Motorsports

Harvick's pole a piece of pie

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published September 16, 2006

LOUDON, N.H. - It seems the pressure is definitely off now that NASCAR's Chase for the Championship is ready to begin.

Kevin Harvick's main objective Friday was to gain a little revenge on rookie Denny Hamlin, who hit the veteran in the face with a pie during a TV appearance 24 hours earlier.

And earning the pole for Sunday's Nextel Cup Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway was nice, too.

"The biggest goal I had was to get Denny Hamlin," Harvick said. "We've been planning that all day. He got me pretty good yesterday on the Regis and Kelly show.

"I didn't say anything. I just waited until the opportune moment and I got even. It was pretty cool."

Payback came after the Brandon-born Hamlin qualified. The rookie got out of his car on pit road and had just begun an interview with several TV reporters when Harvick stepped up with a pan filled with whipped cream and put it squarely in Hamlin's face.

That done, Harvick turned his attention back to racing. Harvick, who qualified easily for NASCAR's 10-race Chase, earned his fifth career pole.

"I think this is fun," said Harvick, who took the top spot at 132.282 mph on the 1.058-mile NHIS oval. "Racing for a championship has to be fun."

If that's true, the Richard Childress Racing driver should be having a ball.

He has all but wrapped up the Busch Series title - holding a 619-point lead over Carl Edwards with seven races to go - and also is one of only 10 drivers with a chance to win the 2006 Cup title.

Jeff Gordon, another Chase driver, was second in qualifying at 131.751, followed by Penske Racing South teammates Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman, then Hamlin, the first rookie to make the Chase in its three seasons.

Meanwhile, Hamlin - known as a jokester - isn't ready to forget that pie in the face. "It definitely ain't over," he said. "We're going to keep this going. This is a lot of fun."

NHRA: The first two rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa., were rained out. Qualifying was reduced to two rounds today.

[Last modified September 16, 2006, 02:39:54]