Sitting second in Sprint Cup Series points with three victories, Kevin Harvick believes a spot in the 2011 Chase is essentially a lock. That safety net has allowed Harvick and the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing team to go for bonus points and wins, just as they did last Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"When it comes to strategy calls, the only calls you even consider are the ones that could let you win," Harvick said. "I think that was very evident last week." 

Harvick says the team has been trying a lot of different packages over the last few weeks, trying to find the perfect balance between comfort and speed that will pay off at the end of the year. The team has been especially focused on finding that balance at Dover, Charlotte and Kansas – three tracks that host Chase races.

"When we got to the two wins, it was the topic of conversation in the competition meetings," Harvick said. "You look at last week; I mean, seventh or eighth in the points you're not making those calls at the end of the race. You can't afford a 25th-place finish, run out of gas. In the position that we were in, you're able to just do those things. You don't think twice about it.

"That's what you should be doing, trying to gain more wins so you gain more bonus points at the end of the 26th race."