Photo – Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
Like the first two rounds in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick likely finds himself in a must win position to send him into the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in three weeks.
Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet was never a factor in Sunday’s Goody’s 500 at Martinsville Speedway, in fact, none of the Stewart-Haas Racing cars were. Harvick led the SHR brigade with a 20th place finish, while teammate and fellow Chase Kurt Busch were 22nd followed by Danica Patrick 24th and co-owner Tony Stewart 26th.
“We were slow all weekend,” said a disappointed Harvick after the race. “We could just never get the handle on it.”
What seemed odd about Sunday’s performance at Martinsville was that adjustments to Harvick’s car – or Kurt Busch’s for that matter were enough to make even an ounce of difference.
The lack of cautions in NASCAR’s final Sprint Cup short track of the year hindered the team’s opportunity to rally, but even with being two laps down to winner Jimmie Johnson, Harvick finds himself in a similar Chase scenario once again.
True, Harvick struggled in the April race at the 0.526-mile paperclip, but that was April and this is October. A lot of time and completely different circumstances.
On the flip side, you can argue that this could be the best medicine for Harvick and his Rodney Childers-led team.
In Round 1 at Chicagoland, Harvick never could recover from starting at the rear of the field. Getting trapped a lap down early didn’t help matters either. He finished 20th.
A week later, Harvick answered the team’s misfortunate with a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway sealing his entry into the Round of 12.
The win couldn’t have come at a better time as Harvick experienced a mechanical failure a week later at Dover International Speedway with a 37th place finish.
Things didn’t get off to a good start in the Round of 12 with an engine failure at Charlotte Motor Speedway and last on the Chase grid among contenders.
A week later, the finish didn’t matter as Harvick went onto to score fourth win of the year after leading 74 laps in the Hollywood Casino 400.
Although safe in the elimination race at Talladega, Harvick lost a few positions coming to the checkered flag in order to prevent a huge accident resulting in a seventh-place finish.
Enter Martinsville.
In a similar scenario like Chicagoland, Harvick heads to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend where he finished tenth in the spring.
That won’t cut it though.
Even with Phoenix the week after for the final elimination race, where Harvick’s No. 4 team is almost always guaranteed to be the car to beat – there are no guarantees.
This is The Chase.
This is NASCAR.
Anything can happen.
Although it’s understandable to be confused to not see Harvick’s No. 4 car “freaky fast” on Sunday, there’s no need to panic. Yet.
When the 2014 Sprint Cup champion is backed into a corner, nine times out of ten he performs the next week at his best.
Harvick’s take?
“I haven’t really looked at it (points). We will see,” he said.