With batteries recharged, the Cup Series returns to action this weekend in the Phoenix desert for the sport’s first primetime event of the season. When the lights and cameras come on Saturday night, expect the usual cast of characters to shine – led by the man who has no problem thriving in the spotlight. Just …
Kevin Harvick is probably feeling pretty darn good after his second consecutive Shootout win. Harvick was so sick on Thursday that he wasn’t even in Daytona – Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton practiced for him – but bounced back to win in classic Harvick fashion.
The Dri-Powr 400 was a three-day event, and we switched off jobs during those long days. One year on Friday, which was mostly devoted to practice, I was handling the stop-go board at the end of pit lane. Jim Cushman, a really good driver from the Columbus, Ohio area, had the only Mopar in the series at the time (one of the first Chrysler kit cars – a Plymouth Duster or some such model). On this afternoon, Jim came screeching to a stop right in front of me during a practice session. I called for a yellow and leaned in to see what he wanted.
“There’s a big bolt laying in the track at the end of the back straight,” he said. “C’mon, I’ll take you over there.”