Race/Date: Diamond Hill Plywood 200/May 12, 2006
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
Start Position: 43rd
Finish Position: Seventh
Owners’ Points Position: First
Despite being forced to change engines because of an oil pan leak, at Darlington Raceway, Kevin Harvick and the Coast Guard Racing Team clawed their way to a seventh-place finish Friday night in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200.
A “never say die” attitude by Team Coast Guard helped Harvick claim his 11th top-10 finish of 2006.
During the first practice on Friday morning, the No. 21 team struggled to get the Coast Guard Chevy to Harvick’s liking, and they were 35th fastest on the board. To make matters worse, the team found a hole in the oil pan during the beginning of happy hour practice, forcing a motor change. The penalty for changing an engine after opening inspection forced the No. 21 Chevy to start at the rear of the field, in the 43rd position, for the start of the Diamond Hill Plywood 200.
At the drop of the green flag, Harvick made the most of it and moved his blue and red Chevy into the 33rd position by lap seven. He moved up to 26th on lap 16, then took over the 21st spot just before the second caution flag flew on lap 20.
Harvick made the hard left-hand turn toward pit road to the attention of his Coast Guard crew. With a slightly tight handling race car, the crew made a minor chassis adjustment, changed four tires, added fuel, and sent Harvick back on track in the 20th position.
Back to green on lap 25, Harvick once again turned his attention to the front of the field. It took the 20-time NASCAR Busch Series winner just 60 laps to slice and dice his way to the 13th position, just prior to a caution flag on lap 60 for an accident. With just under 90 laps remaining in the event, Team Coast Guard crew chief Shane Wilson made the call to bring the No. 21 Chevy to pit road for its second stop of the night. Harvick received four fresh tires, fuel and major chassis adjustments to help with a tight-handling race car. The Bakersfield, Calif., native lined up 14th for the restart on lap 67.
Harvick again began picking off positions and was listed 10th on the charts on lap 91. Fourteen laps later, “Happy” was in the seventh position when the caution came out for debris. Wilson made the call to pit for the final stop of the day. With no adjustments needed, the crew changed four tires, added fuel, and sent Harvick back on his way in the seventh position.
With 28 laps remaining, Harvick knew he had plenty of time to make a charge for the lead if the race stayed green. However, in the closing laps, four cautions waved over the speedway and Harvick was unable to compete for the lead. He crossed the finish line in the seventh position.
The seventh-place finish marks Harvick’s 100th career top 10 in the NASCAR Busch Series. Harvick also extended his point standings lead by 347 over his RCR teammate Clint Bowyer, who finished 17th.
Denny Hamlin won the event, followed by Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Mark Martin and Greg Biffle, respectively.
Following a weekend off, Harvick and Team Coast Guard will head to Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the Carquest Auto Parts 300. The race will take the green flag Saturday, May 27 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will be telecasted live on FX. The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying will air live on SPEED Friday, May 26 at 5 p.m. EDT.
KEVIN HARVICK - NO. 21 COAST GUARD CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO SS –
“I am just so proud of my team. I put a hole in the oil pan at the start of second practice and we were forced to change an engine. They worked hard all day to get the No. 21 Coast Guard Chevy ready for the race and it paid off with a seventh-place finish. This is what championship teams do, they never give up and they battle until the end.”
