BUSCH: Harvick Talladega preview

Busch Series Points leader Kevin Harvick says the key to running well at Talladega, the second of two restrictor plate tracks on the schedule, is finding the correct drafting partners.

"You have to pick the right line to be successful at Talladega," Harvick says. "If you pick the wrong line, there's nothing you can do about it because it's so hard to move from one line to another when you're running three wide."

Try to enjoy it:
"We've got to go race there and we might as well try to enjoy it. Talladega isn't as physically demanding as a lot of tracks, but it's more mentally demanding than most of them. You have to be on your toes and ready for anything. You constantly have to know what's going on around you, who is running in front of you, behind you and ahead of you. If you run with the right people you'll be alright."

Talladega car:
Harvick will be competing in the same car, RCR chassis #16, that he finished second with at the first race of the season at Daytona. The car was built new for the 2001 season and had seen the track only once before Daytona and that was at testing at Talladega in January.

Leading the series:
Not only is Harvick leading the Busch Series by 91 points, he is leading the series in several other key categories as well:

* The Busch Series points system rewards consistency and Harvick has been exactly that with an average start of 8.25 and average finish of 5.875. The next three drivers in points, Jason Keller, Greg Biffle and Jeff Green, are averaging finishing positions of 8.375, 9.75 and 12.5, respectively.

* Harvick has more top 10's (7) than any of his points rivals, Keller and Green are next with (6).

<pre> Harvick's Talladega Busch Record Date Start Finish Laps Laps Led Status Money Points 4/15/00 8th 16th 113/113 0 Running $15,625 115

Harvick's Restrictor Plate Record Date Start Finish Laps Laps Led Status Money Points 2/17/01 12th 2nd 120/120 0 Running $75,975 170 4/15/00 8th 16th 113/113 0 Running $15,625 115 2/19/00 7th 5th 120/120 15 Running $37,025 155

Average Restrictor Plate Track Start: 9th

Average Restrictor Plate Track Finish: 7.66 </pre> RCR's Restrictor Plate Record & Highlights
Harvick has one of the best teams in the business to learn from in terms of restrictor plate racing. Richard Childress Racing has been one of the most successful teams in the history of this type of racing. Including Dale Earnhardt's first restrictor plate victory in July of 1990 at Talladega, RCR has claimed 11 restrictor plate victories in NASCAR Winston Cup points races.

RCR and Earnhardt won 10 consecutive Twin 125 races in the 1990's, 12 times total. They also have won six Bud Shootout/Busch Clashes at Daytona. That experience should help Harvick at Talladega.

Lap Count Kevin Harvick will be logging more laps and miles, by far, than any other NASCAR driver this season. Here is the total to date. <pre> Busch Cup Daytona 300 miles --- Rockingham 200 miles 400 miles Las Vegas 298.5 miles 400.5 miles Atlanta 303 miles 500.5 miles Darlington 200 miles 500 miles Bristol 133.25 miles 266.5 miles Texas 300 miles 501 miles Martinsville ---- 238.8 miles Nashville 299.25 miles ----

SUB TOTAL 2,034 miles 2,807.3 miles

GRAND TOTAL Harvick has run 4,841.3 miles this season in both the Winston Cup and Busch Series.

-CSG