LAND OF FIRSTS: In 2005, Ron Hornaday returned to victory lane in the Truck Series for the first time since 2002 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The victory marked the first time he went to victory lane for Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI). Hornaday took KHI to victory lane for the second-time in the company’s history. He followed his owner Kevin Harvick who scored KHI’s first Truck Series victory at Phoenix International Raceway on November 8, 2002. Since that day Hornaday has gone to victory lane another 18 times for KHI. The 2005 trip to victory lane is still the only win for Hornaday at the 1.54-mile speedway. He has finished second three times.
Did you know?: In 10 previous seasons of racing at Daytona International Speedway, only one driver — Mike Bliss — has gone on to win the championship with a finish outside the top 15 in the first event of the season. Bliss recovered from engine failure and a finish of 33rd in 2002. Hornaday will have to overcome a similar situation in order to win his fifth Truck Series championship in 2010. Three weeks ago the No. 33 Longhorn team recorded a 27th-place finish in the Truck Series’ season opener at Daytona due to an early-race accident. In 2008, Hornaday overcame a 25th- place finish and finished second to Johnny Benson only seven points shy of the championship crown.
WELCOME TO THE TEAM: Doug George will move from KHI’s No. 2 Truck Series team to become the crew chief of Hornaday’s No. 33 Longhorn Chevrolet. George, a former racer, competed against Hornaday in the Southwest Tour series in the late 90’s, winning the championship in 1990. He brings years of experience most recently serving as Truck Series crew chief for Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola’s at Billy Ballew Motorsports in 2009.
THANK YOU FOR BUCKLING-UP: One week prior to the Atlanta 200, Hornaday traveled to Georgia to join Governor Sonny Perdue in rewarding Georgia residents for driving safely. Hornaday was named an honorary H.E.A.T (Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic) team officer and was stationed at a Henry County road check station where he awarded safely seat belted motorist tickets to this weekends Atlanta 200.
Notes from the Professor: Quotes from Ron Hornaday:
HOW DO YOU REBOUND AFTER THE 27TH-PLACE FINISH IN DAYTONA THREE WEEKS AGO?
“Daytona is Daytona. Sometimes you come out of there feeling like a hero with momentum on your side and sometimes you come out wrecked. This time we were wrecked. Honestly, I didn’t really think about the finish that much. What I was proud of was the way our team worked to get the truck fixed. They never gave up and we were faster when we went back out than we were in the draft! Like I told them leaving the garage, this is a championship-caliber team and we’re going to prove it.”
ATLANTA HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD TRACK FOR YOU IN THE PAST. WHAT WILL YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET BACK TO VICTORY LANE?
“Atlanta is a fast track. I really enjoy running there. We have always had a good set up there and I’m sure this year will be no different. We are taking the truck that Kevin won with at Homestead. I think he is going to be my toughest competition there in his brand-new truck.”
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Longhorn team will take chassis No. 040 to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Chassis No. 040 last competed at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway at the end of 2009 with Kevin Harvick behind the wheel. Harvick drove chassis No. 040 to victory lane leading 108 of the 136 laps.
ARE YOU A FOLLOWER? Twitter users can now keep up-to-date with Kevin Harvick Inc.’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams by following at http://twitter.com/KHI_TruckSeries. In addition, you can follow KHI’s Nationwide Series team at http://twitter.com /KHI_NNS. Want more from KHI? Follow KHI’s co-owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick at http://twitter.com/kevinharvick and http://twitter.com/delanaharvick.
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 Jessica Stroupe at KHI: jstroupe@kevinharvickinc.com.
ABOUT LONGHORN MOIST SNUFF: The Longhorn brand offers the best value to consumers by delivering a simple combination of premium quality and really great price. Introduced in 2003, Longhorn is a low price leader in the moist snuff category, manufactured in the same fine tradition as some of our other tobacco products including Red Man, Timber Wolf and White Owl. Longhorn moist snuff gives you the taste you demand at the price you want. For more information on Longhorn, visit our website at www.longhornsnuff.com.
About Kevin Harvick Inc.
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.
QUICK NOTES
Race Info
March 6, 2010
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta 200
Race length: 130 Laps/ 200.2 Miles
Banking/Turns: 24-degree turns;
5-degree straight-a-ways
Track layout: 1.54-mile
Shape: Quad-oval
Pre-Race Schedule
Friday:
Practice: 1:00 p.m. – 2:20p.m., EST
Final Practice: 4:10 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., EST
Saturday:
Qualifying: 9:35 a.m., EST
TV: The Atlanta 200 can be seen on SPEED Saturday at 1:30 p.m., EST
Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast live at 1:30 p.m., EST
Truck Specs:
Chassis: 040
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)
Ron Hornaday
Truck Series Statistics at
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Starts: 9
Wins: 1 (2005)
Poles: 2 (2008 and 2007)
Top Five’s: 4
Top 10’s: 5
Laps Led: 264
Average Start: 12.6
Average Finish: 8.8