Notebook: Harvick smokes 'em in burnout competition

CONCORD, N.C. -- Kevin Harvick won Saturday's Pennzoil Victory Challenge burnout competition, held before the All-Star Race. Harvick drives the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

Given 30 seconds in cars supplied by Jeff Gordon's racing school, drivers did doughnuts and created smoke clouds as a fan rode in the passenger seat.

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Harvick was voted the winner by a panel of celebrity judges that included actor Kevin Costner, New England Patriots receiver Randy Moss and wrestler Ric Flair.

"I'm confused because I thought this was going to be a bathing suit thing," Costner said.

Kasey Kahne of Richard Petty Motorsports finished second. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch earned high marks from several judges but was disqualified for hitting the frontstretch wall during his burnout.

"I figured I'd go ahead and get it out of the way," Busch said, who has failed to finish all three All-Star Races in which he has competed.

Former driver and TV analyst Darrell Waltrip did doughnuts in the wrong area and nearly went on the forbidden infield grass.

"Typical DW. He broke just about every rule in the deal," Gordon said.

Junior's right to privacy

Though a consensus among NASCAR drivers favors disclosure of substances that produce positive drug tests and subsequent suspensions, Dale Earnhardt Jr. differs from the majority of competitors who have expressed opinions on the subject.

It is NASCAR's policy not to identify specific substances after a failed drug test.

"The truth will be known by the people who need to know it," Earnhardt said, referencing the recent suspension of driver Jeremy Mayfield. "We don't need to know it. It's none of our business. That's the problem with everybody is they've got to know everything.

"Everybody wants to know what the hell Jeremy did. That's his business and NASCAR's business, and they'll handle it. Don't take drugs. It's stupid to do anyways. Regardless if you drive race cars or not, it's a dumb idea. Don't be ignorant." (Continued)