RETORNANDO AO ESTADO BLUEGRASS (RETURNING TO THE BLUEGRASS STATE): Nelson Piquet Jr. and the No. 8 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team will return to the Bluegrass State this Saturday for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ second appearance of the season at the 1.5-mile track. Piquet Jr. made his Truck Series debut at the Sparta, Ky., facility in July in his KHI Chevrolet Silverado. The Brazilian native started the 150-lap event from the third position and remained up front for the majority of the race before being caught up in a in a late-race accident leaving him with a 22nd-place finish.
KHI VICTORIES AT KENTUCKY: Throughout the past eight seasons, seven different drivers have climbed behind the wheel of trucks prepared by KHI for a total of 13 starts. Those seven drivers have put together a record which includes one pole, two victories, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. KHI entries have also been credited with leading a total 148 laps at the 1.5-mile d-shaped oval.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 8 team will unload chassis No. 051 when they arrive at Kentucky Speedway. This chassis has been utilized five times thus far this season. Piquet Jr. first drove this chassis to a second-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway in April. The rookie driver has also used this chassis in competition at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Texas Motor Speedway in June, and Pocono Raceway in August. Most recently Piquet Jr. drove this chassis to a third-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway in September.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Piquet Jr. and the No. 8 KHI crew headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the F. W. Webb 175 with momentum and hopes of securing their first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory of the season last Saturday. The Brazilian native earned a top-10 qualifying position and maintained position in the top 10 for the majority of the race, before facing mechanical and brake issues, leaving the rookie driver to settle for a 24th-place finish during his first appearance at the 1.058-mile oval. The 24th-place finish places the rookie driver fourth in the Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standing, only 22 points behind the leader.
THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Nelson Piquet Jr.
How are you feeling about returning to Kentucky Speedway?
“We didn’t have the best result the last time we ran at Kentucky Speedway, but I’ve learned a lot since that race. We’ve been picking up momentum during the last few events and have earned some solid finishes. I’m feeling excited to head back to a track where I have some experience.”
Media Access: Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Jill Frischmann at jfrischmann@kevinharvickinc.com.
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