Budweiser Racing Team Notes of Interest
• Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team scored an 11th-place finish in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Harvick qualified 16th for the event, but started 12th after the Nos. 22 and 55 cars were forced to start from the rear of the field.
• Just four laps into the race, Harvick reported to crew chief Gil Martin that while running behind teammate Jeff Burton, he made contact with the No. 31 as Burton checked up. Martin radioed back that there was minimal damage to the car and nothing to worry about.
• Harvick moved into the top 10 on lap 24 and noted the car was too loose in the center of the turns. The No. 29 Budweiser team had an opportunity to make adjustments on the car during a competition caution on lap 40. They changed right-side tires, added fuel and made a wedge adjustment to the car and Harvick restarted 12th on lap 45.
• After advancing into the top 10 on lap 53, Harvick reported he was still battling a loose condition despite the team’s efforts to tighten up the car during the pit stop. Harvick made his way up to the seventh position before Martin called him to pit road under green on lap 107. The No. 29 team made a four-tire change, added fuel and made an additional wedge adjustment during the stop, and Harvick settled back into the top 10.
• On lap 119 Harvick told Martin the adjustment had made the car too tight in the middle of the turn. A caution on lap 127 allowed the team to pit again and make additional adjustments, as well as add fresh right-side tires and top the car off with fuel. Harvick restarted ninth on lap 133 and quickly made his way up to the seventh position before noting the car was too loose and sliding around the corner.
• Martin called Harvick to pit road under caution on lap 179 for a four-tire change, fuel and a wedge adjustment. Harvick restarted 10th on lap 183 and dropped back a spot as he battled a tight-handling condition.
• Harvick came to pit road under green at lap 242 for four fresh tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. During this stop the No. 29 team also made repairs to the right-front fender that was damaged when Harvick made contact with the No. 18 car during a previous run. After returning to the track Harvick settled back into the top 10 on lap 254.
• The caution flag waved on lap 272 and Harvick brought the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet to pit road for right-side tires and fuel, and restarted 11th.
• Harvick battled a loose condition for the remainder of the race and earned an 11th-place finish, which moved him up two positions to eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings.
• Hamlin scored the win in Sunday’s race. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne completed the top-five spots.
• Johnson’s finish moved him into the lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings following the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski, Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Kahne round out the top-five positions.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams travel to Dover (Del.) International Speedway next week for the AAA 400 on September 30. SPEED will air live coverage of the series’ two practice sessions Friday at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. ET, as well as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying Saturday at 1:40 p.m. ET. ESPN will air live coverage of Sunday’s race starting with the pre-race show at 1 p.m. ET. MRN Radio affiliates and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio will provide the live radio broadcast.