Harvick and his No. four Stewart-Haas Racing Ford workforce led the collection final 12 months with 9 wins, setting a private greatest for the veteran driver.
He did not advance to the Championship four however completed fifth within the collection standings and his common beginning place of seven.7 and common ending place of seven.three have been each the perfect of his profession.
Whereas Harvick is at present seventh within the collection standings by way of 10 races in 2021 with seven top-10 finishes, neither he nor his SHR teammates are anyplace close to replicating their unimaginable season of a 12 months in the past.
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Hunt Brothers Pizza
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
“One thing I inform everyone 12 months after 12 months – whether or not we’ve had a superb 12 months or a foul 12 months – you simply by no means know what the subsequent 12 months goes to convey till you get on the race monitor,” he stated.
“The issues that individuals don’t see through the offseason are the issues most individuals don’t see – whether or not NASCAR adjustments a bit rule right here, or Goodyear makes a bit little bit of a change to a tire there.
“Typically it fits you and typically it doesn’t. Final 12 months, every thing went our manner. This 12 months, it hasn’t actually gone our manner.”
Harvick has led simply 29 laps to date this season, after main the collection in 2020 with 1,531. He has but to go to Victory Lane and his common begin and common end have dropped to eight.three and 10.three, respectively.
As well as, his three SHR teammates – Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer and Aric Almirola – additionally remained winless on the 12 months and none is ranked larger than 23rd within the collection standings.
“Our workforce has actually achieved an excellent job of scratching and clawing for each place which you could get on the weekend. It’s purchased us time week after week to get our vehicles again to the place we would like them to be,” Harvick, 45, stated.
“It’s not a place that we haven’t been in earlier than. It’s undoubtedly a part of the game and a part of the issues it’s important to do to maintain your self going – you’re typically digging your self out of a gap and figuring issues out. It’s an enormous science venture, I can say that for certain.
“I feel there are a number of engineers on a number of computer systems burning the midnight oil making an attempt to ensure we begin making some headway on getting our vehicles again to the place we want them.”
Harvick stated SHR as a corporation is “a bit bit off on the pace facet of issues” and since that his workforce has targeted on getting essentially the most of out of each race it may within the meantime to stop falling into too massive gap through the common season.
So far, that method has saved Harvick and the No. four workforce nonetheless within the hunt for wins and making the playoffs.
“Our season is so lengthy that you just actually need to concentrate on ensuring you’re in the correct spot if you get to the tip of race No. 26. We’ve been on either side of this fence – we’ve been gradual starters, we’ve been quick starters, we’ve run good all season – we’ve skilled all of it,” he stated.
“We undoubtedly need to be on this specific mindset till we 100 % get it mounted. I feel everyone’s doing an excellent job of simply ensuring that we’re doing that proper now. Getting essentially the most out of every weekend is essential.”
Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway gives Harvick and his workforce one other alternative to see how far they’ve come because the begin of the season.
He completed fourth and second on the two races at Kansas final season and his three victories on the monitor are tied for second-most amongst all drivers.
At three earlier intermediate tracks to date this season, Harvick’s outcomes have been all around the map – fifth at Homestead, 20th at Las Vegas and 10th at Atlanta. He hasn’t led a lap in the entire three.
Whether or not SHR’s pace has improved or not this weekend, Harvick stated he’ll remained targeted on getting essentially the most out of the scenario.
“Ending races is essential, and understanding the potential of your automobile. In at the moment’s world, not lots of people understand that,” he stated.
“When you possibly can understand that and have a 15th-place automobile and end ninth with it – which occurs so much as a result of so many individuals simply make so many errors – you possibly can actually capitalize on a weekend if you’re probably not the place it’s essential be from a efficiency standpoint.”