Mike Griffith: Media's love for Johnson no concern for Harvick
| Wednesday, Oct 06 2010 09:11 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Oct 06 2010 09:57 PM
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Kevin Harvick talks with the media outside Buck Owens' Crystal Palace before the start of a fundraiser for the Kevin Harvick Foundation on Tuesday night in Bakersfield.
Shortly after Greg Biffle raced to victory last Sunday at Kansas International Raceway, followed by Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, ESPN Sports Center featured a recap of the race which appeared to be a love-fest for Johnson.
After all, the runner-up finish put Johnson, who has won the past four Sprint Cup championships, back in his rightful place -- atop the standings, opined the anchor.
Biffle, the winner, was just an afterthought, and Harvick, who led the points all season until the reset for the chase three races ago, was less than an afterthought despite finishing just two car lengths behind Johnson.
That's' OK with Harvick, who moved from sixth in the chase standings to third and is just 30 points behind Johnson.
"That's kind of how it was throughout the year," Harvick said of flying a bit under the media radar. "It helps take a lot of pressure off of things that necessarily don't need to be talked about and answered over and over again."
Harvick said he is fine with trailing Johnson "right up until the last week."
Of course, the key to that strategy is to be close enough to forge ahead and not let Johnson widen his lead.
"It's all about maintaining the gap," Harvick said after the Kansas race.
And that means Harvick, a Bakersfield native, will most likely need a very strong run on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, where Johnson, an El Cajon native, won in February and has five total wins.
Harvick ran second to Johnson in February, his best-ever finish at the Fontana track, but said you can toss all of the data from that race out the window.
"A lot of people forget that we raced (with) the wing in February," Harvick said. "The balance of the body and downforce numbers are dramatically different. We're going back with pretty much nothing the same because the cars have progressed so far. That's how the Sprint Cup world works."
With seven chase races remaining, Harvick points to Charlotte (Oct. 16) and Talladega (Oct. 31) as tracks he considers wild cards for him.
Talladega because of the possibility of being swept up in a crash, and Charlotte because of past performances.
"Charlotte has been kind of our Achilles heel and Dover," he said. "We got through Dover as well as we've run but didn't get the finish (15th). Charlotte is the last place we've never really conquered and run well."
Harvick finished 11th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on May 26, his best finish since October, 2003.
Strong finishes throughout the season is what gave Harvick the pre-chase points lead (his 9.6 average finish is best after 29 races as is his 13 top-fives) and he said the mentality of the regular season has carried over into the chase.
"That's what got us to this point," he said. "On days we didn't run good we figured out how to make something out of it. When we get in position to win you have to try to win. When we can't (win) we have to maximize points."
Quick shifts
Bakersfield Speedway holds its annual Budweiser Nationals on Friday and Saturday nights with competition in five classes -- Late Model, Modified, Street Stock, Hobby Stock and American Stock. All divisions compete both nights except for American Stocks, which run Friday only. Racing starts at each night.
There is sure to be Funny Car Fever at Auto Club Famoso Raceway during the 19th annual California Hot Rod Reunion Oct. 15-17. A whopping 40 of the nostalgia floppers are expected to be on hand with Ron Capps slated to be driving one of those. A strong field of 21 front-motored Top Fuel cars are entered for the event, which blends a reunion with some serious old-style drag racing.
