Kevin Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil team visited victory lane for the second time this season in a points-series race, following up the dramatic finish at the Talladega 500 in April with yet another restrictor plate win at this weekend’s Daytona Coke Zero 400. The Shell-Pennzoil team devised the perfect plan and had a little luck on their side for Saturday night’s race under the lights at Daytona, where Harvick raced three wide on the final lap to take the lead for the last time.  

After qualifying was rained out at Daytona International Speedway on Friday afternoon, Harvick led the field to the green flag as the championship point leader. More rain moved into the Daytona Beach, Florida area just hours before the race was scheduled to begin and resulted in a two-hour rain delay. The change meant that the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors would be racing strictly during the night instead of through the transition hours of the early evening, and the team had to trust their setups and equipment to carry Harvick to the checkered flag.

As a primary sponsor with Shell Oil Company of the No. 29 Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick, Pennzoil is a key supplier and provides an important technical support program for RCR. Throughout the season Pennzoil scientists work directly with the race team to engineer its most technologically advanced racing oil for moments exactly like those on Saturday.  

Building new engines and keeping them clean and protected week-in and week-out is essential for race teams.  Pennzoil and RCR work together throughout each race season to test motor oils in the harshest racing environments to gain insight and develop technology that can be used both on-track and in consumers’ vehicles. The payoff of that relationship is evident in the ultra-class synthetic motor oil Pennzoil Ultra, which is an advanced proprietary synthetic formula that far exceeds the most stringent car manufacturer standards (1) and already exceeds the 2010 GF-5 specification’s requirements for cleanliness and protection.

"Our engines are built to be extremely efficient.  With engine heat rising up in some cases to over 280 degrees Fahrenheit in tolerances that we measure to a thousandth of an inch, it is essential that our engines are maintained in clean, pristine condition. We look to our team at Pennzoil to provide that," said Danny Lawrence, Engine Builder and Trackside Manager for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, the high performance engine production and research and development company established in 2007. "In racing, even the smallest deposits can rob performance and lead to catastrophic engine failure, and Pennzoil Ultra technology helps provide exactly what we need to keep our engines running clean."

With the victory at Daytona, Harvick extended his lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings to 212 points over Jeff Gordon. Additionally, Harvick is 553 markers forward of the 13th-place driver, with just eight races remaining until the Chase to Sprint Cup field gets set. The Daytona race marks the third time in 2010 the Shell-Pennzoil No. 29 car entered victory circle with Pennzoil Ultra technology running in the engine.  

Utilizing the same Hyper Cleansing Technology as the race oils used in the No. 29 car, Pennzoil Ultra is an ultra-class synthetic motor oil that is the output of a global team of scientists pursuing the goal of maintaining an engine in factory-clean condition. Pennzoil’s technical support program with RCR provides the race team with its most advanced motor oil technology, along with the support of a team of industry-leading scientists. Through excellent collaboration, Pennzoil’s team of scientists engineer motor oils that resist heat, shear and wear, while keeping the engine clean even during the most demanding race conditions.

"At Pennzoil, we leverage our global technology to develop technologically advanced motor oils," said James Stone, general manager, North American marketing, for Pennzoil. "We are very proud that so much of our hard work through research and development can potentially play a role in the success of Richard Childress Racing on the track. We are extremely excited that Harvick is in the position he is and want to congratulate the entire No. 29 team for their hard work this weekend and the tremendous win that resulted from it."

Richard Childress Racing uses and recommends Pennzoil Ultra technology exclusively as the formulations provide cleansing and protection even in the most rigorous racing conditions.  New Pennzoil Ultra 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 viscosities can be found in major automotive retailers nationwide. Pennzoil Ultra 5W-40 and 10W-60 viscosities can be found at retailers and installers servicing mostly European cars. For additional information, visit www.pennzoil.com.

(1) Based on GF-4, Ford, Chrysler, GM and Ferrari specifications.