Kevin Harvick
No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Team Report
NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 3 of 35 – Las Vegas Motor
Speedway
STATER BROS 300 RECAP:
Following a wet and rainy weekend, the NASCAR Nationwide Series
finally took to the track on Monday for the Stater Bros. 300 at
the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California. With practice and
qualifying rained out, the field was set by NASCAR rules
allowing Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 RoadLoans Chevrolet to
roll off in the sixth position. Harvick ran most of the race in
the top 10, consistently running lap times comparative to the
leaders. After 300 miles of Nationwide and 324 miles of Sprint
Cup racing at the Auto Club Speedway, Harvick was able to score
his career best finish in a Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) car,
bringing the No. 33 RoadLoans.com Chevrolet home in the third
position.
IMPRESSIVE VEGAS STATS:
In
seven previous NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway, Harvick has recorded one win, four top-five and
five top-10 finishes and one pole. Harvick has led at least one
lap in the last five races, amounting to 233 total laps led. In
addition, he has finished all but one race (2000) on the lead
lap and completed 1404 of 1406 (99.9%) possible laps.
CHASSIS HISTORY:
For
the second week in a row, KHI will debut a brand new chassis
when the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet hits the track. Similar
to the chassis debuted at the Auto Club Speedway of Southern
California, this chassis has only been on the track at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway for preseason testing. The Sam’s Club 300 will
mark the first race for chassis No. 039.
45,000 AND COUNTING:
Upon completing the first 100 miles of the Stater Bros. 300 at
the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California, Harvick
officially logged 45,000 miles in the Nationwide Series since
his start in 1999.
COOKING UP FUN:
Cale
Gale, who shares the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet with
Kevin Harvick will be on hand in Las Vegas at the ESPN Zone for
the Raybestos Rookie Cooking Challenge on Thursday, February 28,
2008. Gale will join fellow 2008 rookie contenders in a cooking
class and then face off to prepare a meal learned in the class.
The local Boys and Girls Club will judge the cook off before
enjoying time with the drivers in the ESPN Zone’s interactive
Sports Arena.
BEFORE THE RACE WITH DRIVER KEVIN HARVICK:
Your stats seem to speak for themselves in Las Vegas, with one
win, four top-five and five top-10 finishes in seven starts. You
were in Las Vegas for preseason testing, how was that test
session? “Yes,
Vegas we had a good test session when we were there. We had a
little tire trouble, not everyone did, but we had some trouble
on our cars. The corner speeds are so much faster than they used
to be, 14 or 15 mph faster than the Cup cars through the center
of the corner. As you make the run, the car gets a little tight
and the track is a little rough so you have to do a few more
things than you normally do. It was really cool when we tested,
so I think as we return, depending on the weather, things could
be dramatically different.”
Is
the new spacer in the Nationwide Series cars to make sure they
do not overshadow the new Cup car with faster speeds? “The
Cup cars are actually faster on the straight-a-ways than the
older cars. The Nationwide cars are faster in the corners, but I
think the reason for the spacers was to save the owners some
money and run the motors in a couple of races. So that was the
intention of the rule, to lower the RPM and save everyone a
little money.”
How
dramatically different is the Nationwide car? “It
feels like you gain speed going into the corners. The
cars are so fast through the corners it feels like you go faster
as you get into the corners than down the straight-a-ways. It’ll
be interesting to see how things shake out and how the racing
actually is. Qualifying will probably be really close. You will
have a lot of moving and shaking as the race starts because the
handling of the car still means something as you go through the
runs because you are really close to wide open and you want to
try to keep that through the run. The runs are a little shorter
because of the smaller fuel cells, everyone is at the 18-gallon
fuel cells now. A lot of things are different and it’s a lot of
different things to take in in a short amount of time. The Cup
cars are 14 m.p.h. slower in the corners and 14 m.p.h. faster on
the straight-a-ways than the Nationwide cars, so it balances
itself out.”
RACE
PREP WITH CREW CHIEF WALLY ROGERS:
The chassis being used in Las Vegas is brand new with the
exception of testing during the preseason. How do you think this
car will be when you return this weekend? “We
tested chassis No. 039 at Las Vegas earlier in the season and
overall had a good test session and learned a lot of
information, especially on the second day. When we return this
weekend, it shouldn’t be as cold as it was during the test
session which could ultimately be a factor.”
What
is your goal heading to Las Vegas with Harvick behind the wheel?
“Our
goal is the same as it is each week, to go to each track, race
competitively, finish in the top 10 and contend for wins. This
week in Las Vegas will be no different, we will look to run good
and gain momentum as we move forward through the season.”
About FreedomRoads & Camping World:
FreedomRoads & Camping World is America’s largest RV and outdoor
retailer serving a brisk and growing demand for the RV
lifestyle. After having successfully co-located for several
years at selected locations, FreedomRoads, a dynamic national
network of well-established local and regional RV dealerships
and Camping World, America’s largest direct marketer and
specialty retailer of RV and outdoor camping accessories,
service and RV sales, joined together to provide consumers with
greater choice, convenience and value. Today, with revenues
exceeding $1.7 billion, the company serves RV enthusiasts with
more than 130 retail locations.
In addition to the sale, finance and service of recreational
vehicles and specialty retail, FreedomRoads & Camping World
also
provides expanded products and services to enhance and protect
the RV lifestyle. This includes: the President's Club customer
loyalty program; in-store Performance Centers featuring RV and
Car Insurance and Roadside Assistance Service; Camping World RV
Institute technical certification/training program; Goodwill
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Camp Club USA. | 
