Kevin Harvick and No. 4 Busch Light Team Vie for 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is competing for his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

A NASCAR Cup Series title would be the second for Harvick and the third for SHR since its inception in 2009. SHR won the 2011 Cup Series championship with driver-owner Tony Stewart and Harvick won the team’s second title in 2014.

 

The following are some anecdotes regarding the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title contender.

 

TITLE TALLIES:

●  Harvick has eight driving titles in his 38 years of racing. They are as follows:

  • 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship
  • 2006 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship
  • 2002 IROC Series championship
  • 2001 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship
  • 1998 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship
  • 1993 Late Model Track championship at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, California
  • 1987 International Kart Federation National championship
  • 1985 International Kart Federation National championship

●  No. 4 team crew chief Rodney Childers scored his lone championship as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief in 2014 with Harvick.

 

●  SHR co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas have three NASCAR championships since joining forces in 2009.

  • 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series owners’ championship with the No. 00 team of Cole Custer
  • 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship with the No. 4 team of Harvick
  • 2011 NASCAR Cup Series championship with the No. 14 team of Stewart

●  Tony Stewart has 29 overall championships as a car owner.

  • 2 NASCAR Cup Series championships as co-owner of SHR:
    • 2014 with Harvick
    • 2011 as a driver/owner
  • 1 NASCAR Xfinity Series owners’ championship as co-owner of SHR:
    • 2018 with No. 00 team
  • 9 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championships as the owner of Tony Stewart Racing:
    • 2018 with Donny Schatz
    • 2017 with Schatz
    • 2016 with Schatz
    • 2015 with Schatz
    • 2014 with Schatz
    • 2012 with Schatz
    • 2009 with Schatz
    • 2008 with Schatz
    • 2001 with Danny Lasoski
  • 14 USAC championships as the owner of Tony Stewart Racing:
    • 2013 USAC Sprint Car championship with Bryan Clauson
    • 2013 USAC Silver Crown championship with Bobby East
    • 2011 USAC Sprint Car championship with Levi Jones
    • 2011 USAC Silver Crown championship with Jones
    • 2010 USAC Sprint Car championship with Jones
    • 2010 USAC Silver Crown championship with Jones
    • 2008 USAC Sprint Car championship with Jones
    • 2007 USAC Sprint Car championship with Jones
    • 2006 USAC Sprint Car championship with Josh Wise
    • 2005 USAC Silver Crown championship with J.J. Yeley (Stewart co-owned team with Bob East)
    • 2004 USAC Silver Crown championship with Yeley (Stewart co-owned team with Bob East)
    • 2003 USAC Sprint Car championship with Yeley
    • 2003 USAC Silver Crown championship with Yeley (Stewart co-owned team with Bob East)
    • 2002 USAC Silver Crown championship with Yeley (Stewart co-owned team with Bob East)
  • 3 UMRA King of the TQ Midget Racing Series championships
    • 2017 with Ron Combs
    • 2015 with Combs
    • 2005 with Combs

CHAMPIONSHIP ANECDOTES:

 

●  If Harvick wins the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship, he would become the 16th NASCAR Cup Series driver to win two or more championships since the sport was founded in 1948.

 

●  If Harvick wins the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship, he would become the first driver since SHR co-owner Tony Stewart to win a NASCAR Cup Series title with two different manufacturers. Nine drivers have accomplished the feat.

  • Tim Flock (1952 Hudson; 1955 Chrysler)
  • Lee Petty (1954 Chrysler; 1958 Oldsmobile; 1959 Plymouth)
  • Buck Baker (1956 Chrysler; 1957 Chevrolet)
  • Ned Jarrett (1961 Chevrolet; 1965 Ford)
  • Richard Petty (1964, 1967, 1971-1972 Plymouth; 1974-75 Dodge; 1979 Chevrolet)
  • David Pearson (1966 Dodge; 1968-69 Ford)
  • Cale Yarborough (1976-77 Chevrolet; 1978 Oldsmobile)
  • Darrell Waltrip (1981-82 Buick; 1985 Chevrolet)
  • Tony Stewart (2002 Pontiac; 2005 and 2011 Chevrolet)

●  If Harvick wins the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship, he would deliver the 10th driver title to Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series, and its second straight.

  • Ned Jarrett (1965)
  • David Pearson (1968, 1969)
  • Bill Elliott (1988)
  • Alan Kulwicki (1992)
  • Dale Jarrett (1999)
  • Matt Kenseth (2003)
  • Kurt Busch (2004)
  • Joey Logano (2018)

●  If Harvick wins the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship, he would become the first driver in NASCAR history to win multiple NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series titles. Harvick won the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship and is a two-time Xfinity Series champion (2001 and 2006).

 

●  Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Bobby Labonte and Brad Keselowski are the only drivers to earn both a NASCAR Cup Series championship and a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

 

●  Harvick and Kyle Busch are the only drivers to make the Championship 4 at Homestead five times in the six years since the inception of the winner-take-all format in 2014.

 

SEASON ANECDOTES:

 

●  Since joining forces in 2014, Harvick and crew chief Childers have combined to produce 26 victories, 25 poles, 105 top-five finishes and 152 top-10s; led 9,567 laps; and made the Championship 4 five times in the last six years. (They won the 2014 Cup Series title and have finished runner-up twice, to 2015 champion Kyle Busch and to 2018 champion Joey Logano.) Their worst points finish is eighth in 2016.)

 

●  In 2019 alone, Harvick has claimed four victories, a series-leading six poles, 14 top-fives, 25 top-10s and led 912 laps.

 

●  Harvick has led laps in 17 of the 35 NASCAR Cup Series races run thus far in 2019. He has led the most laps in six races:

  • Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March (88)
  • Kansas Speedway in May (104)
  • Chicagoland Speedway in June (132)
  • Pocono Raceway in July (62)
  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September (118)
  • Texas Motor Speedway in November (119)

●  Harvick is only 88 laps away from tallying 1,000 laps led in 2019. If he leads 88 or more laps at Homestead, it will be the fifth time in his career that Harvick has led 1,000 or more laps in a season – all of which will have come with SHR.

 

●  Harvick is only seven laps shy of reaching 14,000 career laps led. Should he lead seven or more laps at Homestead, he will become just the 11th driver in Cup Series history – and only the third active driver – to surpass 14,000 laps led in his career.

 

●  Harvick has scored nine playoff wins since coming to SHR in 2014. He is tied with fellow Championship 4 competitor Martin Truex Jr. for the most playoff wins since the inception of the winner-take-all format in 2014. Harvick’s playoff wins are as follows:

  • Charlotte Motor Speedway (2014)
  • ISM Raceway near Phoenix (2014)
  • Homestead-Miami Speedway (2014)
  • Dover International Speedway (2015)
  • New Hampshire Motor Speedway (2016)
  • Kansas Speedway (2016)
  • Texas Motor Speedway (2017)
  • Texas Motor Speedway (2018)
  • Texas Motor Speedway (2019)

HOMESTEAD ANECDOTES:

 

●  In 18 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead, Harvick has a pole (2016), a win (2014), 10 top-fives, 16 top-10s and 373 laps led. His average start at the 1.5-mile oval is 12.3, his average finish is 6.6 and he has completed all but one of the 4,812 laps available.

 

●  Harvick’s 10 top-fives at Homestead are the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Next best is Jimmie Johnson with five top-fives.

 

●  Harvick’s 16 top-10s at Homestead are the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Next best is Jimmie Johnson with 11 top-10s.

 

●  Harvick’s 373 laps led at Homestead are the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Next best is Kyle Busch with 343 laps led.

 

●  Harvick leads the following loop-data categories at Homestead:

  • Best Average Running Position: 5.6 average finish and an 8.162 average position.
    • Next best is Martin Truex Jr. with a 9.2 average finish and an 8.712 average position.
  • Best Closer: 3.2 average spots gained and a collective gain of 45 positions.
    • Next best is Aric Almirola with 3.8 average spots gained and a collective gain of 34 positions.
  • Best Average Speed Late in a Run: 145.837 mph.
    • Next best is Martin Truex Jr. at 145.581 mph.
  • Laps in Top-15: 3,136
    • Next best is Martin Truex Jr. with 2,959 laps.

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