Harvick
Falls Short in Cup Finale at Homestead, but celebrates Busch Title for
second time.
by Dan Peters
Kevin Harvick won nine races in 2006,
almost a record in the NASCAR Busch Series. That was
just the tip of the iceberg on what Harvick has
accomplished in 2006. Kevin ran both full schedules this year in
the Nextel Cup and Bush Series, 71 races total. That
alone is a remarkable feat, but
to dominate the Busch Series and run away with
the Championship is nothing
short of spectacular.
Is Kevin Harvick tired? You know it. “I
haven’t had a day
off since January.” Harvick said. He has been
racing every weekend since the Bud Shootout on February 11th. His
three weekends off in Nextel Cup were filled with races in the Busch
Series. “(Winning) makes it easier,”
Entering Saturday’s Busch Series finale, Harvick had a chance to tie
Sam Ard’s record of 10 series wins, set back in 1983. All
that stood in Kevin’s way was a determined Matt
Kenseth. Matt was on fire, scoring his second win in as many weeks,
denying Harvick the record.
Harvick’s 32nd top-10 finish in a 35 race season did break Ard’s
record. “I know my wife is happy about
that. She’s a big Sam Ard
fan,” Harvick said. “A lot of people don’t understand how hard
those guys raced and how much different it is from now. Part of
me thinks it’s pretty cool I was able to get that close. It leaves a
certain part of Busch history untouched, and I think that’s kind
of neat.”
The top five drivers in the Busch series points this year also ran
the entire Cup and Busch Series in 2006. Joining Harvick were
Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and J.J Yeley.
“It’s unbelievably competitive,” said Carl Edwards. “Last season, there
seemed like there was a difference between the Busch and Cup
races. This season, it seems to have evened up quite a bit.”
Edwards finished second to Harvick, 844 points back, the
largest margin from first and second place in Busch series history.
“We had one of those years,” Edwards said.
“Hopefully, it’s rare for him. He had the
fastest car and the best luck. They
ran us into the ground. I was proud to stay within a thousand points of
him.”
2006 was the first time since
2001 that Harvick ran every Busch race,
winning that Championship as well. He finished
just 124 points ahead of Jeff Green. Not a bad feat
considering 2001 was the year Harvick replaced Dale
Earnhardt in the Cup Series after Dale was killed in the
season opening Daytona 500.
“This Championship is so different
in a lot of ways,” Harvick said. It was one of
the years that so much was going on, and
our lives changed so much that I almost couldn’t appreciate things.”
(2001)
Kevin Harvick, at a glance….
Born December 8, 1975
Hometown: Bakersfield, California
Current residence: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Married to DeLana
NASCAR Busch Series Crew Chief: Shane Wilson/Wally Rogers
Car & Sponsor: Number 21 Coast Guard Chevrolet & Number 33 The
Outdoor Channel Chevrolet.
NASCAR Busch Team: Richard Childress Racing (31 races)
Kevin Harvick Racing (4 races)
NASCAR Nextel Team: Richard Childress Racing. (GM Goodwrench/Reeses)
Kevin Harvick won his second NASCAR Busch Series championship this year
with nine victories. Kevin has won five Nextel Cup races and made the
“Chase for the Cup” for the first time in 2006.
Kevin Harvick completed 6,558 of a possible 6,559 laps, led 1,197 laps
and had an average finish of 4.6, and not winning a single pole.
Impressive, indeed.
Kevin Harvick will again run Busch in 2007, just not as often. He will
run 24 races, split between RCR and his own team, Kevin Harvick.
Inc. Add four Craftsman Truck series races with his
own team … and Harvick will again be a busy man.
