Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway
Budweiser Racing Team Notes of Interest:
• Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet SS team finished 39th in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway after the car sustained significant damage in an early wreck.
• Inclement weather postponed the start of the race to Sunday morning and Harvick took the green flag in the 13th position. Stuck in the bottom lane, Harvick dropped back to 18th before the caution flag waved at lap 6 for rain. NASCAR brought the field down pit road a few laps later and displayed the red flag for nearly 26 minutes as they worked to dry the track.
• The field took the green flag again at lap 11 and raced three abreast until cars at the front of the pack made contact at lap 20, setting off a 16-car wreck. As Harvick tried to avoid the melee, the No. 4 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet went through the infield grass and the car’s splitter dug into the wet grass, causing significant front-end damage.
• Harvick was evaluated and released from the infield care center and once the team completed repairs to the car, he rejoined the field at lap 87, scored in the 39th position.
• At lap 110 the caution flag waved for rain and NASCAR red-flagged the race and brought the field down pit road once again. As the rain intensified, NASCAR called the race official, leaving Harvick with a 39th-place finish.
• Aric Almirola won Sunday’s rain-shortened race. Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch, Casey Mears and Austin Dillon completed the top-five positions.
• Jeff Gordon continues to lead the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings following the race at Daytona. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth round out the top-five spots. Harvick leaves Daytona ranked 11th in the standings.
Harvick on the wreck that left him with a 39th-place finish at Daytona:
“It looked like the No. 17 (car) got squirrelly up there and then they all started wrecking. I had the wreck cleared, but unfortunately with all the splitters and everything out in front, the grass is what tears all the cars up. It was unfortunate for our Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevy team, but maybe one day they’ll make grass that’s not eight-inches tall.”
The following is the finishing position of the other SHR teams in Sunday's race:
• Kurt Busch and the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet team finished third.
• Danica Patrick and the No. 10 Florida Lottery/GoDaddy Chevrolet team finished eighth.
• Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Ducks Unlimited Chevrolet team finished 40th.
Coming Up:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams travel to Loudon, New Hampshire, next week to compete in the Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. On Friday, FOX Sports 1 will have live coverage of practice at 11:30 a.m. ET and qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET. FOX Sports 1 will also air Saturday’s practice sessions at 9 a.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. ET. TNT will provide the live broadcast of Sunday’s event at 1 p.m. ET. PRN radio affiliates and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio will have live coverage of the event.