Harvick: NCS is probably my worst racetrack.

GM Goodwrench driver Kevin Harvick is coming off of two hard weeks of racing at Daytona International Speedway. All he wants to do right now is relax, but he knows that's not going to happen because the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season has only just begun. One good thing, this weekend NASCAR's premier circuit doesn't venture far from home for most NASCAR folks.

[Rockingham] North Carolina Speedway has been a best and worst friend to Harvick over the years. The 2001 NASCAR Cup Rookie-of-the-Year has seen both good times and bad at the high-banked oval, but in the Cup car he's struggled. This time around Harvick believes he's more prepared. A test session with his Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Busch Series team has given him a new confidence that he can conquer what he calls his toughest competitor on the circuit.

One of Harvick's goals going into this weekend will be to relax. Hard as it may be, Harvick knows there's no reason to get excited and tense trying too hard too early. He plans to take his time, go with what the teams learned in the off-season and that hopefully will be enough to give him his first top-10 finish. Here he reveals more...

Q:
Kevin [Harvick], how was your Busch Series test at Rockingham?

Kevin Harvick:
I think it was the best test I've had there in a couple of years. We unloaded pretty good and found a good shock and spring package that will help with handling over an entire run, not just early or late. Rockingham's a high downforce, big tyre-wear track where you have to work on the handling of your car to make it work. The key is keeping the car balanced so it will start off halfway good at the beginning of a run and keep the tyres underneath the car at the end of the run. From what I can remember, we were faster than some of the Cup cars running that week so I'm anxious to see what happens.

Q:
Did you learn anything about the new, softer tyres?

KH:
It's hard to tell what we got out of that test with the tyres because that track's surface is so rough on them. They fade quickly so you're left with making the handling of the car most important. I think we accomplished the better handling part during the test, but you never know when the car's going to push or get loose. You adjust around the set of tyres that you have. It's one of those deals where you have to hope that each set of tyres that you have are good enough.

Q:
Are you happy that we're not running there twice anymore?

KH:
Definitely. Not that I had anything against the racetrack itself, but as everybody knows, it's probably my worst racetrack. For some reason, I don't have a lot of feel for it. I'm more excited that another race in California took its place. Being from that area, it will be nice to get back home more than once this season to see family and friends.

Q:
Must be nice racing a little closer to home and the shop though...

KH:
Oh yeah. We were down in Daytona for almost two weeks. It was nice and warm, but it wears on everybody, being around your PR guy, your crew chief, any one person on the race team for so long. I think it wears on you because basically you have to live with everybody the whole time you're there.

Q:
How much of a boost are your great runs at Daytona?

KH:
This is the second time in a row we've come out of Daytona on a high and look where it took us last year. I really would have liked to go into Rockingham with a win, but the smart people in our heads say we should be happy with a fourth place finish. All in all, it was a good couple of weeks for the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet. It's a good way to come into the season because we've been on both sides. Coming out of there with a good finish is the way to go.

Q:
Will Team GM Goodwrench be able to benefit from their teammates?

KH:
The possibility is definitely there. We've got to be able to have Robby (Gordon) and Johnny (Sauter) go to other race tracks and step up to the plate and deliver some good information. If we can all do that, it'll definitely help our programme. I felt like we had a lot of really good tests last year and Robby helped us tremendously on the road course programme and I think that showed. I think if we can draw something from the #30 car this year that would really help.