BOWYER VS. DOVER, ROUND TWO: Clint Bowyer lost the battle against the “Monster Mile” during the NASCAR Nationwide Series first visit to the concrete oval in May of this season. The Emporia, Kan., native was collected in a wild, last-lap accident that left the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team with a 14th-place finish after leading 37 laps and running up front all day. Bowyer returns to the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Impala this weekend looking to add a third win to his series record at Dover International Speedway.
BY THE NUMBERS: In 10 starts, Bowyer has two wins, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes and has led a total of 208 laps around the one-mile facility. In 18 Nationwide Series starts at the track, KHI has a record of two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Bowyer notched the organization’s best start of third in May while KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick and four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday hold the mark for best finish with fifth-place results in 2010 and 2006 respectively.
ONEMAIN FINANCIAL 200: This weekend’s Nationwide Series race serves as a special event for KHI as OneMain Financial, the primary sponsor of the No. 2 team and driver Elliott Sadler, will be the title sponsor at Dover. Prior to the OneMain Financial 200, Sadler and Kevin and DeLana Harvick will head to the organization’s headquarters in Baltimore, Md., to meet OneMain Financial employees. “As team owners, it’s exciting to see a sponsor like OneMain Financial activating and participating in NASCAR,” said Kevin Harvick. “It shows how dedicated they are to the sport, which is something that is great to be a part of. It’s fun that the race is in OneMain Financial’s backyard at Dover, and it should be a great weekend.”
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Rheem team will unload chassis No. 066 when they arrive at Dover this weekend. This particular chassis has seen the most competition this season of any in the No. 33 KHI stable, having being utilized in seven events with a best finish of second twice (Richmond International Raceway with Paul Menard in April and Harvick at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July).
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Paul Menard returned to the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet as the Nationwide Series made its second trip of the season to Chicagoland Speedway on September 17. Menard qualified the KHI Chevrolet in the third position for the 200-lap event and competed among the top 10 throughout the day before finishing ninth.
THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: CLINT BOWYER
“I love Dover. It’s like Bristol, just a bigger, faster, meaner Bristol. I have two Nationwide Series wins at Dover. I’d love to make it three and get this No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet into victory lane this weekend, especially after the spring race here. We had the Rheem Chevrolet up front all day and led laps but got tangled in a wild wreck coming out of turn four on the last lap.”