Harvick's DNF Streak Didn't Have to End

Two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway, Kevin Harvick failed to finish -- snapping a streak of 81 straight races that the California driver had been running at the checkered flag.

Harvick was just three finished races shy of breaking the modern era record until a ruptured oil filter sent the No. 29 "streaking", if you will, into ACS' turn one wall.

This week, though, Harvick was featured on the Performance Racing Network's "Garage Pass" and delivered the news: the streak didn't have to end.


In a moment that'll remind you of the whole Kyle Busch-Dale Earnhardt Jr. ride swap at Texas Motor Speedway in 2007, Harvick and his spotter both left the southern California track after believing the engine had blown on the No. 29 Chevrolet.

Then, they got a call with 15 laps to go.

"The bad part about the DNF streak is that the car was actually functional to go back on the racetrack," said Harvick.
"I thought the motor had blown up. I hit the fence and the oil was running across the racetrack and the oil streak all the way up to the wall and I thought the car had blown up.

"So, I left and the spotter left and then they called and said 'Hey we're ready to go back out' with about 15 laps to go, and I wasn't there."

Now you can't really blame Harvick on this one because all signs -- a heavy trail of smoke and oil, a hard wall impact -- pointed to his night in the Auto Club 500 being over and done with. After all, a ruptured oil filter (can you imagine the kind of oil pressure it takes to rupture a filter?) will spew the slimy stuff all over the hot engine and put plenty of oil on the track for the car to lose traction in.

In other words, the tell-tale signs of a blown engine were clear and present.

Luckily for Harvick, and more importantly his team Richard Childress Racing, his teammate Clint Bowyer is the next driver in line to surpass the 84-race streak after finishing the last 76 races.