HUNGRY FOR A NATIONWIDE WIN: Kevin Harvick heads to Talladega Superspeedway in an attempt to capture his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at the famed 2.66-mile racetrack. Over the past 11 years Harvick has made six appearances at Talladega in the series, five for current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner Richard Childress and one in his own equipment under the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) banner. Harvick has posted two top-five and three top-10 finishes at the superspeedway, with a personal best finish of second in 2006, the same year he won his second series championship.
NATIONWIDE SERIES SUCCESS: In the last eight seasons at Talladega, the KHI stable has fielded cars for six different drivers: Tony Stewart (three races), Burney Lamar, Bobby Labonte, Cale Gale, Ryan Newman and KHI co-owner Harvick. In total, the team has posted four top-five and four top-ten finishes, along with a victory with Labonte behind the wheel of the No. 77 KHI Chevrolet in 2007. Overall KHI has led 113 laps between the eight races at the superspeedway.
Harvick can take credit for 51 of the 113 (45.1%) laps led by a Nationwide Series KHI driver at Talladega. The driver, who has posted 37 career wins in the series over the past 13 years, has yet to win at this superspeedway.
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CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 4 KHI team, led by crew chief Bruce Cook, will utilize chassis No. 065 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. This is the same chassis that Tony Stewart drove to victory lane during the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February this season.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: The No. 4 KHI Chevrolet Impala made its last appearance in the Nationwide Series season-opening event at Daytona in February, with two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart at the wheel. Stewart started the race in the 14th position before crossing the finish line in the top spot. The driver edged KHI teammate Clint Bowyer in No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet by 0.007 seconds, the closest finish in the series at Daytona and the third closest in series history. The one-two finish also gave KHI its third one-two finish in the Nationwide Series competition.
HARVICK’S THOUGHTS ON TALLADEGA:
What are your thoughts going into the Nationwide race at Talladega?
“I have always really liked the bigger tracks. This kind of racing is way more mental than it is physical. The No. 4 team won at Dayton in this car so I’m looking forward to this weekend. Our superspeedway program continues to get better with each and every race. I’ve found success at Talladega in the Cup Series winning last fall, and I’m hoping to continue KHI’s success on the superspeedways in 2011.”