Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s team finished 16th at Michigan International Speedway after battling handling issues during the Pure Michigan 400. The 36-year-old driver started from the 20th position and ran within the top 20 as he fought a tight-handling Chevrolet. Harvick brought the Richard Childress Racing machine down pit road under yellow and green-flag conditions as the Jimmy John’s pit crew executed two and four-tire pit stops with air pressure and chassis adjustments, in an effort to combat the handling issue on the No. 29 Chevrolet. As the 201-lap event neared an end, the caution flag was displayed for the final time with five laps remaining in the event. During the caution period, crew chief Shane Wilson called Harvick to pit road for right-side tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment on lap 196 for one final attempt to correct the handling issue. The RCR driver was scored in the 17th-position for the green-white-checkered restart and was able to pick up one spot during the final laps, crossing the finish line 16th. The top-20 finish moved Harvick up one position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, to eighth, 85 points behind the leader.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“Obviously, that was not the kind of day we were expecting to have. Our team struggled all weekend to find the speed and setup we needed to get the Jimmy John’s Chevrolet out front. We’ll regroup this week and switch our focus to Bristol (Motor Speedway).”