Harvick grabs second straight Shootout win
ReTweet | Share on Facebook | Myspace | del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | StumbleUpon | Email | Print
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR
By Kyle Ocker
Sprint Cup Series beat reporter
It may have taken three drivers to get the car through the weekend, but it went through the weekend before any other car did. Kevin Harvick, who was at home while he fought flu-like symptoms during the Budweiser Shootout practice and qualifying draw on Thursday, was back to 100-percent on Saturday—or at least good enough to lead 21 laps for his second straight Budweiser Shootout victory.
- Drivers are introduced prior to the Budweiser Shootout. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
“I was sick Thursday,” Harvick said in his post-race press conference. “It was a short sickness. I felt really good when I woke up this morning. Felt good at the second half of the way yesterday. Didn’t have a whole lot of time in the racecar. That was probably the only part that concerned me the most.
“Before I got to the start/finish line, Newman hit me about three times. I knew I was going to be all right. So whatever we got to do, however it shakes out is good for me. I guess we can skip practice if Gil and Richard are good with it.”
Kasey Kahne finished second in his debut in a Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports while Jamie McMurray brought home a third place finish in his new ride at Dale Earnhardt Inc. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five finishers in the shootout.
Toyota drivers Brian Vickers and rookie-no-more Joey Logano finished sixth and seventh, respectively. The Chevrolets of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the remaining portion of the top-ten.
Carl Edwards started on the pole for the event, after drawing the position in Friday night’s blind draw, and led twice for a total of 42 laps during the race.
There were a total of five cautions that took up 14 laps of the race. The first was brought out by Michael Waltrip, driving the No. 51 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota in the race, when he spun coming out of turn two. He was able to keep it off of the wall and encountered only minor damage and continued.
- Kurt Busch drives over grass after losing control on the front straight during the Budweiser Shootout. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
The next caution was brought out on lap 33 when Mark Martin clipped the left-rear quarter panel of Kurt Busch when Martin tried to change lanes. Martin was able to continue but the spin caused Kurt’s car to sustain race-ending damage from going through the infield grass and ending up in the wall located past the exit of the tri-oval.
Caution number three was brought out by Jeff Burton on lap 41 when he spun in turn 2 after his left-rear tire went flat.
The fourth caution of the race came out on lap 70 for a second spin by Waltrip; however this time, it took him out of the race. John Andretti was also involved in the incident when Waltrip came up the race track and pinned him against the wall, ending his night as well.
The fifth and final caution came as the field took the white flag, when an apparent flat tire on Greg Biffle’s car caused him to spin in front of the field, thus causing the trade-marked “Big One.” The crash took out three of Roush Fenway Racing’s cars; Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth. Also involved in the incident was Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader and Martin.
Notes: Harvick’s victory gave Richard Childress his seventh victory in Budweiser Shootout history, a record. … Dale Earnhardt Jr. battled an ill-handling car on the long runs but was able to avoid the last-lap crash to finish 11th. … Kurt Busch, Martin and Denny Hamlin all went to the rear of the field before the start of the race due to going to a backup car. Derrike Cope had to go to the back because he did not practice his No. 75. Juan Pablo Montoya made adjustments outside of the impound rules without prior approval of NASCAR officials, forcing him to start from the rear as well.
