Sprint Cup driver promotes Chicagoland Speedway's September race
By Dick Goss - Joliet Herald-News
When Chicagoland Speedway opened to NASCAR racing in 2001, some of the best drivers on the planet had the opportunity to capture the heart of a valued market.
Kevin Harvick took full advantage. Not only did he win the inaugural race July 15, 2001, but he returned to Victory Lane the following season, on July 14, 2002.
Driver of the No. 4 for Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick has 25 career Sprint Cup victories on his resume, not to mention a history of success in the Nationwide Series. But the two Cup wins at Chicagoland always will be special.
Imagine if he can tack on a third when the MyAFibStory.com 400 on Sept. 14 at Chicagoland opens the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup.
"That's been a great racetrack for me through the years," Harvick said earlier this week while in Chicago to promote this year's race. "I'll never forget winning the first couple times there. With it now being the first race in the Chase, I really hope I can get back into Victory Lanes there.
"Winning the first two races got us off on the right foot with the fans. It’s always been a great market for us and a great market for our sponsor, Jimmy John’s, so we’re looking forward to a great weekend."
After what happened in last week's GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono, Harvick is in confident spirits as he readies for Sunday's race at Watkins Glen. He used an expert move to the apron last week to avoid a 14-car pileup that claimed many of the cars running ahead of him and wound up second to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
That finish clinched a spot in the 16-driver Chase for Harvick, a two-time winner this season currently 11th in the point standings. However, securing his spot will not change his approach between now and his arrival in Joliet.
"You're going to have days where you have to scramble and things are going to go wrong," he said. "When things are right, you need to win the race. That's the way it always is."
Harvick has finished as high as third twice in the season point standings – in 2010 and 2013. He is known for his ability to come from deep in the field and challenge for victories. Thus the nickname "Mr. Where did he come from?" that NASCAR on Fox announcer Mike Joy once hung on him.
He also has been called "Happy Harvick" because of occasional temper flareups. He does add excitement to a race, whether it's in the Nationwide or Sprint Cup Series. Harvick has run in 10 Nationwide races this season and has finished in the top four in eight of them, winning two, and in the top 10 in all 10. He won Nationwide races in Joliet in 2005 and 2007.