Richmond II: Kevin Harvick preview

KEVIN HARVICK
Chevy Rock & Roll 400

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (September 7, 2005) -- GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick heads into this weekend's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (RIR) preparing for another top-five finish like he posted at the .750-mile track in May. And he'll have plenty of seat time to get familiar with the track.

Harvick will pull "triple-duty" this weekend. He'll kick things off with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on Thursday night, where KISS will team up with RaySat to sponsor his No. 47 Silverado from Morgan-Dollar Motorsports. The Bakersfield, Calif., native will then pilot the No. 21 Reese's Chevrolet in Friday night's Busch Series event. Both those races should give "Happy" enough track information for Saturday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series main event, the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

The GM Goodwrench team hopes to repeat their performance from earlier in the year at RIR. Harvick started seventh in the May race and finished fifth. In that event, passing was extremely difficult, which meant pit stops were crucial for track position. GM Goodwrench crew chief Todd Berrier thinks this race could play out the same way.

"Richmond has always been a track where you can race hard and pass a lot of cars," said Berrier. "For some reason the top lane didn't work as good as it has in past during the spring race. I think that made it more of a one groove track and harder to pass. Hopefully that top groove will come in this weekend. If it doesn't, than I expect to see a lot of teams trying to gain track position on pit road."

Points of Interest...

* Chase for the Championship...Kevin Harvick remains mathematically alive in the Chase for the Championship. The Bakersfield, Calif., native sits 15th in points, 131 markers out of tenth place.

* Chevy Rock n' Roll...Harvick will pilot a special No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Country music star Gretchen Wilson will be featured on the black and gold Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

* What Ya' Haulin'...The GM Goodwrench transporter will unload chassis No. 120 at Richmond International Raceway. It is the same chassis that Harvick drove to victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 3rd. Harvick also ran the car at Richmond International Raceway on May 14, finishing fifth. That was the last time the GM Goodwrench team scored a top-five finish this season.

* Last Year's Chevy Rock & Roll 400... It was a daunting task, but Kevin Harvick and his No. 29 GM Goodwrench racing team went into Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 with thoughts of finishing on top and making the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. Despite solid driving and flawless pit stops, they could not overcome a loose racecar that left them short of their goal. Their 12th place finish moved them only one spot to 14th in the point's standings, more than 400 points back of leader Jeff Gordon.

* TV and Radio... Start time for Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. EDT. TV coverage of the 400-lap event on TNT starts at 7:00 p.m., with radio coverage provided by Barney Hall and Joe Moore on MRN Radio. Remember times and dates of the race may change, so be sure to check your local listings.

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