Harvick named Rookie of the Year(ROTY): Kevin Harvick, driver of the #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet, claimed the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. He finished the season with a total of 331 points, 66 points ahead of second-place Kurt Busch. A native of Bakersfield, Calif., Harvick took over the Richard Childress-owned ride after the death of seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion, Dale Earnhardt. During the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, Harvick visited the winner.s circle twice (Atlanta – 3/11 and Chicago – 7/15) and collected six top-five finishes and 16 top 10s. He also topped the season off with a ninth-place finish in the final point standings (Harvick is the only driver to finish in the top-10 in points that only competed in 35 events)(NASCAR PR). See my ROTY Page for results, rules and breakdown(11-27-2001)
