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HARVICK BAGS A SWEEP ON PHOENIX SAFARI

Kevin Harvick, in the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Monte Carlo, completed a sweep of the weekend's events at Phoenix Int'l Raceay with a win in Saturday night's Subway 500K.

Harvick took the lead with ten laps to go in the 300-lap event, motoring by lap leader Greg Biffle. Biffle eventually ran out of gas with just two laps remaining, surrendering the second spot to Tony Stewart. Stewart held off Matt Kenseth on the final laps while Harvick cruised to his first NEXTEL Cup Series win of the 2006 season.

"We didn't have the best car all night but we had a solid car and sat there in third, fourth or fifth and kept adjusting on our car," Harvick said from victory lane. "They made it right at the right time. Those guys got away from me a little bit, they were better than me for seven or eight laps after a restart and got about a half a straight away ahead but we stayed alive. Luckily we ran a full run there because their cars fell off a lot and our car maintained the speed. Once we were able to get out front, we started conserving the fuel. We thought we were a half lap to the good. We just wanted to make sure. Been there before and ran out of gas."

A long green flag run over the final 80 laps left more than Biffle gasping for fuel. Mark Martin, while running third, ran out of fuel just before taking the white flag. Elliott Sadler ran out of gas and Kyle Petty needed a push to make it across the sfinish line.

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK -

(4-22-06) In Control - It would appear Dale Jarrett is in the driver's seat when it comes to where he will drive in 2007. UPS has not renewed with car owner Robert Yates and will not until they are assured Jarrett's services have been secured. Jarrett, on the other hand, is being wooed by Toyota, with the full knowledge wherever Jarrett goes, UPS goes.

Shoe on the other foot – Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet, officially became a member of the media. His task was to interview none other than Mike Helton, President of NASCAR.

"It was a lot of fun. We actually tape the shows on Tuesdays. But I was really nervous. I went up to the trailer at Texas, I think it was, and asked him if he'd mind doing it sometime. And he said to sit down and we picked out a date. That's going to be tough to top, if it can be topped. When it comes to a NASCAR-related show, that's a real good guest to have. I tried to ask some questions that I felt were respectful to him. I didn't want to feel like I was there to corner him at all.

“But we asked some questions I felt like were interesting and some answers that I wanted to know and some things that I think people find interesting about his career prior to his involvement in race tracks and Motorsports. He did a little driving himself and he had a little radio show himself and a couple other things like that. It was a good interview. It was so long, I think we're going to cut in half and maybe do Part 1 this week and Part 2 maybe next week."

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - Gibbs Racing looking to shine, Tony Stewart's desert home and Phoenix memories...

(4-21-2006) - Fast Friday - Kurt Busch, the defending race winner, topped the morning speed charts with a fast lap of 27.823 seconds, 129.389 mph. Greg Biffle topped the evening charts, with a fast lap of 27.776, 129.655 mph. Kurt was 10th fastest in the afternoon, Biffle fifth fastest in the morning.

Tony Stewart is the odds on favorite to win, with Kurt Busch 12-5 on the Vegas boards. Stewart was 13th fastest in the morning session and 31st quick in the evening.

Desert Storm – A sun-drenched desert oval might not seem like a dream destination, but if you work for Joe Gibbs Racing, Phoenix International Raceway beckons more than any mirage.

The one-mile track nestled among mountain foothills represents different things to reigning NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) and his Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate teammates Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet) and J.J. Yeley (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet).

But when the green flag flies for Saturday night’s Subway Fresh 500, all three drivers hope to ride their different Phoenix connections to victory.

“I really do feel like it's my West Coast home away from home,” said Stewart, who has raced in six different series at Phoenix since 1993 – the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series, USAC Midgets, USAC Silver Crown, the Indy Racing League and Supermodifieds.

For Yeley, Phoenix is home. Like Stewart, the Arizona native has turned countless laps at PIR, where it was announced last November that he would succeed former series champion Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Cheerio’s/Betty Crocker Dodge) in JGR’s No. 18 Chevrolet. A good performance before the home folks would not only extend Yeley’s dream weekend, but also boost him in the series and rookie standings.

Hamlin can’t claim his teammates’ Phoenix mileage, but he’d gladly duplicate his last – and only – trip to the Valley as a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competitor. Hamlin won the Budweiser Pole for last November’s event at Phoenix – the first of his young career. He also finished a respectable 13th.

“Phoenix International Raceway is one of my favorite tracks – a track that I feel really suits my driving style,” Hamlin said. “I spent years running late models on tracks that were flat, or at least not banked like a lot of the tracks we visit, and I think that really helps me coming to a track like Phoenix in a Cup car because it feels familiar to me.”
Stewart understands. With one win (1999) and five top 10s in eight series starts at Phoenix, he merits particular attention. Usually a slow starter, he’s creeping closer to series leader Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) with one win (Martinsville) and three top-five finishes in his last four events. Currently fifth, only 97 points behind Johnson, Stewart could use Phoenix as a springboard.

“I love coming to Phoenix for a night race,” Stewart said. “If you can't have fun with that, you're never going to enjoy a race at Phoenix. The lights make us look like we're running twice as fast, and when we bottom-out in the turns you see the sparks fly out from underneath the cars. It's a good show.”

And potentially rewarding. The combination of a two-time series champion and two talented rookies could be the one to beat Saturday night.

“I think this is the best year for Joe Gibbs Racing because between myself and Denny and Tony, we are all comfortable with similar setups,” Yeley said. “When we show up at the race track, other than a couple of minor changes, the cars are almost identical. We’ll tune them as the race go on and if one of us finds something better, the other two teams will actually give it a try. That’s something that Joe Gibbs Racing has never had in the past.”

Win One for the Troops - As the driver of the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet, Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway takes on a special meaning for Joe Nemechek.

Billed as "Salute to Military Families", Nemechek knows the significance of the race and making soldiers and their families proud of the 01 Army car.

"Every race is special, and with this weekend's event focused on the military families it makes it even more special for me," offered Nemechek. "We take great pride in what our soldiers do for our freedom, and yet, we can never overlook the sacrifices of the soldiers' families. I want to run up front and have all of the soldiers and their families cheering for their 01 Army Chevy."

Though he doesn't need it, the added incentive is welcomed by Nemechek, who is looking for a breakthrough race at the eighth Nextel Cup event of the season.

"We haven't hit full stride and it's time to get into gear," said Nemechek. "Everyone is working closely together to get us on the right path. We've run well at Phoenix in the past and I have a good feeling about this weekend.”

At last year's spring race at Phoenix, Nemechek finished 10th, but ran as high as second before a pit-road glitch shoved him to the back of the field.

"We know what it takes to be competitive at Phoenix," noted Nemechek. "It's just a matter of putting it all together and avoiding mistakes and accidents."

No Wonder He Likes The Place - Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) likes Phoenix because of his success at the track. He has one win (1999) and five top-10s in eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts at Phoenix and knows the one-mile track as well as anyone.

Stewart has one win (November 1999) and five top-10 finishes at Phoenix. He also leads three season-to-date categories in NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics – Average Running Position (7.026), Driver Rating (118.2) and Mile Leaders (694.57). He also leads all drivers with 784 laps led, but interestingly, hasn’t led a lap in his last six Phoenix races. Stewart finished 33rd there last spring and fourth last November.

Stewart has raced at Phoenix enough to perform as well as he does. Including NEXTEL Cup competition, he has raced in six different series at Phoenix – the NASCAR Busch Series, USAC Midgets, USAC Silver Crown, Indy cars and Supermodifieds.

This weekend’s event couldn’t come at a better time for Stewart. A traditionally slow starter, he already appears in midseason form with one win (Martinsville) and three top-five finishes in his last four events. Stewart is fifth in the series standings, 97 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet).

Rookie Rumblings - Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the April 9 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Hamlin finished fourth, his best finish in 14 career NEXTEL Cup Series starts. He led the race three times for 41 laps, and took top rookie honors for the third time this season and for the second time in the last three races.

For the first time this season, Hamlin grabbed the lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings. He leads Clint Bowyer by three points (71-68) entering the April 22 Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Bet You Didn't Know - Three Raybestos® Rookies rank inside the top 15 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings: Bowyer (13th), Hamlin (14th) and Truex Jr. (15th).

Things just keep falling his way – Don’t expect the just-completed Easter off-week to slow Kevin Harvick (No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet). He began the break as one of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ hottest drivers and ended it by winning this past Sunday’s NASCAR Busch Series event at Nashville Superspeedway, his first NASCAR Busch Series win this season.
Harvick – one of seven drivers running fulltime schedules in both series – also leads the NASCAR Busch Series standings.

Back in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 10 for the first time since last year’s June event at Michigan, Harvick has jumped from 23rd to ninth place in three races. He’s done it on the strength of three consecutive top-10 finishes, his most recent a fifth two weeks ago at Texas.

Harvick has one top-five finish (fourth in 2004) in six Phoenix events.
Things also are going well for Harvick the team owner. He and wife DeLana own Kevin Harvick Inc., which fields the NASCAR Busch Series team of Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Burney Lamar (No. 77 Dollar General Chevrolet) and the No. 33 Outdoor Life Channel Chevrolet, to be driven at Phoenix by Ron Hornaday Jr. Lamar, who finished seventh behind Harvick at Nashville, is now 10th in that series’ standings.

KHI also owns the No. 33 Chevrolet driven by Hornaday in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

The Hometown Boy - A closer look at J.J. Yeley’s homecoming: His parents, Judy and Jack, still live in the metropolitan Phoenix area and will be at the track. Yeley also hopes to give the family reason to cheer. He has one top-10 finish through seven NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events (eighth at California) and three top-five starts – fourth at California, fifth at Atlanta and second at Texas. A potential top-10 run at Texas two weeks ago was spoiled by an accident; Yeley finished 35th.

As for Raybestos rookie standings, Yeley currently ranks fifth, 10 points behind leader and JGR teammate Denny Hamlin. He’s 24th in the series standings, and just as busy in the NASCAR Busch Series, where he’s one of seven drivers competing fulltime in both the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Yeley drives JGR’s No. 18 Vigoro/Home Depot Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series. He’s fourth in those standings.

The Pink Slips - Several teams made leadership moves during the off-week, meaning new faces atop different pit boxes in Phoenix. Roush Racing led the way by moving Bob Osborne, formally Carl Edwards’ (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) crew chief, to Jamie McMurray’s (No. 26 Crown Royal Ford) team.
McMurray’s crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, will oversee Roush Racing’s NASCAR Busch Series teams and assumes the new title of senior crew chief. Fennig also will be crew chief for Matt Kenseth’s (No. 17 DeWalt Power Tools Ford) NASCAR Busch Series team, the No. 17 Ameriquest/Pennzoil Ford. Wally Brown, Roush Racing’s head engineer, becomes Edwards’ crew chief.

On Monday, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced that Steven Lane will become the new crew chief for David Stremme (No. 40 Coors Light/Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon Dodge). Former crew chief Jeff Vandermoss, who began the season as Stremme’s crew chief, will assume Lane’s old position as car chief for Reed Sorensen (No. 41 Target Dodge).

Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday - While Chevrolet continues to lead in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup manufacturers’ standings, its margin has been whittled to just two points over second-place Dodge. Thanks to Kahne’s win at Texas, Dodge has moved up to 45 points, trailing Chevrolet (47) and is now four points ahead of Ford (41).

Marathon Man - If it’s got gas, four tires and faces a green flag, Ken Schrader will hop in the cockpit and drive it. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ oldest – and some say funniest – competitor just can’t resist racing. In fact, it’s the title of his autobiography, “Gotta Race,” which he spent the Easter off-weekend signing between events at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and the I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo.

Schrader’s 2006 race totals to date

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series – 7
NASCAR Busch Series – 4
Budweiser Shootout – 1
Copper World – 2
Short track (dirt, late-model, etc.) – 12

Schrader, 50, will take a three-state tour this weekend, participating in all three NASCAR-sanctioned events at Phoenix before taking on two local-track races in Indiana and Illinois.

First Stop: Thursday’s NASCAR Grand National West Series’ Casino Arizona 150. Schrader will drive his own entry in the 150-lap event that begins at 8 p.m. ET.

Second Stop: Friday’s NASCAR Busch Series’ Bashas’ Supermarkets 200. Schrader will drive Brewco Motorsports’ No. 66 Yardman Ford in the 200-lap event that begins at 9 p.m. ET.

Third Stop: Saturday’s Subway Fresh 500. Schrader will drive Wood Brothers Racing’s No. 21 Little Debbie Ford in the 312-lap event that begins at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Fourth Stop: The Sunday afternoon ARCA event at Salem Speedway in Salem, Ind.

Fifth Stop: Sunday evening’s dirt late-model event at Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, Ill.

The Player’s Club - Teams ranked in the top 35 of the current 2006 car owner standings will be guaranteed starting positions each week.
Heading into Phoenix, the No. 14 Waste Management Chevrolet, fielded by MB2 Motorsports and driven by Sterling Marlin, is ranked 35th in the car owner point standings. Evernham Motorsports’ No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, driven by Jeremy Mayfield, is 36th and only five points behind Marlin. Other teams vying to cement their top 35 rankings include Bill Davis Racing’s No. 55 NAPA Dodge driven by Michael Waltrip (34th in owner points) and the No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge of Petty Enterprises and driver Kyle Petty (33rd). The 33rd-36th ranked teams are separated by just 35 points.

Phoenix memories - Second-generation driver Davey Allison was the first driver to win back-to-back events at Phoenix International Raceway. He did it in 1991 and 1992, both times behind the wheel of Robert Yates Racing-prepared Fords.

In the 1991 race, Darrell Waltrip trailed Allison to the line by nearly half a lap; there were 18 lead changes among 13 drivers. Allison beat Mark Martin to the line by 3.22 seconds in the 1992 event for his 18th career win. Two other drivers have won consecutive events at Phoenix. Jeff Burton did it in 2000 and 2001 while Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 2003 and 2004 races.