Richard Childress Racing

Recent News

February 19, 2012

Tough Break for Harvick, No. 29 Team in Budweiser Shootout

"I just hate it for everybody on our Budweiser team. The car was fast and in position to do the things we needed to do. Man, you just can't hit guys in the left rear."

RCR/HHP Photo RCR/HHP Photo

Start - 22nd

Finish - 22nd

Laps Led - Four

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team were credited with a 22nd-place finish in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout after getting caught up in a wreck at lap 54. Harvick took the green flag in the 22nd position and quickly mounted a charge to the front, taking the lead for the first time on lap six with drafting help from Joey Logano’s No. 20 car. Harvick was scored in the third position when the competition caution waved at lap 25 for a 10-minute break. Once the field returned to green-flag racing, he dropped back to the 14th position as he lost the draft. When the caution flag waved again at lap 31, Harvick reported a vibration and told crew chief Shane Wilson that the team needed to pit for fresh tires. Following the four-tire stop, Wilson had Harvick bring the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet back down pit road to top off the fuel before the field went back to green. Harvick took the lead for the third and final time at lap 46. Nine laps later, the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet was collected in a six-car wreck that started when the No. 9 car made contact with the No. 20 in turn 2. Flames erupted from the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet as Harvick attempted to get the car re-fired and head back to the garage. The flames subsided, but the No. 29 machine had no functioning brakes as Harvick hit pit road. He coasted into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team helped bring the car to a stop, concluding their night.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“It looked to me like the No. 9 got into the left rear of the No. 20. It just takes a little bit of patience and a little bit of thinking on the parts of everybody on the race track. All the wrecks tonight were caused by people hitting (others) in the left rear. I just hate it for everybody on our Budweiser team. The car was fast and in position to do the things we needed to do. Man, you just can’t hit guys in the left rear. I think the biggest problem is the tandem racing has been so easy for these guys to stay attached that some of them haven’t raced in pack racing. You get those big runs and things are going to happen a lot faster than they used to. They are just going to have to be a little more patient.”

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