NASCAR Cup

All-Star: Kevin Harvick preview

KEVIN HARVICK 20 Years of GM Goodwrench All-Star History HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (May 18, 2005) -- The history and success of the All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, N.C. is not complete without Richard Childress Racing and GM Goodwrench. Since ...

Published: May 18, 2005, 11:55 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

KEVIN HARVICK
20 Years of GM Goodwrench All-Star History

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (May 18, 2005) -- The history and success of the All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, N.C. is not complete without Richard Childress Racing and GM Goodwrench. Since it's inception in 1985 of what was previously The Winston, the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet changed both how NASCAR's All-Star event looked and how it was won.

THE PAST

In 1985, GM Goodwrench joined the blue and yellow Wrangler colors as associate sponsor of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and driver Dale Earnhardt. That same year NASCAR debuted The Winston All-Star race, and GM Goodwrench has played an important role in the success of the event ever since.

Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon are tied for the most wins in All-Star Challenge history with three each. But it was the driver of the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevy who brought an aggressive, "no holding back" attitude to the event. Earnhardt turned a block into one of the sports most remembered moment with the infamous "pass in the grass" in 1987.

The GM Goodwrench team was also the first to bring a unique paint scheme to NASCAR with their all-silver Chevrolet in 1995, "Quicksilver." That car not only launched the frenzy of special cars that have become the norm at the All-Star Challenge, but single handedly built the entire die-cast collection business as well.

THE PRESENT

This year GM Goodwrench celebrates 20 years of sponsorship with RCR while NASCAR celebrates 20 years of All-Star action in Charlotte. To commemorate their historic milestone in NASCAR, GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick will pilot a special modern day "Quicksilver" Monte Carlo. The No. 29 will feature a silver and black reverse scheme in celebration of that first special paint scheme.

Harvick enters the event eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points standing, just 198 markers out of first. The GM Goodwrench driver qualified for the NEXTEL All-Star event with his win at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on April 3, 2005. The entry marks Harvick's fourth consecutive start in the event without having to qualify through the NEXTEL Open.

Points ofInterest...

* The More Things Change...As Harvick enters the ceremonial "mid-point" of the season, the GM Goodwrench driver finds himself in nearly the exact same situation as he did last year. Harvick is eighth in points, 198 markers out of first. He has one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes. Last year, the Bakersfield, Calif., native sat eighth in points, 239 markers behind, with no wins but three top-fives and five top-10's. He missed the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup after dropping out of the top-10, one race short of the Chase.

* Blizzard Warning...Dan Blizzard will be on standby to change front tires on the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet. Blizzard is the front tire changer on the ACDelco Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series, GM Goodwrench front changer Jason Pulver who cut his hand at home one week ago. Pulver is currently listed as doubtful but it will be a race time decision.

* What Ya' Haulin'...The GM Goodwrench transporter will unload chassis No. 134. It is Harvick's favorite 1.5-mile car and was tested at Lowe's Motor Speedway last week.

No. 29 GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick on the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge...

What type of grade would you give your 2005 season at this point? "I think we have had every opportunity to have an 'A' type of season, but mistakes have dropped us down to a 'B'. I know the effort is there and it is still real early. I think by this point in the season you know how you stack up against the rest of the competition. We will continue to improve. I really believe that. We just have to eliminate the mistakes on pit road. These GM Goodwrench guys are capable of sub 13-second pit stops. But that isn't what we need right now. We need to just maintain where we are on-track. I've had the cars to pass and run up front. So trying to win races on pit road isn't where we need to focus. Consistency will keep us in the top-10."

It has been feast or famine when it comes to the All-Star race. Do you look forward to this at all?

"It's a fun race. Everybody just goes for it and that makes it pretty wild. Anytime you get crashed out early it's frustrating, but that's what this race has turned into, so you just have to make sure you stay out of the big crash. I almost think the All-Star race has a little Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in it now. It's not a matter of if there is a crash, it's when. A lot of fans like that, so they get a great show. I'm not sure the racing is that great, but the spectacle is."

-rcr-

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article All-Star: Jamie McMurray preview

Next article All-Star: No. 16 Pit Crew Challenge preview

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Las Vegas GP

25 min

McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas

Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish

General

Misc General 5 h

Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish

TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Homestead-Miami

11 h

TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale

Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role

NASCAR Truck

NSTR NASCAR Truck

Homestead

12 h

Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts