Kevin Harvick to backup car after hard crash in practice

BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 13: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Kevin Harvick, a three-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this year, will stake the rest of the Food City 500 field to a handicap on Sunday—but not by choice.

Roughly 45 minutes into opening practice at Bristol motor Speedway, Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford veered to the right in Turn 3 and shot into the outside wall.

“Something obviously either came off or broke in the front suspension,” Harvick said after the crash. “It looks more like the right-front, to tell you the truth.

“It definitely wasn’t a tire failure or anything like that, but just going in the corner, as soon as I let off the gas it just hung a right, so it’s unfortunate for our Busch Beer/Jimmy John’s Ford, but we’ll get another one out and do it again.”

Under NASCAR rules, Harvick will start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field in his backup car.

AJ Allmendinger also spun in opening practice and tagged the wall with the right rear of his No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet, but the team opted to forego a backup car in favor of repairing the primary.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.