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Kevin Harvick Richmond International Reaceway 05.02.08 Post Race Report

Monday May 5, 2008

 

Kevin Harvick
No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Lipton Tea 250 Race Recap

Harvick Finishes Second at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (May 5, 2008) — Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Rheem Chevrolet team led 98 laps and earned a strong second-place finish at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (RIR) in Friday night’s Lipton Tea 250. Harvick was leading and seemed to be on his way to his first victory in the Nationwide Series driving for his own KHI team until a caution flag on lap 239 slowed the field. The No. 33 team chose to stay on track while the teams from fourth-place back opted to change four tires. The new tires were the difference, as Denny Hamlin passed Harvick for the lead on lap 242 and took the victory in his home state.

“Tonight was a good night for our team,” said Harvick. “I’m proud of everybody on this Rheem Chevrolet team. The pit crew guys have been working hard, and what a turnaround from the first week on pit road. They got us the lead tonight and were able to make the car better as the night went on. We lost as a team tonight. We did everything right, we just came up a little bit short. On that late yellow, if we came to the pits, the other cars behind us would have stayed out. I was hoping more guys were going to stay out with us, but when the fourth-place car stops for new tires, I knew we were a sitting duck. If we keep running like that, good things will keep coming our way. We went down racing and that’s all you can ask for.”

The No. 33 KHI Rheem team started the race from the sixth position, and Harvick moved forward to second place by lap 50. With good pit stops and a fast car, Harvick remained in second behind leader Carl Edwards for more than 90 laps, patiently waiting for later in the race to make a charge.

With the race under caution for the third time on lap 143, the Rheem team, led by crew chief Wally Rogers, made a quick pit stop allowing Harvick to exit pit road with the lead.

Leading the next 98 laps, Harvick was the quickest car on the track. Unfortunately, a late caution period played havoc with Harvick’s hopes for his first KHI win in the Nationwide Series. Eventual winner Denny Hamlin pitted for four tires and was able to pass Harvick for the lead on lap 242, with Harvick holding on to second place to the finish.

The team gained one position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Point standings heading into Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, where Harvick looks for not only his first win in a KHI car, but his first win on the track “too tough to tame.”

STATS RECAP

May 2, 2008
Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (RIR)
Lipton Tea 250

Race: 11 of 35
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Started: 6th
Finished: 2nd
Owner’s Point Standings: 5th (+1 spot)

Race length: 250 laps/187.5 miles
Banking: 14-degrees in turns 8-degrees on the frontstretch 2-degrees on the backstretch
Track layout: .75 mile
Shape: D-shaped Oval
Number of Laps Led: One time: 98 laps
Number of Race Cautions: 8
Final Practice: 18th (21.930 seconds; 123.119 mph)
Qualifying: 6th (21.694 seconds; 124.458 mph)

Next on Nationwide Series Schedule:

Date: May 9, 2008
Track: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
Event Name: Diamond Hill Plywood 200
Driver: Kevin Harvick

Broadcast Time: 7:00 p.m., ET on ESPN2 and MRN Radio

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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Kim DeHaven.

 

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