Top 35 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers: No. 19 - Kevin Harvick
Richard Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick finished 19th in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. // Jim Fluharty, NASCAR Scene
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Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick had one of the worst years, statistically, in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career. Yet, by the time the 2009 season was over, Harvick had optimism heading into 2010.
Neither Harvick nor the other three RCR drivers won a race or made the Chase For The Sprint Cup. For Harvick, it marked the first time in his career he failed to win in back-to-back seasons. And his five top-five finishes matched the second-lowest in his career, and his nine top-10s were the lowest since he had eight in 2002, his sophomore season.
Still, RCR improved in the latter stages of the year, and the organization has reason to believe it has turned the corner. Will that be enough to keep Harvick around after his contract ends after the 2010 season? Stay tuned.
During the offseason, SceneDaily is taking a look at the top 35 in 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points. Here’s how Kevin Harvick’s season unfolded:
By the numbers: Harvick finished second in the Daytona 500 and was fourth in the season’s fourth race at Atlanta. But he didn’t have another top-five until the season’s 25th race, tumbling out of Chase contention. But over the final 12 races, Harvick had six top-10s.
Season highlights: Harvick started the season second at Daytona and ended the season third at Homestead. But his best run may have come at Atlanta in September, when he led 66 laps and finished second. And in the last seven races of the year, Harvick was 10th or better four times, including two top-fives in the final three races.
Key setbacks: Harvick’s No. 29 team took a nose-dive after the first four races of the season. He was 10th in points after the Atlanta race but failed to finish higher than 11th in the next 15 races. That stretch included 10 finishes of 24th or worse. By the time the Cup series hit Indianapolis, Harvick was buried in 25th in the points standings.
Newsworthy moment: Harvick made news on two fronts: First, for a crew chief move in April, when Gil Martin joined the No. 29 team from RCR’s No. 07 team. Second, Harvick consistently brushed aside questions about his future with RCR, leaving many to wonder if he’ll still be with the team in 2011.
In his words: “We've had the speed in the cars over the last few weeks [of the season], few months really. We just have to get that consistency back that we've always had.”
