Kevin Harvick is still a bit worried about how his team will perform on intermediate tracks in 2006. Credit: Autostock

Harvick hopes RCR improvements pay off

As the 2006 Nextel Cup season looms, Kevin Harvick is starting the year in a frame of mind that fits his sometimes sarcastic nickname.

Happy.

	Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Kevin Harvick's Cup stats Year Starts W T5 T10 2001 35 2 6 16 2002 35 1 5 8 2003 36 1 11 18 2004 36 0 5 14 2005 36 1 3 10 Total 178 5 30 66

"I've never been more motivated and ready to start a season," Harvick said. "We've fallen short on our goals and expectations. I am chomping at the bit to redeem ourselves."

That's a far cry from the Harvick that we saw during the bulk of 2005. There were the engine problems that he was vocal about, the two suspensions of crew chief Todd Berrier, the clash with Joe Nemechek at the Nextel All-Star Challenge, the crash at Bristol in August that took him out of the Chase.

All ancient history, said Harvick.

"Richard [Childress, team owner] has taken steps to improve the organization as a whole, and I think that is going to show in 2006," Harvick said.

There's already one thing different for the No. 29 team in 2006 -- its driver was at Daytona testing.

"We actually have learned a few things here but that's kind of abnormal," Harvick said.

"The wind blows so hard here that it's really hard to know if you're gaining a half a tenth or -- because that's really what you're looking for, hundredths -- when the wind is blowing and you have to go back and decipher all the data it makes it a little difficult to know for sure whether something's right or wrong."

Still, Harvick said it was worth the trip.

"When we first came here, we were off more than we were last year," said Harvick. "Just started plugging away, and it came together. It definitely paid off that we came down."

Like the rest of the Chevrolet drivers, Harvick and his team are trying to wrap their heads around the new 2006 Monte Carlo. Specifically, its new nose and backend. While it's possible the uptick the team enjoyed at Daytona is due to the new car, Harvick prefers to think it's his team's hard work paying dividends.

	ACCELERATION 2006 There's more to the new season than just driver changes. Read more about what to watch for as we rev toward Daytona.  •   Testing archive,  click here •   Complete coverage, click here

"I think for us, we had so much stuff changing that we changed a lot and started testing three-quarters of the way through the year," Harvick said. "So we're quite a bit better downforce-wise than we were last year. I don't think that's all nose and tail."

Expect Harvick to be strong on the short tracks in 2006. That was his strength in '05. He swept both spring races at Bristol in March and had three other short-track top-10s.

However, the downforce tracks, the 1.5-mile ovals specifically, were where the No. 29 team really struggled in '05, particularly in the season's latter half. Harvick said those type of tracks are still a concern, but he expects the team to be much better.

In fact, he even gave something NASCAR fans aren't used to -- a timetable.

"I think when we get to Atlanta we'll see that we've made some improvements," Harvick said.