Just what Stewart-Haas Racing didn't need: Kevin Harvick's No. 4 Chevrolet will start Sunday's Sprint Cup race from 43rd and last after its engine blew in Saturday's practice at Atlanta.
Harvick placed second in Friday's qualifying and was posting Saturday's fastest speeds before his car's power plant went up in smoke.
Sunday's Sprint Cup race, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, is scheduled for green flag about 1:30 p.m. ET. Television coverage on Fox begins a half-hour earlier.
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Harvick's crew scrambled to replace the engine. The driver was philosophical about Saturday's problem. Of starting 43rd, he said: “It will just make for a better show.”
No one doubts that Harvick might be able to charge to the front of Sunday's race. He did, after all, win the Chase for the Sprint Cup last season.
The engine problem isn't usual. Although two Ford cars lost engines at Daytona, SHR runs engines built by a Hendrick Motorsports subsidiary that have a strong reputation for dependability. Harvick met with engine people while his car was repaired.
“Mainly the Hendrick engine guys just wanting to know what I felt," Harvick said Saturday. "This is a very rare occasion. This is the first one I have ever had. The engine shop does a great job. I am just glad that it happened today."
The No. 4 car was running well before its engine problem, Harvick said. He didn't sound worried about his team's ability to compete at Atlanta, a 1.5-mile track on which teams don't need restrictor plates.
"If we were going to have something happen, this is a good place to have it happen because you can pass," Harvick said.
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Harvick won't be alone at the tail of the 43-car field. Numerous drivers were left needing owner points to make the field after snafus in pre-qualifying testing. The drivers included Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart. all former Cup champions.
Harvick had been the bright spot in an otherwise disappointing start to the 2015 season for Stewart-Haas. He finished second in the Daytona 500 and was on the front row for Atlanta, second only to Joey Logano in qualifying.
However, driver and co-owner Tony Stewart was next-to-last at Daytona because of early crash damage. Kurt Busch was suspended two days before the season-opening race and his car, driven by Regan Smith, was not a factor. Danica Patrick had an OK run but was seldom in contention.
Last year's Atlanta winner, Kasey Kahne, was second fastest in the weekend's final practice session, followed by Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, AJ Allmendinger, Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray.