Daytona vs. Brickyard

Kevin Harvick said his wife still gets chills watching him win last year's Daytona 500. Harvick took his first test laps Monday at Daytona International Speedway in defense of his Daytona 500 title.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

There was a time when Kevin Harvick thought the Brickyard 400 would be the biggest win a NASCAR driver could achieve.
Not anymore. Not since winning the Daytona 500 last year.
Harvick told members of the media during testing at Daytona International Speedway that he walked into his wife's office the other day and she was watching the end of last year's Daytona 500. Harvick narrowly beat Mark Martin in a last lap drag race, one of the more dramatic finishes at Daytona in recent years.
Harvick said watching the last few laps of that race still gives his wife chills.
"We've been fortunate enough to win a few of the big races," said Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "I always thought I wanted to win the Brickyard, but I was wrong."
After winning the Daytona 500, Harvick said he fully understands why it's such a big deal to any NASCAR driver or team.
"Everywhere you go, that's all anybody wants to talk about is winning the Daytona 500," Harvick said. "That's why this is such a big deal for all the race teams and all the sponsors. This one race can carry you for a long time. That's what everybody works all winter for and comes down to try to win. It's definitely something that you never forget."