Harvick in first Daytona win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – New year, more of the same for Kevin Harvick. Harvick who ran away with the Busch Series title in 2006, started the new season with a victory Saturday, his first at Daytona International Speedway.
The Orbitz 300 was dominated by Buschwhackers – Nextel Cup regulars moonlighting in the junior series – and Harvick dominated in the last half of the 120-lap event.
Harvick, who started 31st in the 43-car field, crossed the finish line about three lengths ahead of runner-up Dave Blaney, who gave Toyota a solid finish in its first Busch event.
“I told them, I said if we ever get all the way to the front, we’re going to be in really good shape,” Harvick said. “Because the whole last run, once I got to the front, I never had to let off the floor.”
Harvick, who will start 13th in today’s Daytona 500, won nine races last year on the way to his second Busch Series title.
He beat runner-up Carl Edwards by 824 points last season.
Even with only a partial Busch schedule planned this season, Harvick’s win should come be no surprise, after he had finished in the top eight, including a trio of runner-up finishes, in his nine previous Busch starts on the 2.5-mile Daytona oval.
But Harvick’s not considering adding more Busch races after Saturday’s win.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “We’re here to win races, and it’s something to where we just want to go out and hopefully keep going where we left off last year. This is a great team, great organization.”