MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Coming off a season in which he finished 19th in points and missed the Chase for the championship, Kevin Harvick appears calm and relaxed so far this season.
The reason is simple: The turn of the calendar meant a turnaround in his fortunes.
“We’ve had a good, solid five weeks, and that’s what we set out to do at the beginning of the year, was to start well and run solid and run up front and lead laps, and we’ve been fortunate to do that,” Harvick said Saturday at Martinsville Speedway, where his status as the points leader after those five races put him on today’s pole when qualifying was rained out Friday. “Hopefully we can have 31 more.”
Starting with a seventh- place run in the season-opening Daytona 500, Harvick has finished in the top five twice, the top 10 four times, and was 11th in the other race. A year ago, he had just five top-five finishes and nine top-10s after all 36 races had been run.
While Harvick is leading the way, the resurgence at Richard Childress Racing is across the board. One year after all four RCR drivers failed to qualify for the 10-race Chase for the championship, teammates Jeff Burton (seventh) and Clint Bowyer (12th) are all in the top 12.
It’s a turnaround even Childress can’t fully explain.
“You can’t put your hand on any one thing,” he said. “We changed a lot of personnel, we did a lot of different things and hopefully it’s going to pay off by the end of the year.”
• In Saturday’s truck series race, Harvick pulled away from teammate Ron Hornaday Jr. on a restart with 19 laps to go to earn his second consecutive series victory.
Hornaday, the defending series champion, bounced back after finishing 27th and 34th in the first two races to finish second, followed by Brian Ickler, Peters and Johnny Benson.
Castroneves comfortable
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If there was a low moment for Helio Castroneves during last year’s tax-evasion trial that threatened to end his racing career and send him to jail, it likely came during the Honda Grand Prix.
It’s one of Castroneves’ favorite races. And fighting for his freedom kept him from sitting behind the wheel that weekend.
Today he’ll be back, starting fifth in the race on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit. His Penske Racing teammate Will Power, easily the dominant driver in St. Pete so far this weekend, will be on the pole.
Still, it’s a course that suits Castroneves perfectly, proven by his IndyCar victories here in 2006 and 2007, and runner- up finish in 2008.
And to say he appreciates this return to the waterfront layout is putting it mildly.
“Big time. Big time,” Castroneves said. “The fans are happy to see me back, they say ‘We really missed you here last year.’ I missed everyone too.”
Footnotes.
Jeg Coughlin ended Mike Edwards’ streak of 12 consecutive top qualifying positions in the pro stock division at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Concord, N.C.
Cory McClenathan (top fuel), Robert Hight (funny car) and Matt Smith (pro stock motorcycle) will lead their categories into today’s eliminations.
• Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won his second straight pole of the Formula One season, besting teammate and local hope Mark Webber in qualifying for today’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
The Associated Press
Today’s races
NASCAR SPRINT CUP Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500
Site: Martinsville, Va.
TV: KDVR-31, 10 a.m.
Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles)
Race distance: 263 miles, 500 laps
Driver standings (points)
1. Kevin Harvick 774
2. Matt Kenseth 773
3. Jimmie Johnson 760
4. Greg Biffle 750
5. Tony Stewart 685
6. Kurt Busch 677
(tie) Jeff Burton 677
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 621
9. Paul Menard 614
10. Kyle Busch 606
11. Jeff Gordon 603
12. Clint Bowyer 601
13. Carl Edwards 585
14. Brian Vickers 584
15. Jamie McMurray 581
16. Mark Martin 579
17. Joey Logano 558
18. Scott Speed 552
19. Denny Hamlin 515
20. Martin Truex Jr. 513
Next race: Subway Fresh Fit 600, April 10, Phoenix International Speedway in Phoenix
On the Net:
IZOD INDYCAR Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Site: St. Petersburg, Fla.
TV: KMGH-7, 1:30 p.m.
Race distance: 181 miles, 100 laps
Next race: Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, April 11, Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
On the Net:
FORMULA ONE Australian Grand Prix
Site: Melbourne, Australia
TV: Speed, midnight
Track: Albert Park (road course, 3.3 miles)
Race distance: 191.12 miles, 58 laps
Next race: Malaysian Grand Prix, April 4, Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
On the Net:
NHRA FULL THROTTLE Four-Wide Nationals
Site: Concord, N.C.
TV: ESPN2, 3 p.m. (tape)
Track: zMAX Dragway
Next event: O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals, April 9-11, Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas
On the Net:
