Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John's Chevrolet team finished sixth under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night, after starting on the front row and battling an ill-handling racecar throughout the majority of the 334-lap event. The California native started the fifth race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup from the second position and maintained a spot within the top five during the early laps as he battled a loose-handling Chevrolet. Crew chief Gil Martin called Harvick down pit road on lap 26 for right-side tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. Back on track, the Richard Childress Racing driver reported the car was still loose and the pit crew continued to work on the car's handling during scheduled four-tire pit stops throughout the race. The team made one final round of adjustments during a four-tire pit stop on lap 308. Harvick was scored in the eighth position for the ensuing restart and moved up two spots to sixth before crossing the finish line. Following the 500-mile event, Harvick remains third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 29 markers out of the top spot.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
"I have to thank everyone on this Jimmy John's team tonight; they really had their work cut out for them. We struggled with the handling of our car all night and it's a miracle that we were able to pull off a sixth-place finish. I am just really proud of this team right now."