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A32 sports
Diahuebs 7 aPRiL 2022

Harvick still has gas in his tank as he adapts to Next Gen

me, I still enjoy that chal- adversity we’ve gone through
lenge. I enjoy where this se- so far this year.
ries is, and learning about the
new car is not a bad thing to “Martinsville will just be
do as you go forward into the more of that same process,
future and do something dif- and that’s going to be our ag-
ferent.” gressive process until we get
to victory lane.”
Harvick is in his ninth sea-
son driving the No. 4 Ford At 0.526 miles, Martinsville
for SHR, the team that led is the shortest track on the
him to his only Cup title in schedule and its tight cor-
their 2014 debut season. He’s ners and limited 12 degrees
an annual title contender, of banking lends to a physical
though, and went door-to- race. It’s also NASCAR’s old-
door with Hamlin all of 2020 est speedway and entrenched
in what was shaping up to be in the sport’s history.
an epic title battle.
However, it’s so much of a
Although Harvick won nine challenge that Harvick said:
races that season, he was “I definitely would tell you
eliminated from the title-de- it’s not a racetrack that I
ciding race the week before would say, ‘This is where I
the championship. Last sea- want to go.’ It’s just not been
son was off across the board a place where I’ve had streaks
for SHR, and even though of success.”
he was winless, Harvick still
finished fifth in the final Cup Indeed, he’s won at Mart-
standings. invsille in all three of NAS-
CAR’s national series. But his
This year hasn’t been awful, 2011 victory is his only Cup
(AP) — Kevin Harvick, by veterans still trying to figure Cup Series championship. but Harvick simply wasn’t as win in 41 starts at the Virginia
all measurable statistics, it out. He and Stewart-Haas competitive as typically ex- short track. From what he’s
is a fading star trying to Racing finally hit on some- “I like where I race. I like pected through the first six seen of the Next Gen so far,
keep pace in a NASCAR thing last week at Richmond Stewart-Haas Racing. I races of the season in NAS- Harvick expects a good deal
that now seems more suit- to score their best finish like the atmosphere. I like CAR’s new car. But Harvick of bumping and banging Sat-
ed for younger drivers. through the first seven races; the people,” Harvick said. said he and crew chief Rod- urday night.
Harvick ran second to Denny “That’s really the biggest rea- ney Childers expected early
He’s 46 years old, after all, Hamlin. son that I like to do it, espe- growing pains and worked He knows the Next Gen
and in his 22nd full NAS- cially this year. You’re with hard during the offseason to car can withstand the con-
CAR season. Harvick went The Hamlin win snapped a a group of people where troubleshoot in advance. tact and, had he gotten close
winless all of last year — he 12-race streak dating to last you’re constantly problem enough to Hamlin on Sun-
actually hasn’t won since late season of race winners aged solving. You’re trying to fix “We’ve put in a lot of time day at Richmond, Harvick
in the 2020 season — and his 30 or younger, and the 1-2 it faster than everybody else this year; the simulator, admitted he’d have tried to
9-year-old son has his own finish with Harvick showed and come to something that we’ve been to two tests so move Hamlin for the win.
thriving racing career. that NASCAR’s veterans still is better than everybody else far,” Harvick said. “We knew
have plenty in the tank. As he so you can win races. coming into this year that we “You just have to be mentally
A slow start to the season heads to Martinsville Speed- had some habits we were go- prepared to know that there
hasn’t helped. way for a Saturday night race “I like the core group of guys ing to have to break, thought is going to be contact as you
at the Virginina short track, that I started here with. That’s processes that you were go- go through that race,” Har-
It’s been NASCAR’s younger Harvick warned not to count why they all came here, and ing to have to break, to re- vick said. “You just have to try
drivers who have been fastest out the No. 4 team: Harvick I guess I would feel like I’m ally understand this car, and to stay as calm as possible.”
to adapt to the new Next Gen is committed to SHR, NAS- abandoning them if I didn’t I think we’ve done a pretty
car, with Harvick among the CAR and winning a second go a couple more years. For good job of that with all the

Kansas’ victory most-viewed men’s title game on cable TV

(AP) — Kansas’ comeback pandemic.
victory over North Caro-
lina to win the NCAA bas- The entire tournament on
ketball championship was CBS and Turner averaged
the most-viewed men’s 10.7 million viewers, a 13%
title game on cable televi- increase over last year.
sion.
Kansas’ 16-point rally, which
The Jayhawks’ 72-69 win av- was the biggest comeback
eraged 18.1 million viewers in championship game his-
on TBS, TNT and truTV. tory, was also the third most-
It is also a 4% increase over watched college basketball
last year’s title game between game in cable TV history.
Baylor and Gonzaga on CBS. Saturday’s semifinal match-
This was the third time the up between North Carolina
championship game was on and Duke, averaged 18.5 mil-
Turner networks, but first lion, ranks second. The 2015
since 2018. They were sup- semifinal between Wiscon-
posed to have the 2020 final, sin and Kentucky — also on
but the tournament was can- Turner — is No. 1 (22.63
celled due to the coronavirus million).