Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Kevin Harvick started 2007 just as he
finished 2006 - dominating the Busch Series. He captured Saturday afternoon's
Busch Series season opener at the Daytona International Speedway crossing the
finish line 0.284 seconds ahead of Toyota's Dave Blaney.
The victory was the 27th of Harvick's Busch career.
"We were a little bit off in qualifying, but when it counted we were where we
needed to be," said Harvick who qualified just 31st quickest.
Aric Almirola brought a field that included 24 Nextel Cup drivers to the green
flag to begin the 2006 Busch Series racing season. Almirola immediately gave
up the lead to Jason Leffler, but at Daytona it really doesn't matter who
leaders the first lap, only the last one.
The first caution flag came out on lap three when Jon Wood and Blaney spun
into the infield.
Martin Truex Jr. and then Carl Edwards took turns on the lead - all in the
race's first eight laps.
Kyle Busch was leading the pack on lap 16 when Reed Sorenson got loose in the
middle of the pack and sent numerous cars spinning through the infield to
avoid him. Eleven cars took some sort of damage from the incident.
Busch continued to show the way, but Juan Montoya's engine began to misfire
ending his day before he got to lap 25.
"I think we dropped a valve or something," said Montoya. "We had a fast car."
Through 40 laps it was still Busch with the lead, but Matt Kenseth and Edwards
teamed up and were second and third, respectively. Also coming was Harvick
who was up to sixth.
On lap 46 Kenseth and Edwards slid to the top of the track and the Roush
teammates easily got around the leader. There were nine cars within one second
of the leader.
The Busch did something that showed the strength of his No.5 Chevrolet.
He went to the bottom of the track on lap 51 while all by himself and still
drove back into the lead. Something that's just not done in a restrictor-plate
race.
At the mid-point of the 120-lap event, Busch was still in control and had led
41 of 60 laps.
A caution flag on lap 63 (David Reutimann) sent everyone down pit lane for
fuel and tires. Clint Bowyer won the race off pit road for the lead, but
Busch, Edwards and Kenseth were tucked right behind.
On the restart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick hooked up and went straight to
the lead. Harvick and "Junior" exchanged the lead as they neared the 80-lap
mark.
On lap 80, Busch suddenly slowed complaining of no fuel pressure. His chance
to win was gone.
"It's disappointing, we had a great race car," said Busch. "It had something
to do with the cable-driven fuel pump."
Up front Harvick and his Nextel Cup teammate Bowyer were running together on
the inside line and held the top-two positions. Edwards and Mark Martin, also
teammates, were on the outside working the high side. And a new player was on
the horizon - Tony Stewart. The defending race champion was up to eighth with
30 laps to go.
Harvick and Bowyer were still one-two at the 100-lap mark.
Ten laps to go and Harvick still owned a two-length lead. With seven laps to
go, Dave Blaney showed some horsepower and his Toyota sat in second place
right on Harvick's bumper.
Three laps to go and Harvick's lead was 0.292-seconds (three lengths). They
took the white flag and no one made a run at the No.21 Chevy. On the back
stretch he opened up the lead to six lengths and cruised to his first win of
the season.
"This Auto Zone Chevrolet was a lot of fun to drive," said Harvick. "To have a
car that handled like that and actually be able to pull away from those guys
says how good this race car was."
Edwards, Bowyer and Martin completed the top-five.
The second race on the Busch Series schedule is set for Saturday, February
24th at the California Speedway.