Harvick set for Phoenix test

With a tested Phoenix this week after his teammate and offseason switch to afford what better time to chat with Kevin Harvick. I'm woody came in this is contracts. On the motor racing network. A rebellion is rising. NASCAR right now a new generation ready to unseat the establishment. I'm crazy wind up before they can beat the best they've got to beat the best. And Kyle Busch. Manny got to do something win names are made here the NASCAR extended the series season premieres February 25 on the motor racing network. The voice. But he format for NASCAR's top three national touring series means segments within races with drivers earning points in each. I had a chance to ask Kevin Harvick how he thinks that might play out in 2017 and beyond. I I think for us I think it just kind of is what we've done the last several years you know I think that's really the mentality that Rodney and RD instilled in our team is stiff you know you need to be. Accountable for every Latham and whether that's practice or qualify for the race is if that's that's our job to go out and get the most out of it so. I mean obviously there are some some pretty big carrots out there to. Go out and grab some points whether it be for this season total or for those points for the chase and I think that's gonna change strategy of the race it's gonna change. That's probably going to be the biggest change presses is what is the strategy going to be end. That's gonna depend on a lot of different scenarios and how you're running and when Acosta balls and all those things that we're already there just a lot more of them. So it's it's exciting to see how it's tied him. And the traditional aspect of our sport with the regular season being rewarded. Making each race important throughout the race with the segment winds and if you don't race aggressively. You know you're gonna get behind on points pretty quick so it's definitely doesn't doesn't allow that. That test portion of the season or. You know. Kind of take a break in the middle of the year anymore. I was over your shop a couple weeks ago. Talk of Rodney in the other crew chiefs as well they're all running around with the hair on fire trying to get this which overdone and at this stage there's not early hole lot you can do except. Waited up for them to get it done. You get that sense from them that they're kind of having to scramble here because it's we're here I mean we're in the artwork and offseason there's no more were at the time to go now. Yeah I've been at the shop several times throughout the winner. Knows there's they have started the day after homestead Aston. Asking what the plan was how we're gonna go through this process and I think you know they had a good plan but I think it we would all be a little bit I need to to think. That there are going to be some bumps in the road and I think you know as long as everyone knows that going in and has the mindset it's looking at the bigger picture. And what this could bring mr. Haas racing you know once we get everything situated. With with forward and and stability that is added to our company. There are way more positives than they've been the few bumps in the rose that would that we're gonna have to overcome in the beginning. Just processes. Getting getting the fleets of of cars built understanding with these cars want when tunnel. The engineers being able to turn your computer on and navigate to whether beat database or simulation. Programs or. Anything else that they're working with it all looks different so it's gonna take more time. For those guys to work through things we've got like seven year eighty new employees a spread throughout the company. You know we're building a 100% of our chances we built you know. A third of them for the last a year and a half that we used and kind of did undertow in two today knowing what was coming down the road so. You know we we have the capability and we have ownership that allows us to pass. Higher than people spend money to go out and do it right the first time and and that's really. You know something that a lot of people don't have an and we can overcome a lot of hurdles I haven't you know the financial backing that that's that we have mr. Haas racing so. It's it's going to be a lot of work but there are a lot of benefits. You know once we get it through all the hard work cuts costs and hard work but this is this is have been a huge undertaking and there were definitely some things we have to work through. Next Phoenix raceway just announced a 178. Million dollar modernization. Project and you're having a two day open test this week. It's a track where Harvick has won eight times and finished no worse than fourth since 2013. Off season what offseason about what I do so are doing every card that US teams don't just shut down for two months over the winner in NASCAR today we'll keep you up to speed racing this is just part of our life the new season is just around the corner just out there for the cures the fact that we look at. An extremely dangerous NASCAR today brings you the stars of the sport each weekday as we get set for the 2017 season find your local station in the affiliates section that MR IN dot com. A chance to do with the news that the test of Phoenix coming up. What are your expectations there on know that place you have to feel like your favorite jeans right. Yeah it's definitely great racetracks horse that you know I think it's very important for us as an organization to go there and turn all those simulation programs on and come back and download all the information into those programs and worked through the database and and you know for me is I'm probably got it has the least to adapt to I had sent to adapt to that. Roush Yates horsepower that and how the throttle feels on my foot. You know and and working with those the engine tuner and things that we need to work on our field in the car and that's that's really about it. You know for for me edit them headed into the new downforce package in the smaller splitter and smaller spoiler. Nobody looking out the windshield mice into my seat going to be the same obligations are going to be the same. Throttle pedal feel a little bit different and how it how it functions but that's that's really. I noticed some of the stuff you've been putting up on social media during the the offseason if there is such a thing you mentor like we do do and always different suffer them doesn't seem more gradual to your to seem like a slime by. It seems more gradual. You know it all goes really fast even notes as I say it seems gradual but you look back and wished we try to stay so busy and and let him. Experience new things which is really made us experience new things and and work on activities and amp. He's just not the kid that wants to sit around plays video games he wants to be outsider. Going somewhere he's always around people and doing things so that's just kind of become what you do and you know for me it's a lot of fun to to be dad and you know for going and I it's a lot of fun be parents. And experience those things with him so it's it's been it's been great and. There's much more about the Phoenix raceway project now what MRI and dot com. I'm woody came in Phoenix.