His nickname is 'Happy', and with how this Richard Childress Racing driver has been performing as of late Kevin Harvick has a lot to be happy about. The driver of the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet has quietly made his way to fifth in the series standings and is only 101 points behind leader Carl Edwards.

While he has not won since his dramatic victory in the Daytona 500 in 2007, Harvick has used consistency to make himself a serious contender for this year's championship. Following last weekend's sixth-place finish at Dover, Harvick jumped five spots in the standings and earned his eighth-straight top-10 finish - a new career high for the Bakersfield, California-native.

This team has done a good job of avoiding the spotlight and by running consistently, has put themselves in a position ready to strike. Heading to Kansas this weekend, the 32-year-old appears optimistic. Harvick tied his career-best finish at Kansas Speedway last September when he brought his No. 29 Chevrolet home in the sixth-spot.

Despite being similar to Chicagoland - at track Harvick has two wins at - the RCR driver explains things are not always as they appear.

"Kansas is a little bit different than Chicagoland," explained Harvick. "I know on paper they are supposed to be the same but the corners are a little bit sharper, and the exits of the corners are a little bit sharper. Coming off turn four, it seems like the wall comes in on you as you come off the corners. It's definitely a little bit different than Chicago."

Not only has Harvick been able to finish in the top-10 consistently, he has been able to finish - period. Harvick has been running at the end of 72 consecutive races without scoring a DNF - a modern era record - and he hopes these two streaks carry him to his first Cup Series title, but knows he has his work cut out for him.

"I think it is way too early to tell if anyone is out of championship contention," Harvick said. "In 2006, Jimmie (Johnson) struggled in the first couple of weeks and came back and won. I think you have to wait until you get about halfway through the Chase to count anyone out. Right now Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson seem to be on a roll but that could change next week. So, I think for us, we just have to go out and race as hard as we can, get the best finishes possible and see where we end up in Homestead."