Although he won’t be defending his NASCAR Busch Series driver championship this season, Kevin Harvick still has titles to chase on the ownership side.
The two-time series champion went through the paces at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Monday during the first of two days of Preseason Thunder testing at the 1.5-mile track.
Harvick will run a partial schedule in the No. 21 AutoZone Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, sharing time with rookie Timothy Peters. The duo should contend for the series owner championship; Childress has captured three crowns, each with Harvick as a key contributor.
And as co-owner of Kevin Harvick Inc. with his wife DeLana, he could actually race against himself for the right to the owner championship.
He’ll drive a few races in his No. 33 RoadLoans.com Chevrolet and will split time in the No. 77 Dollar General Chevrolet with Bobby Labonte, the 1991 series champion and Kertus Davis, a young series veteran who had raced for his family-owned team since 2001.
Although he’s an experienced driver, the ownership side provides plenty of challenges for the 31-year-old Bakersfield, Calif., native.
“I enjoy it,†he said of being an owner. “It brings a whole different perspective to what you do and how I relate to Richard (Childress) and to NASCAR (as a driver).
“Going into the year, we expect both teams to run well and get into the top-10 in points.†Davis has gained respect in the garage; many drivers believe an opportunity such as the one presented by
Harvick and KHI will allow his talent to shine.
“Kertus (has) a really good attitude,†Harvick said. “He brings a lot of experience (to the team). He just needs a chance in good stuff. It’s always fun when you can give a guy an opportunity like someone gave me.â€
Preseason Thunder testing at Las Vegas is scheduled to conclude tomorrow. The 2007 NASCAR Busch Series season gets underway on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway.
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