Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem team rallied back to a ninth-place result at Pocono Raceway on Sunday afternoon after receiving a mid-race pit road speeding penalty. The Richard Childress Racing driver started the 160-lap event from the fifth position after rain canceled qualifying Friday afternoon, setting the field by the NASCAR rulebook. During the early laps of the Party in the Poconos 400, Harvick informed crew chief Gil Martin he was battling a tight-handling red and black Chevrolet that transitioned to a loose condition as the run progressed. The Rheem pit crew executed scheduled two and four-tire pit stops on laps 26, 54 and 67, along with chassis and air pressure adjustments, in an effort to alleviate the handling issues their driver was battling. Harvick maintained a top-five position in the running order until a lap 99 green-flag pit stop when NASCAR officials issued a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road, forcing him back to the 28th position. As the race progressed, the California native methodically and patiently worked his way back toward the front of the field, crossing the finish line in the ninth position. Following his sixth top-10 finish of the season, Harvick remains fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
"The Rheem crew did a great job today at Pocono Raceway, especially coming back from that mid-race set back on pit road. Recovering from that mistake to finish in the top 10 is proof of how hard this team works each week."