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KEVIN HARVICK – Can-Am Duel Race Report

Event:                           Can-Am Duel (qualifying race for the Daytona 500)

Series:                           Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Location:                      Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)

Format:                         Twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500

Start/Finish:                  4th/3rd (Running, completed 60 of 60 laps) 

Duel No. 1 Winner:        Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Duel No. 2 Winner:        Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

 

Stewart-Haas Racing Finish:

  • Kevin Harvick (Started 4th, Finished 3rd / Running, completed 60 of 60 laps in Duel No. 1)
  • Clint Bowyer (Started 2nd, Finished 2nd / Running, completed 60 of 60 laps in Duel No. 2)
  • Kurt Busch (Started 11th, Finished 3rd / Running, completed 60 of 60 laps in Duel No. 2)
  • Danica Patrick (Started 12th, Finished 7th / Running, completed 60 of 60 laps in Duel No. 2)

 

Notes:                          

  • Harvick will start fifth in the Daytona 500.
  • Harvick ran as high as second and raced in the top-five the majority of the event.
  • Harvick and Ford teammate Brad Keselowski worked together in the closing laps to attempt to catch race winner Chase Elliott.
  • Harvick scored his seventh top-five finish in a Daytona qualifying race.
  • Harvick received eight regular-season points for his third-place finish in the first Duel.
  • Drivers earning odd-numbered positions from Sunday’s pole qualifying session were assigned to the first Duel race. Drivers earning even-numbered positions from pole qualifying competed in the second Duel race. The starting positions for each Duel race were based on qualifying times.

 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 “We got there, but we just didn’t clear the No. 24. Brad (Keselowski) and I were talking just about how our cars were handling. We had a very similar issue that we need to work on a little bit. We’ve got a couple things we need to work on before the 500, but, all in all, I’m pretty happy with no practice and still building our notebook on all these Fords. We’ve still got plenty of speed, so that’s a good thing.”

 

And you got some points tonight.

“Yeah, I forgot about that, so we got some points and that’s a good thing.”

 

It was close quarters racing in the end. Any concerns about that?

“That’s just how we race all the time. We want to race for the trophies and for wins and I think everybody knows there are points on the line tonight and you want to get your season started off well, so it went OK. We didn’t get to victory lane like we wanted to, but still OK.”

 

Next Up:

The 59th Daytona 500 gets underway at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.