BUSCH: Richmond: Kevin Harvick race notes

Harvick captures Richmond victory and 10th career win

RICHMOND (May 2) - Kevin Harvick brought the PayDay Chevy through the field from the 15th starting position to win the Hardee's 250 at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night.

The race, which was halted because of an accident on lap 240, was restarted with six laps to go. Soon after, the 14th caution of the night came out with three laps to go, and the race was finished under caution. Harvick's win was his second win of the year in the PayDay Chevy and his 10th career Busch Series victory.

A late race charge by Scott Riggs was the only pressure of the night. Riggs claimed second place and Tony Raines finished third.

"We were tight in traffic most of the night," Harvick said. "When I got out front the car was really good. We had a pretty good pad, and we were in a pretty good rhythm. I was just hoping it was going to end under green. You've just got to drive in the first corner and hope it turns."

The PayDay Racing team has eight top-10 finishes in 10 events and a 122-point lead in the standings.

The PayDay Chevy was strong for most of the night, competing in the top 10 for most of the event. The scariest moment of the night came with 25 laps to go when Harvick brushed the wall coming off a turn while leading the race. While the race was halted, crew chief Butch Hylton sent a member of the pit crew into the grandstands to survey the damage. After Hylton received a report, he had this to say to Harvick by radio: "Kevin, we just looked at the car, and you are all good. You've been turning the best laps of the night. You can do it. Let's go win this race."

When the green flag dropped on Friday night, fellow PayDay driver Johnny Sauter put his No. 43 car on point to lead the first 45 laps of the event. Harvick raced between the 15th and 10th position for the early part of the event.

Harvick brought the PayDay Chevrolet to the attention of his crew during a caution period that began on lap 61. Harvick entered the pits in the eighth position, and the PayDay team serviced the car with four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Harvick returned to the track in the seventh position.

Harvick then battled lapped traffic and a tight handling car for the next segment of the race. Another caution period began on lap 124, and Harvick came in for his last stop of the night. Hylton directed adjustments to the PayDay Chevy, and Harvick returned to the racing surface in the 13th position.

By lap 185 of 250, Harvick was in the third position after the field filtered through pit stops. On lap 196 Harvick was in second. Then on lap 198 Harvick had the lead, and he did not relinquish it for the remaining 52 laps.

The Charter Pipeline 250, the next race on the schedule, will air live from the Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis on Saturday, May 10, at 2 p.m. ET. Sauter will drive the PayDay Chevrolet.

-rcr-