NASCAR Busch Series Champion team: Kevin & Delana Harvick

Kevin Harvick ran away with the crown for the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series and nearly captured the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series title too. Harvick rolled through a banner year that should be a measure a success for many seasons. He and his team have also become likely championship contenders in 2007 after struggling in NNCS for the past few years.

Champions have common traits and abilities. At least that's what 21 NASCAR, NHRA and IndyCar champions and 57 top drivers have told Zoomster.com when asked to identify attributes. Many also say that champions vary widely in background and personality but still traits like determination, talent, focus and character are necessary.

Harvick has all those qualities and more, but he would probably admit one of his is best elements is wife Delana. Daytona International Speedway officials seem to agree with that possibility when 'The World Center of Racing' renamed the renowned DIS racetrack, Delana International Speedway for a day.

Kevin Harvick Inc. and owner Delana Harvick have dominated the past two Daytona 300 Busch Series races at DIS winning with driver Tony Stewart. Since they 'owned' the track it was fitting that Robin Braig, DIS president, proclaimed the facility will carry the name of owner Delana for the Busch Series race day on February 1, 2007. Delana received a piece of the historic pavement with the DELANA track logo that will be a part of new ESPN2HD coverage for the Busch Series.

Kevin Harvick is a complex champion and his relentless presence on the racetrack has earned him a multitude of fans.

As fans might suspect when a popular NASCAR driver becomes available to the media a swarm of TV and print reporters show up to ask questions. Photographers work among them to snap images.

Winning NASCAR drivers are always harder to get to for lengthy interviews. They are simply too busy. If they granted all the interview requests the driver would be too busy talking to concentrate on the car, team and the job of driving.

Harvick's words are often fast, sometimes scant. The following interview was garnered in three media sessions and it shows Harvick's confident personality. On the track he is a spirited and competitive. Out of the car he is often smiling.

Kevin Harvick 2006 Interviews

Disney World Interview:

Dwight asked Kevin Harvick:

What are the best ways to handle success?

"I think the best way to deal with success is to remember how you dealt with failure. That puts you right in the middle of the road. I think if you can find that kind of even-keeled process across the board. I think you're much better off than getting high on the highs and low on the lows, if you can just find that kind of even-keel."

Do NASCAR champions and motorsports champions have common traits and abilities, and if so could you identify a few?

"Oh I don't know. I guess all the champions win. That would be the main thing."

What traits do you have that make you a champion?

"Oh, I don't describe myself."

Talladega Superspeedway Interview:

You invented the Busch wheel so to speak by racing the Busch Series while you raced in NEXTEL Cup. Did you ever expect to win the championship in that series?

"Yeah. That was our goal going into the year, race for both championships. When we started we just didn't know where the performance of the Cup cars was going to be and where contract stuff was going. It was just all out on them. So the Busch thing kind of a getaway for me I guess you could say to kind of get out from underneath all the media and go over to the Busch side. Create that outlet if we had to have it. When we got to Charlotte we knew we were going to stop and evaluate where we were points-wise and just see what we needed going forward. We were running really well and we just decided to keep going."

The possibility of winning dual championships, is that special pressure to you?

Do good race car drivers handle pressure better than average guys and girls?

"Absolutely. Absolutely."

Homestead-Miami Speedway Interview:

You look like you are having fun, are you?

"I'd say for me it would be it's not just to be a part of the goals you set, but what you want to be a part of at the end of the year. Whether you get through that it's just fine. It's also an achievement as well. You could win and when you do that it's still fun. People come up and say to you are awesome competition and we've been enjoying ourselves as we've gone through the whole year, really."