Kevin Harvick doesn't particularly look forward to visiting California Speedway twice a year, even though its only 119 miles from his hometown of Bakersfield.

The NASCAR Nextel Cup star loves visiting family and friends and having them watch him race, but the two-mile Fontana oval is far from Harvick's favourite place.

``This is probably our worst track and so we haven't been too excited about coming here in the position we've been in,'' said Harvick, who has two top-10 finishes in eight races at California Speedway, the best a sixth-place run in February 2005.

But Harvick is feeling more upbeat going into Sunday's Sony HD 500.

Although he hasn't locked up a spot in the 10-man Chase for the championship, Harvick is third with just two races remaining until the start of the NASCAR playoffs. He is 81 points ahead of fourth-place Kyle Busch.

That's a pretty good situation for Harvick, even coming to this track. The Richard Childress Racing driver hasn't been close to making the Chase in the first two years of the championship format, finishing 14th both seasons.

``It's a different kind of pressure for us this year because we have been on the outside looking in,'' he said. ``But we ran well (last month) at Michigan, which I feel is probably our second-worst track. And it's probably going to be OK this year.

``But, then, everything has been better this year.''

Thanks to an upgrade in equipment, personnel and attitude, the entire RCR team has improved this season, with Harvick and Jeff Burton _ seventh in the points _ both vying for spots in the Chase and Clint Bowyer have a solid rookie year.

Now that the regular season is down to two races, Harvick is totally focused on staying in the top 10 and then making a run at the team's first Cup championship since the late Dale Earnhardt _ the man Harvick replaced in 2001 _ won it in 1994.

``You go out and race as hard as you can every lap and try to put yourself in position to win,'' he said. ``If you can't do that, you try to get the best finish you can out of the day.

``To me, you just go out and do the same things whether you're in the Chase or out of the Chase. You just try not to take any chances or crash or put yourself in an awkward position.''