AdvoCare 500
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Phoenix International Raceway
November 10, 2013
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Kevin Harvick), 16th (Paul Menard) and 17th (Jeff Burton) in the AdvoCare 500.
Following the event at Phoenix International Raceway, Harvick is third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 24 markers behind the leader, while Menard is 17th and Burton sits 19th.
The No. 29 Chevrolet SS team is third in the Sprint Cup Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 27 team ranks 17th and the No. 31 team 20th.
According to NASCAR’s Post-Race Loop Data Statistics, Harvick led the most laps (70), earned the best Average Running Position (4.901), had the best Driver Rating (140.7), was the Fastest Driver Early in a Run, Fastest on Restarts, had the Fastest Green-Flag Speed, the best Speed in Traffic, spent the most Laps in the Top 15 (95.8 percent), had the second-most Quality Passes (53) and was the third-Fastest Driver Late in a Run.
RCR teammates Harvick and Menard posted 64 of the Fastest Laps Run with 63 and one, respectively.
Menard gained three positions during the final 10 percent (32 laps) of the 312-lap event, tying him for third in the Closers post-race loop data category and had the 10th-fastest Speed in Traffic.
Completing 95 passes, Burton ranked second in the category of Green-Flag Passes.
Harvick earned his fourth victory of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season and was followed to the finish line by Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kurt Busch.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Homestead 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 17. The 36th and final race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Paul Menard Finishes 16th at Phoenix International Raceway
Paul Menard and the No. 27 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet team started Sunday’s 312-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 13th place. Once the initial green flag waved over the one-mile oval of Phoenix International Raceway under sunny skies, Menard would remain in a top-15 running position for the early going. While competing against the other 42 competitors, Menard radioed to crew chief “Slugger” Labbe he was having trouble getting his Chevrolet SS to handle exiting the turns. Utilizing right-side tire only pit stops on laps 52, 101 and 131 allowed Menard to compete in the top 10 and top 15 positions. After falling to 26th place because of pit sequences under cautions, Menard stayed out under a yellow flag on lap 190 while others hit pit road. This lined him up 12th for the restart for a gain of 14 places. As the race continued, Menard remained in 13th-place needing the car to turn better in the turns by lap 282. Making one last pit stop under caution on lap 184 taking four tires and fuel, he restarted 18th. During the final run, he gained two positions to finish 16th. As a result, Menard remains 17th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
Start – 13 Finish- 16 Points Led – 0 Points – 17th
Paul Menard Quote: “We were doing pretty good there in the early parts of the race, but just needed more grip exiting the turns and a better balance through them in the No. 27 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet. Two-tire pit stops worked really well for us and the guys did a great job on pit road. We have one more chance to earn a victory this season, and Homestead-Miami Speedway seems like the perfect place to make that happen.”
Harvick Collects Fourth Win of the Season at Phoenix International Raceway
Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team collected their fourth win of the 2013 season on Sunday afternoon in the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Starting the 312-lap affair from the ninth position, the California native showed speed early on, breaking into the top five on the first lap and settling into the lead by lap 56. While battling a loose-handling Chevrolet, Harvick led the field around the one-mile facility until the caution flag waved on lap 101 when he brought the red and white machine down pit road for service. Following the four-tire pit stop, the 23-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner returned to the track in the seventh position for the ensuring restart and patiently worked his way back to the lead by lap 248. Harvick remained out front until reporting he was out of fuel and was forced to come down pit road under green-flag conditions on lap 268 for right-side tires and fuel. Back on track, the Richard Childress Racing driver quickly returned to the top five by lap 276, regained the lead on the final lap when Carl Edwards ran out of fuel and drove the Budweiser Chevrolet to Victory Lane for the 23rd time in his 13-year Sprint Cup Series career. Following Harvick’s fourth victory of the season, he remains third in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, 34 markers out of the top spot.
Start – 9 Finish – 1 Laps Led – 70 Points – 3rd
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“What a great day. I’m just really proud of everyone on the Budweiser Chevrolet team today. We’ve had great success at this track in the past and I’m glad that we could go to Victory Lane again today. We’ve been through a lot over the last few weeks, and I think that has made all of us closer as a team. I’m really proud to be getting another win for Richard Childress and the entire RCR organization before this season comes to a close.”
Burton Finishes 17th in 1,000th-career NASCAR start at Phoenix International Raceway
Jeff Burton and the No. 31 @CATMining Chevrolet team finished 17th at Phoenix International Raceway in his 1,000th-career NASCAR start on Sunday. Starting the 312-lap event from the 15th position, the 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner battled a loose-entry and tight-middle handling condition on his black and yellow machine during the early laps, while maintaining a top-25 running position. Throughout the middle stages of the event, the South Boston, Va., native continued to battle with the ill-handling machine while the Luke Lambert-led Caterpillar pit crew made chassis and air pressure adjustments on four-tire pit stops under multiple caution-flag periods. Under caution on lap 147, Lambert called for the 46-year-old driver to stay out and not hit pit road for routine service, giving Burton a top-15 running position on the restart. The Richard Childress Racing driver maintained a top-20 running position throughout the final stages of the race and ultimately crossed the finish line in the 17th position. Burton remains 19th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
Start – 15 Finish – 17 Laps Led – 0 Points – 19th
JEFF BURTON QUOTE:
“It was really cool to have @CATMining on the No. 31 Chevrolet this weekend and see all the support for my 1,000th-career NASCAR start. When I was a kid growing up, I wanted to be a race car driver. Here I am doing it at 46-years-old. I
‘m truly blessed to have a family that supported me through the good and bad times. I look forward to finishing out my RCR career with a strong effort at Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend.”