Kevin Harvick had just taken the checkered flag for the fifth time this season, wheeled his car into Victory Lane and bathed in another confetti shower when he lamented what could have been.
Come again?
"Still wasn't really happy with it," Harvick said of his No. 4 car for Stewart-Haas Racing, in which he set a record Saturday night at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., by becoming the fastest to five victories in a season.
"I think," he said, "we can make it better."
That shouldn't make the rest of the teams in the Monster Energy Cup Series feel very good about things. Harvick has won back-to-back races after a three-race win streak earlier this season and heads into next week's All-Star race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway head and shoulders above everyone else.
But his response to his victory in the KC Masterpiece 400, in which he overcame trouble getting through inspection and a car that was off much of the night, speaks to a couple of crucial facts.
First, it shows how demanding Harvick is of his team, and how nobody in the garage is willing to settle for greatness — not when there is perfection to chase. Second, it's apparent Harvick hasn't changed over the years. He earned the nickname "Happy Harvick" as a joke about his angry outbursts. His teammates say they understand.
"This is something you may never do again in your career," crew chief Rodney Childers said, "where you have fast cars and guys who give you everything they can, and a driver who gives you everything he can. You have to fight each week. … You got to keep going."
