This Week’s Armour Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 520 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable in his fourth of 14 appearances in the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. Built for the 2012 season, Tony Stewart raced this entry at Daytona International Speedway in February and brought home an eighth-place finish after getting caught up in an accident on the final lap.
Hungry for a Win ... Harvick made a total of seven Nationwide Series starts at the 2.66-mile superspeedway with his first appearance in 2000. In seven starts, the Bakersfield, Calif., native collected one pole award, two top-five and three top-10 finishes. The RCR veteran driver completed 668 out of 827 (80.8 percent) laps and is credited for leading 87 laps. Harvick has an average starting position of 10.7 and average finishing position of 17.7, and still seeks a Nationwide Series victory at the Alabama-based facility.
In the Loop ... According to NASCAR’s Data Loop Statistics, dating back to 2006, Harvick ranks second in the following categories: Laps Led (87), Laps in Top 15 (406) and Fastest Laps Run (16, 3.7%). The 36-year-old driver also ranks fifth in Speed in Traffic (191.317 mph) and Green Flag Speed (191.079 mph).
To the Points ... The No. 33 RCR Chevrolet team currently sits third in the Nationwide Series owner’s championship point standings, 12 points behind the leader, the No. 2 RCR team. The No. 33 team has earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes between four different drivers (Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Brendan Gaughan, and Paul Menard) thus far this season.
A Lap for a Reason ... Following driver introductions for the Nationwide Series event on Saturday, Harvick will participate in the NASCAR Dreams Parade lap, where one lucky fan will have the opportunity to ride in the parade vehicle with the Armour Racing driver. The proceeds generated from the auction will benefit the NASCAR Foundation along with the Kevin Harvick Foundation. Harvick will also participate in the NASCAR Dreams Parade Lap program at Dover International Speedway in June for the Sprint Cup event. Fans can bid on this once in a lifetime experience, while supporting two great organizations by visiting http://nascar.com/auction.
Race Fever ... On Friday, May 4th, Armour Brands will take part in festivities during Race Fever, an annual fundraising event benefiting the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB), by presenting a check for $1,000 to AIDB in support of the organization’s programs. Held at the SPEED Channel Dome within the International Motorsports Hall of Fame complex, drivers will provide interviews, autographs and auction items for the event. Race Fever began in 1986, when the late Bill France, Jr., former NASCAR Chairman, organized the first event to benefit children and adults served by AIDB. The event has grown steadily to raise $4 million for the AIDB Foundation, and is the designated charity of Talladega Superspeedway. For additional information visit racefever.org or call (256) 761-3369 for tickets.
Armour Brands ... The Armour® Star story began when Phillip Danworth Armour founded Armour & Co. in 1867, in Chicago, IL. Armour & Co. is recognized as the first business in the nation to produce canned meat while using an assembly line for production purposes. Known for being one of the most important businesses in Chicago, there is no question as to why Armour ® Vienna sausage, Potted Meat, Chili, Stew, Hash, Corned Beef, Slice Dried Beef, and Luncheon Meats are one of America’s favorite brands. For more information on Armour® Star products, log onto www.armour-star.com. Armour is a portfolio brand of Pinnacle Foods Group LLC.
Looking Back: Richmond International Raceway ... After dominating the first half of the Virginia 529 College Savings 250, Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33 Fast Fixin’ team battled a tight-handling condition to capture a third-place finish at Richmond International Raceway. Harvick led the field to the green flag after earning his 24th career Nationwide Series pole, and went on to lead the most laps during the race (158).
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on running the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I’ve always liked racing on the bigger tracks. These races are way more mental than physical, and by the end of an event you’re worn out. You spend a lot of time looking in the mirrors anticipating the other guy’s next move. I always have fun at Talladega (Superspeedway), and we have a good Nationwide Series program at RCR, so I’m hoping we’ll have a good shot to put the Armour car in victory lane this weekend.”