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The Hot Pass: Harvick bounces back from adversity

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Lee Spencer

Lee Spencer is the senior NASCAR writer for FOXSports.com. She has provided award-winning coverage of auto racing over the last 15 years. Spencer has lent her expertise to both television and radio and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM Radio and the Performance Racing Network.

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Updated Feb 9, 2009 1:21 AM ET
     
 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

Kevin Harvick started the Budweiser Shootout from the back row, stayed in the back throughout much of the race and still managed to win a wild 2009 curtain raiser at Daytona International Speedway. Despite hitting the wall and losing the draft twice, Harvick persevered to win his first Shootout and earn the first preseason victory for owner Richard Childress since Dale Earnhardt won the 1995 Busch Clash. Oh yeah, it was also the first win for "Happy" Harvick since 2007. "I got squeezed up into the wall and it knocked the left front fender off, and they repaired the left front fender, the right front fender and the right side during the break," said Harvick, reflecting on the first 25 laps. "It just seemed like I was in the wrong spot for the whole race, and then at the end wound up being at right place at the right time and had a good car to go with it." Harvick lined up fifth following a record seventh caution and was able to squeeze by second-place Jamie McMurray for the lead on the final lap. Harvick led the pack to the finish as series champion Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears and Brian Vickers were collected in an accident behind him to bring out the eighth caution flag of the night. "I knew we had one shot to win the race and that was probably up the middle," Harvick said. "It wasn't where I wanted to be, but at that point we got a good run going into the first corner. Denny (Hamlin) kind of carried up high, we just kept that momentum and luckily the car turned. "As soon as I got by Denny, he shot right down — gave me a shot in the rear — and we were able to keep that momentum all the way down the back straightaway. But the hole wasn't very wide." For runner-up McMurray, It was his first race celebrating his reunion with former Chip Ganassi Racing crew chief Donnie Wingo and spotter Lorin Ranier. While this was their first race together, McMurray's confidence was renewed at a Phoenix tire test in the offseason. "When we did a radio check and I heard Donnie's voice say, "yea, 10-4" for the first time, it felt so weird to hear his voice again," McMurray said. "And then Loren is the same way. It was really comfortable with Loren spotting for me all those years. To have both of them back at the same time, it's very comforting. It's very difficult for me to explain the confidence I have in those two guys. I feel like when we ran at Ganassi we ran really well and I didn't think that we had nearly as good equipment as we have now. "I don't think it does any good to have media day and do all these interviews and blow smoke up everyone's ass about how great things are going to be. I think it's just better to come out and do well. I'm so anxious to get the season underway and get through those first four or five races." For third-place finisher Tony Stewart, it was his coming out party in the No. 14 Chevrolet — and his first race with crew chief Darian Grubb. Stewart was running at the back of the pack in the closing laps and opted for tires on Lap 74 before the final restart. His gamble paid off. "You never know what's gonna happen that first night with a new guy." Stewart said. "It really put me at ease I guess the whole night. Just hearing his confidence on the radio gave me confidence. We led laps tonight. We were a factor at parts of the night. I think everybody at some point of the night was vulnerable and able to fall to the back and get freight-trained." Jeff Gordon and AJ Allmendinger, who made his debut in the No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge, rounded out the top five. There were a record 23 lead changes among 14 drivers Dale Earnhardt led the most laps (23) but was collected in a multi-car accident with Greg Biffle, Bobby Labonte and polesitter Paul Menard in Turn 4 on Lap 65.

Allmendinger looking for help from his friends

If Saturday was any indication of AJ Allmendinger's ability to rely on drafting help, he may have a hard road to hoe. Allmendinger posted a strong fifth-place finish in his first run in the Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 44 Dodge. The result would have been better had he not been ganged up on by a gaggle of Chevrolets late in the race, however he felt fortunate to salvage the top finish among the Chargers.

Tradin' paint

Not sure which driver is behind the wheel? Check out the latest paint schemes heading into the 2009 season.
"It was good," Allmendinger said. "We needed some people to work with me. I really couldn't do it on my own. I always needed a push and we got left out a few times. That was tough. On that last restart we were fifth. McMurray moved to the outside line and I couldn't get Carl (Edwards) to push him. We just needed some help." Assistance can't come fast enough for Allmendinger, who currently sits 36th in owner points, must qualify by merit for the Daytona 500 — his first points race in the Valvoline Dodge. It's been just a week since team owner Richard Petty discovered the No. 44 Dodge's unresolved fate. Before then, the King was under the impression that Allmendinger was locked into the top 35 in owner points. That wasn't the case. Petty wasn't aware of the machinations behind the scenes that would inevitably leave Allmendinger on the outside looking in. It's not that Petty doesn't have confidence in his driver. It's Daytona that's not predictable. "The only place that I worry about is Daytona because there is so (many) freaky things that can go bad here ... bad qualifying deal ... or just miss it by one position in the race (Duels)," Petty said. "There are so many different elements here. Anywhere else, you just go qualify. I always looked at it that if you don't qualify in the top 35, you don't belong to be out there anyway. "I think that AJ is very aggressive and very dedicated to what he wants to do. Right now, the only thing that he's got going is that he wants to drive a racecar and that I like. I've seen a lot of improvement in him last year from the first of the season to the last of the season; I think he really matured a lot. I think that he understands that it's a 500 mile race now or 400 mile race. Before, I don't think that he understood that." Allmendinger's maturation over the last year has been remarkable. After he was booted from his ride at Red Bull Racing last March, he didn't complain. Instead, he used the experience as an exercise to learn from his replacement Mike Skinner and returned to the No. 84 car more determined than ever. When he joined the Gillett organization last fall, he won over his teammates and the management including Sammy Johns, who became his crew chief. "It's exciting to work with AJ," Johns said. "He did a great job for us in the 10 car at the end of last year. I can't wait to get working with him and the cars again. I haven't worked around a driver that has this kind of desire to come out here and do it," Johns said. "He just wants to race. He just wants to race good and race up front. We just going to do the best we can so he can go out and do it." The next test for Allmendinger comes Sunday in qualifying for the Daytona 500. Allmedinger rolls off 52nd of the 57 cars, but was grateful for the dress rehearsal in the Bud Shootout. "Man, that was crazy out there," Allmendinger said. "I don't know how we got through all that. There's a lot of stuff that we learned and had the team working together. If we have to use it in the Duels, we have the experience now."

Edwards' 500 strategy: Wide open

Carl Edwards won three of the final four events of 2008 and expected to be strong entering Daytona. But he wasn't expecting the insanity that occurred in Saturday night's rout, particularly the dash off pit road on Lap 56 when he was forced into the grass as his competitors went four wide onto the entrance of Turn 1. Edwards led 11 laps and salvaged an 11th-place finish primarily be staying in survivor mode. "It was just a mess," Edwards said. "I don't know what I'm going to do for the 500. I guess just go as hard as you can. It's pretty wild. I don't know if it's just been a long winter or it that's really as wild as it seems, but that seems like the wildest race I've been a part of."
Tagged: Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick, Brian Vickers, Tony Stewart, Mike Skinner, A J Allmendinger, Casey Mears

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