent him to the garage for a number of laps. At Richmond, Harvick was running in the top 10 when contact from another car cut down the left rear tire of the No. 29, sending Harvick into the outside retaining wall. While he was able to continue, the Bakersfield, Calif., native spent six laps on pit road while his team repaired the damage and finished 34th. The outcome dropped him three spots, to 23rd, in the NSCS point standings.
RCR at Darlington … Richard Childress is tied for third all time with Holman-Moody and the Wood Brothers for car owner victories at Darlington with eight - all of them coming with Dale Earnhardt. Additionally, in 92 collective starts, RCR boasts 21 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval with five different drivers including Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Harvick, Burton and Robby Gordon.
Tire Test … Harvick took part in the Goodyear Tire test at Darlington Raceway in early March. One driver from each of the sport's four auto manufacturer's made laps around the legendary course. Harvick represented Chevrolet at the test, while Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler and Denny Hamlin were there on behalf of the other auto makes.
The Big Apple … Harvick flew directly from Richmond, Va., to New York City on Sunday, May 3, following the NSCS race at Richmond International Raceway. He planned to see two games involving his favorite Major League Baseball team, the New York Yankees. Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was rained out, but Harvick did get to see the Bronx Bombers take on the Boston Red Sox Monday night, May 4. The trip marked Harvick's first visit to the new Yankee Stadium.
On Display … Mark Williams, driver of the Shell-Pennzoil Racing team's transporter, will participate in Darlington's annual Hauler Parade on Thursday, May 7. The parade is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time from the Florence (S.C.) Civic Center, then travel along US Highway 52 to downtown Darlington. A festival follows at Darlington Square with food and souvenir vendors, a car show, racing simulators and a fireworks display. For more information, contact the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce at (843) 393-2641.
Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will take the green flag Saturday, May 9 beginning at 7 p.m. EDT and will be telecast live on FOX. The event will also broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 11th of 36 points-paying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on the 2009 schedule will air live on SPEED, MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio Friday, May 8 at 5 p.m. EDT.
Kevin Harvick Quotes
What's your impression of Darlington?
"Darlington's tough, but I like it. It's a very narrow, fast race track that has a lot of history and is a very prestigious race to win. It's one of those places where I'd like to win a Sprint Cup race. Keeping the car off the walls is a key factor when you go to Darlington. You've got to get a rhythm there and be consistent over the long runs. You have to take care of the fenders, tires and sides of the car."
Having done the tire test for Goodyear, do you feel that gives you even a little bit of an advantage heading into the weekend?
"Probably not, because everything's pretty much the same as it was last time, speed-wise, and the grip level's pretty much the same. The tire's a little bit different. I know you don't want to be the first car on the track, because it's really sandy."
Darlington's known as being a narrow track. Do you ever feel like there's almost no room to race on that track?
"It's a really cool place to race, just because of the history and the type of race track that it is. It's really fast right now and it's really narrow. I think you're running 200 mph down the backstretch at a track that was built for cars to run 100. The history of the track is what makes it so neat, and that's why everyone likes to go there. It's not the most recently built 'cool' race track that has lots of room.
"It's got character and it's hard to pass there. When your car's right, there are still lots of places to pass. The thing about Darlington that makes it easier to pass there than at some of the 'fall in line' race tracks is that it's so easy to make a mistake. That's what you've got to do is capitalize on other people's mistakes."
Your usual instinct is to race anyone that gets up alongside you at most tracks. Do you have to look at that differently at a narrow track like Darlington?
"The problem at Darlington is, usually if someone's got the position on you on the inside, there's not enough room to stay up there on the outside. Usually it probably winds up tearing up your car, if not both of them by trying to race somebody in the corner. There's just not enough room to do it."
Is there ever an easy lap at Darlington?
"It is constant work at Darlington. You always wear your tires out and you always slow down a bunch from the beginning of the run to the end of the run. You really never know how much you can get out of your car until you have run a lot of practice and race runs to get your rhythm. It is hard to know how far you can push it, which is why you have a lot of cars that get into the wall."