Late-Race Accident Leaves Harvick with a 34th-Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – IRWIN Tools Night Race
August 24, 2013 – Bristol Motor Speedway

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s team finished 34th under the lights of Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday evening after being collected in a late-race accident. The California native started the 500-lap event from the 15th position and competed within or near the top 10 of the running order for the majority of the IRWIN Tools Night Race, leading the field for seven laps, all while battling a lack of grip on the red, black and white Chevrolet. Harvick was running in the second position on lap 360 when crew chief Gil Martin called his driver to pit road under caution for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. The Richard Childress Racing driver lined up 19th for the ensuing restart and worked his way up to the 13th position before being collected in a multi-car accident on lap 446. Harvick brought the battered Chevrolet into the garage for the team to repair damage and returned to the track with two laps remaining in the event. Despite returning to the racing action, Harvick crossed the finish line 34th, 51 laps down to the lead lap cars. Harvick remains fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

This is definitely not the result we were going for tonight. I just hate it for the Jimmy John’s crew, but that’s part of racing at Bristol (Motor Speedway). – Kevin Harvick

Race Notes

• Started – 15th, Finished, – 34th,  Laps led – 7, Points – 4th
• Following the event at Bristol Motor Speedway, Harvick remains fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Jimmie Johnson by 61 markers.
• Completing 55 passes while running in the top 15, Harvick ranked fourth in Quality Passes.
• Harvick was the third-Fastest Driver Early in a Run and sixth-Fastest Driver Late in a Run, who did not finish within five laps of the leader.