Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team earned a top-10 finish at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday after battling handling issues and changing track conditions. Starting from the 19th spot, the Bakersfield, Calif., native immediately went to work increasing his position in the running order, settling into the top 10 by lap 30 while battling a loose-handling Chevrolet. As the race progressed, Harvick continued to fight the loose condition, leading crew chief Gil Martin to call for multiple chassis adjustments during the ensuing four-tire pit stops. The Richard Childress Racing driver maintained a position within the top 10 during the late stages of the race, but as the sun set over the 1.5-mile track, Harvick alerted the team that the car had transitioned from loose to tight. Making a final visit to pit road on lap 293 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments, Harvick returned to the track and moved into the top five after green-flag pit stops cycled through the field. The 22-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner continued to run near the front of the pack during the final laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag from the eighth position. Following Harvick's 19th top-10 finish of the season, he moved up to third in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, 40 markers out of the top spot.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
"We struggled a bit today with the handling of our Budweiser Chevrolet. It seemed like no matter what we tried we couldn't tighten it up enough, and then at the end we went a little too far. We still had a strong finish and gained a spot in the point standings."