NASCAR Cup

Atlanta II: Kevin Harvick preview

It's the Great Pumpkin, Kevin Harvick. HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (October 21, 2002) - "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," a Charles M. Schulz legend, reads that an enormous pumpkin (a.k.a. The Great Pumpkin) will visit the "most sincere" pumpkin ...

Published: Oct 23, 2002, 6:06 PM

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It's the Great Pumpkin, Kevin Harvick.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (October 21, 2002) - "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," a Charles M. Schulz legend, reads that an enormous pumpkin (a.k.a. The Great Pumpkin) will visit the "most sincere" pumpkin patch in the entire world and don gifts of toys upon the children who waited for and believed in him.

Well, paint Atlanta Motor Speedway a pumpkin patch, and call Kevin Harvick "Linus" this weekend because the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Service team is enlisting the service of the their own Great Pumpkin to bring them rewards this Halloween season.

Most recently raced at Lowe's Motor Speedway (Harrisburg, N.C.) and freshly out of the fabrication shop, Pumpkin (chassis No. 093) makes a return visit to the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. While the GM Goodwrench Service team had high expectations for Pumpkin at Lowe's, a mid-race accident halted their efforts.

This time, with good seasonal "pumpkin karma" on their side and returning to the site of driver Kevin Harvick's first Winston Cup win, the No. 29 team is well on their way to shaking off the bad luck that has plagued them this fall.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet Monte Carlo, chats about Pumpkin, his first win, and Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Pumpkin, No. 093
"We're bringing car No. 093 out again. Its name is Pumpkin. Originally it was painted bright orange and when we tested it - it was still orange. "Pumpkin" stuck. We used it in Charlotte a couple of weeks ago. The guys have thrashed back at the shop to get it in order for this weekend. There was a lot of work to be done to Pumpkin after we got wrecked.

"We did have the opportunity to learn some things about it in race trim that we'll try to use in Atlanta. RCR (Richard Childress Racing) as an organization is usually really good there. In the spring we had some motor problems which aren't really typical of us. Other than that one, I've faired pretty well there. A win and a third place finish - I'm looking forward to the weekend."

First Win, 2001
"I can't really recall the last few laps of the race last year. There were five drivers that were shuffling around each other in the top-five. I remember coming off of (turn) three into (turn) four and when we took the lead for the last time. I remember winning by inches- but it's still a win in the books.

"You really couldn't write a script any better than the way things had happened especially under the circumstances in 2001. You can't get any further down on the 'circumstances list' like we were at RCR with everything that had happened. And nobody really knew where their place was supposed to be or what we were supposed to be doing. But we came through that weekend with a win and we just continued doing what we were doing."

Lap Around
"In Atlanta going into turn one, there's this little washboard bump that makes the car feel loose getting in. But you just have to drive through it and get right back on the gas. You can run in the race anywhere from the wall down to the white line.

"When you go down the back straight-away into turns three and four you just breathe and fall out a little bit. And get right back in the gas. But what happens in three and four will usually determine who gets across the finish line first."

Notes: * Originally a No. 31 RCR car, Pumpkin was brought to the No. 29 team stable with the team switch.

* Pumpkin has been tested three times: once at Lowe's Motor Speedway with Robby Gordon and twice with Kevin Harvick at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway.

* This is the second time Pumpkin has seen race action.

-rcr-

UPDTAE: See No pumpkin for Harvick

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