KHI Accelerates Bid For Second NASCAR Owner Championship
Somebody once said that too many cooks spoil the broth, but that’s hardly the case at Kevin Harvick Inc.
Three different drivers in the past three races have produced a victory and a trio of top-five finishes for the NASCAR Nationwide Series-only team.
Kelly Bires is the latest KHI driver to notch a top five finishing fourth at Nashville. His solid performance follows a second at Texas by Tony Stewart and Harvick’s first victory in his own car at Bristol last month.
While Harvick won’t win a third driver championship, his team appears to have the horsepower to challenge Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing for the owner title.
KHI already has a NASCAR national series title locked away. Ron Hornaday Jr. drove one of the team’s Chevrolet trucks to driver and owner championships in 2007.
Roush and Gibbs, on the strength of solid performances by Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch, respectively, rank one-two in owner points with six races completed.
But KHI — and Childress, also employing multiple drivers — are only 48 points out of the lead.
While the owner points take a second seat to the driver championship, there’s no doubt that serious bragging rights are at stake among the high-profile teams.
KHI is the only team among the current top five that doesn’t field a NASCAR Sprint Cup team on a full-time basis.
The last NASCAR Nationwide Series-only owner to win a title was Greg Pollex in 2000. Jeff Green was the driver champion.
NNS Split Decisions
There have been different driver and owner champions on three occasions in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Year Driver Owner 2003 B. Vickers, No. 5 RCR, No. 21 2007 C. Edwards, No. 60 RCR, No. 29 2008 C. Bowyer, No. 2 JGR, No. 20
Etc.
On the move: Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Delphi Chevrolet) left Daytona in a points hole following a 22nd-place finish. Two consecutive third-place finishes have boosted him to fifth place.
Roush Fenway Racing’s next victory will be No. 100 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Austin Dillon (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) is set to make his third career series start. Dillon, 19, finished fourth in last October’s race at Memphis Motorsports Park.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Brian Scott (No. 10 Great Clips Toyota) will compete in Phoenix following his 25th-place debut at Nashville. He’s teamed with Jason Leffler and Phoenix Copper World Classic winner Burney Lamar (No. 32 Dollar General Stores Toyota) at Braun Racing.
Darryl Harr (No. 31 Circle K Thirstbuster Chevrolet), a NASCAR Camping World Series West and Canadian Tire Series veteran from St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, hopes to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Phoenix.
2009 Manufacturers’ Championship Standings
Chevrolet 40
Toyota 40
Ford 33
Dodge 19
*Following Race 6 of 35 Nashville Superspeedway
Chevrolet and Toyota each have scored 40 points as the frontrunners in the 2009 Bill France Performance Award standings entering the seventh race of the season.
The Nashville 300 marked the third victory for Toyota — one more than rival Chevrolet.
The race also found Joe Gibbs Racing teammates finishing one-two for the first time since July 4, 2008. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch grabbed the top two finishing positions of the Winn-Dixie 250 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
Chevrolet is the only multiple winner of the Phoenix spring race wining in 2006-07.
Bliss, Leffler Love Phoenix
Safe to say Phoenix seems like home to Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) and Mike Bliss (No. 1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming and Resort Chevrolet).
Each has been to Victory Lane multiple times in multiple series. Both would like to add the NASCAR Nationwide Series to their list of victories.
Bliss has a pair of top-10 finishes in NASCAR Nationwide competition and a victory (1998) in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He’s also won three USAC Silver Crown races and a sprint car event. He is making his 150th start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Friday.
Leffler, who similarly starred in open-wheel cars before moving to NASCAR, has won one Silver Crown and one midget race. His best NASCAR Nationwide Series effort came in his first start — second in 2000.
Bliss finished sixth in last spring’s Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 and was eighth in the track’s fall race.
Leffler had an “off” year at Phoenix in 2008 with finishes of 14th and 25th.
Up Next: Talladega Superspeedway
The NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its only stop of the season at Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron’s 312 on April 25.
Tony Stewart is the defending winner of the race. Stewart’s Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota snapped a five-race domination of Victory Lane by Chevrolet.
Stewart became just the second driver to win the race from the Coors Light Pole.
FAST FACTS
The Race: Bashas’ Supermarkets 200
The Place: Phoenix Int’l Raceway
The Date: Friday, April 17
The Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
The Distance: 200 miles / 200 laps
2008 Race Winner: Kyle Busch
2008 Polesitter: Kyle Busch
DRIVER STANDINGS
Rk Driver Points 1 Carl Edwards 959 2 Kyle Busch 936 3 David Ragan 799 4 Jason Leffler 762 5 Brad Keselowski 733 6 Joey Lagano 728 7 Justin Allgaier 676 8 Brendan Gaughan 676 9 Scott Lagasse Jr. 672 10 Jason Keller 667
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