HARVICK: Triple Duty on Tap for Phoenix
11-03-2008 5:08 pm
PHOENIX SITE OF KEVIN HARVICK INC's FIRST TRUCK SERIES VICTORY: Kevin and DeLana Harvick started Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) as a "side project" in 2001. Harvick competed in his first Truck Series event for KHI in 2001 and narrowly missed winning at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. In 2002, Harvick competed in five Truck Series events for KHI, and during his final race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway Harvick drove a KHI truck to Victory Lane for the first time. Harvick would return to PIR the following year in another KHI entry and repeat as winner in the fall event at the one-mile facility recording his second Truck Series victory. The two victories at PIR are the only wins for Harvick in his Truck Series career. ONE OF THE FEW: Harvick is one of 19 drivers who have recorded a win in all three of NASCAR's elite series in their career. Most recently, Ryan Newman, driving a KHI Truck, joined that elite list by winning in his first Truck Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway. IN THE LOOP: Driver rating is one of NASCAR's newest statistical measures and takes into account wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average running position while on lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led, lead-lap finish. For any given race the maximum points that can be earned is 150. Harvick ranks first among active drivers with a driver rating of 122.1 at PIR since 2005. Harvick also leads loop data statistical categories in laps run in the top 15, fastest speed in traffic and driver fastest early and late in a run. Kevin Harvick Quotes: WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MUCH SUCCESS AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY? "Phoenix is one of those places where I grew up racing. I raced a lot in the Southwest Tour, Winston West and Truck Series races at Phoenix. I've learned the characteristics of the race track and the little things that you can do when your car is not handling perfect. I like the flat race tracks. Racing at Phoenix my entire career has also translated into flat-track success not only in the Truck Series but in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series." CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 Camping World team will bring truck 025 to Phoenix International Raceway. Chassis 025 saw track time earlier this season at the Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile and Gateway (Ill.) International Speedway. Chassis 025 was the fastest truck in the final practice session in Milwaukee and ran parallel to KHI teammate Ron Hornaday in Gateway on his route to win number four of the 2008 season. PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: The No. 2 ACL team had a disappointing finish last week at Texas Motor Speedway. With KHI rookie Cale Gale behind the wheel, the No. 2 team qualified in the second position for Friday night's Chevy Silverado 350 K. However, on lap two, Gale was pinned three-wide heading into turn one and became loose as a truck dove underneath him. He was unable to hang on to the No. 2 as the truck careened hard into the outside retaining wall. The team tried to make repairs but the heavy front-end damage sustained in the crash was too great to return to competition relegating Gale to a 30th-place finish.
COMPLETING THE TRI-FECTA AT PIR: Following his Truck Series victories in 2002 and 2003, Harvick was able to pull off the three-peat at PIR with wins in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series in 2006. He was the first driver to win in all three categories at Phoenix and remains one of only two to have achieved the feat
DOES PHOENIX FALL INTO THE SAME CATEGORY AS A SHORT TRACK LIKE MARTINSVILLE OR RICHMOND? "I don't really see Phoenix as a short track. Even though places like Phoenix and New Hampshire are only a mile, they both have a lot of room to race. Phoenix is always a fun race track. There are always at least two lanes, and sometimes even more, to pass. I always seem to do well at Phoenix so I'm excited to see what we can do as I climb back in the seat of the No. 2 Chevrolet."
AS A FULL-TIME OWNER IN BOTH THE TRUCK AND NATIONWIDE SERIES, HOW HAS THAT CHANGED YOU AS A DRIVER? "You know there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes (like) politics, personnel and sponsor relationships. There are certain things that take a long time to make changes and a certain way to make them happen. So it's just a different perspective of thinking from a owner's standpoint and understanding a lot of things that you really wouldn't understand just on a normal week-to-week basis as a driver, just jumping in and out of the car."