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Among the perks for Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick was a late-night visit with |
BY JIM Mc CONNELL
The last four days have been a blur for Kevin Harvick, controversial champion of the Daytona 500 and newly minted multimedia superstar.
The 31-year-old woke up early Monday for an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America." He fielded a congratulatory phone call from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggar, gave radio interviews on ESPN, Sirius satellite and Fox Sports Radio, then hung out with Jim Carrey on the set of David Letterman's "Late Show."
On Tuesday, Harvick appeared on "Live with Regis and Kelly," attended a luncheon with New York media and did more interviews with ESPN.
Wednesday brought the California native back home to help promote this weekend's NASCAR tripleheader in Fontana, including a stint on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Yesterday, Harvick's itinerary included a morning spot with California deejay Rick Dees, followed by interviews with other radio, television and print outlets.
For a driver who earned the nickname "Happy" because of his perpetually grumpy demeanor, a man who has always looked more comfortable behind a steering wheel than a microphone, the sudden brush with fame has been a life-changing event.
And all this because Harvick got the nose of his Chevy to the finish line a couple hundredths of a second before Mark Martin?
"I don't know that there's a whole lot that can prepare you for the media side of it," Harvick said. "You don't really understand how big it is until you actually get involved in it, have to do the things week in and week out. On that side of it, it's just kind of trial and error."
Harvick's performance was error-free at Daytona. Not only did he win the Busch race on Saturday, he became the third consecutive California-born winner of Sunday's Great American Race, joining Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
"It's a momentum builder. It's kind of payday for everybody that worked so hard all winter," team owner Richard Childress said. "I know how much [crew chief] Todd [Berrier] and his group have put in it and everybody at RCR. And to come here and win the Daytona 500 just gives you a boost and a jump-start going into the rest of the year. You know, it's a confidence builder."
Because of the month-long buildup to Speedweeks and the crapshoot nature of restrictor-plate racing, most drivers consider the Daytona 500 a separate entity from the other 35 races on the Nextel Cup schedule.
There's ample evidence that suggests winning NASCAR's most famous race doesn't necessarily translate into long-term success.
Only two of the last 27 Daytona 500 winners have claimed series titles, and that number includes Johnson last year. Only four of the last 12 Cup champions even finished in the top 15 at Daytona during their title seasons.
"California is what we call the first real race," said Harvick's teammate, Jeff Burton, who finished third at Daytona. "Restrictor-plate racing is so different than what we do every week. You'll have drivers who ran terrible at Daytona and then go to California and run real well. You'll also have people who ran great at Daytona and go to California and run awful. To me, racing at California is the beginning of the measurement of where you are."
Harvick experienced immediate success at California Speedway, finishing second in his debut and winning his second start on the 2-mile track en route to the 1998 NASCAR Grand National West Series championship.
But he's struggled in Fontana since moving into the Cup series. In nine career starts, he has no top-5 finishes and only two top-10s. His average finish there (21st) is his second-worst of any Cup track.
"It just seems like it's hit-and-miss. Just one of those places where I can't seem to get the car like I need it to, just struggle finding the right feel for the particular race," Harvick said.
Harvick will have plenty of chances to get a feel for California Speedway. He'll compete in tonight's Craftsman Truck Series race and tomorrow's Busch Series event before getting in the No. 29 Cup car on Sunday.
It's a heavy workload. But Harvick wouldn't have it any other way.
"I'd definitely rather be on the racetrack," he said. "When you're in the car, you can kind of get away from the rest of it."
Jim McConnell: 540/374-5444
Email: jmcconnell@freelancestar.com
| Sunday, 3 p.m (Fox TV, WFLS-FM 93.3) Qualifying: Today, 5:30 p.m. (Speed) |
