Kevin Harvick Bristol Motor Speedway Nationwide Series Preview

THUNDER VALLEY – Since making his first Nationwide Series career start at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2000, Kevin Harvick has created his own thunder at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” track. He has made a total of 19 Nationwide Series starts and recorded five wins, the most of any driver at the the .533-mile oval, 12 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. In all but six starts he has led laps for a total of 1075 laps and has completed 4783 of 4839 laps (98.4 percent). With outstanding stats, Harvick has earned an average starting position of 9.4 and an avaerage finish of 7.4 in 19 Nationwide Series starts.

In addition to the Nationwide Series, Harvick has also competed in the Sprint Cup and Truck series at the oval track. For the Cup Series, Harvick has recorded 18 starts, one win, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Turning to the Truck Series, Harvick has four starts, one top-five and three top-10 finishes.

Across all three series, Harvick has led 1589 laps (390 – Cup Series, 1075 – Nationwide Series, 124 – Truck Series) and completed 14,362 laps (8792 – Cup Series, 4763 – Nationwide Series, 807 – Truck Series). a

A KEVIN HARVICK FIRST
The 2009 Scott’s Turf Builder 300 was a memorable race of first for Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI). Team co-owner Harvick was able to claim his first Nationwide Series race behind the wheel of a KHI-owned car while crew chief Ernie Cope earned his first-career Nationwide Series victory. The pair return this year to defend their title and earn their second win of the season.

DOUBLE DOSE
With three races of the 2010 season complete, Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) has given NASCAR a double dose of what their Nationwide Series program has to offer winning two out of the first three races. Tony Stewart won the season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway followed two weeks later by KHI co-owner Harvick at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. KHI now has a total of seven Nationwide Series wins, four within the last year.

4,763 AND COUNTING
With this weekend’s 300-lap Nationwide Series event scheduled at Bristol, Harvick has the potential to hit the 5,000 mark in laps completed at the famous Tennesse track. With completion of all 300 laps, Harvick will leave having completed 5,063 laps. In addition, should Harvick complete all 800 scheduled laps for the weekend (Sprint Cup and Nationwide race), he will walk away with over 15,000 laps completed across all three of NASCAR’s top divisions (Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series).

FAMILY FUED ANYONE?
As part of the Food City Race Night on Friday, March 19, at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Harvick will join wife DeLana and fellow Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton to play a round of Family Fued against Stewart-Haas Racing’s Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Newman’s wife Krissie. Two fans will be chosen to join each team through an online auction. For more informaiton, visit bristolmotorspeedway.com.

In addition to the Family Fued event, Harvick will also be on hand to sign autgraphs with sponsor Armour from 6:15 p.m. ET – 7:15 p.m. ET. Armour will be handing out Kevin Harvick Armour t-shirts to the first 150 people at the Food City tent prior to the start of the autograph session. The t-shirt will serve as the ticket to get into the autograph session beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET.

BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER KEVIN HARVICK:
What did it mean to you last year to win your first Nationwide Series race in a KHI-owned car at Bristol Motor Speedway, one of your most successful tracks in the Nationwide Series?

“It meant a lot because we had been so close so many times. Also to do it at what is arguably the most successful track of my Nationwide Series career was icing on the cake.”

With the added SAFER barriers at the exits of turn 2 and 4, how do you think this will affect the racing at Bristol?

“I don’t think it will effect the racing very much because the track is still much easier to drive than it used to be. There are less bumps, less transitions and more room to move around the track, even with the safer barriers extended, than there used to be because of the progressive banking.”

What is it about Bristol that makes it such a good track for you?

“I grew up on a high-banked, half-mile race track and it’s the same style of racing that I’m used to, although Bristol is much faster. But overall Bristol just fits my driving style.”