Harvick OnLine: Top Story: Harvick Returns To His Roots

Harvick Returns To His Roots

(Newton, IA) - This year’s Daytona 500 champion is returning to his roots. Kevin Harvick will compete in NASCAR’s inaugural event at Iowa Speedway when the Grand National Series races there Sunday, May 20.

For Harvick, the NASCAR Grand National Division East-West race marks a return to the series where he earned his first NASCAR championship. The Bakersfield, Calif., native won the West Series title as a 22-year-old in 1998.

Since then, he has gathered numerous accolades on a national level including two NASCAR Busch Series championships (2001, 2006), the 2001 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year title and the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year title.

Most recently, he drove the Richard Childress Racing No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet to victory in this year’s Daytona 500.

“Being able to go back and run a West car is pretty cool for me,” said Harvick. “I know what the series can do for a driver's career.

“KHI also has a pretty good record in the few West races we've run, so it'll be exciting to compete in a KHI car at the Iowa Speedway. I've only seen pictures of the track, but it looks really nice. You know anything Rusty (Wallace) is involved in is going to be first class.”

The 7/8-mile track in Newton, Iowa, was designed by the track’s chief operating officer, Andy Vertrees, and former NASCAR Champion, Rusty Wallace.

Vertrees emphasized the significance of having Harvick compete there.

“Rusty and I designed the track to attract the greatest race car drivers and racing teams in America to race in Iowa,” Vertrees said. “That’s why we call our track ‘America’s Place to Race’. We invite Iowans and racing fans everywhere to visit us this year for some of the best racing anywhere.”

Read the full story at iowaspeedway.com