Kevin Harvick going to third Chicago win to kick off Chase

HARVICK IS 10/1 TO WIN THIS WEEK AND 18/1 TO WIN THE CHASE

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Budweiser Designate a Driver Chevrolet SS at Chicagoland Speedway …Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 430 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the GIEICO 400. This Chevrolet is new to the No. 29 team rotation and is scheduled to be on track for the first time this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

Chi-Town Stats … Since the 2001 season, Harvick has made 12 Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval. In those previous appearances, the California native has collected two victories, the first during the inaugural event in 2001 and again in 2002, six top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The RCR driver holds an average starting position of 18.8, a 10.5 average finishing position, has completed 99.5 percent (3,190 of 3,207) of the laps contested and has 282 laps led to his credit.

Designate a Driver … Harvick’s No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet will feature a special “Designate a Driver” paint scheme this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway in support of Anheuser-Busch’s worldwide effort to promote the responsible enjoyment of the company’s beers on ”Global Be(er) Responsible Day” on Friday, Sept. 20. Adults are encouraged to join Harvick, the No. 29 Budweiser Designate a Driver team and the Nation of Responsible drinkers by taking the pledge at www.NationOfResponsibleDrinkers.com.

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Begins … Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway kicks off the 10-race 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Harvick is tied with Carl Edwards for the fourth seed in the standings and is six points out of the top spot.

Chase Across America … As the top 12 drivers head to different markets this week as part of NASCAR’s “Chase Across America” program, Harvick will visit Texas Motor Speedway onWednesday, Sept. 11 to help promote next month’s AAA Texas 500. After spending a day with media members and local first responders, he will travel to Chicago where he and the other Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will participate in media interviews and the NASCAR Contenders Live fan event on Thursday, Sept. 12 at the Navy Pier at 1:30 p.m. Central Time. Fans can purchase tickets to the event for $10, with proceeds benefiting the NASCAR Foundation. For those unable to attend, NASCAR.com will air the broadcast beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT. For additional information, visit NASCAR.com/ContendersLive.

Seeing Double … In addition to driving the No. 29 Budweiser Designate a Driver Chevrolet SS inSunday afternoon’s race, Harvick will pilot the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday, Sept. 14. This race is scheduled to air live on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, along with the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Meet the Driver … Harvick is scheduled to stop by the Joliet Race Fan Rally on Thursday, Sept. 12 in downtown Joliet, Ill., from 6 to 7 p.m. Central Time for a fan question-and-answer session. Following his stop in Joliet, the RCR driver will make his way to the Menards store in Homer Glen, Ill., to sign autographs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. CT.

Race Rewind … Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Designate a Driver team scored a 12th-place finish in last year’s GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, after starting from the 35th position and battling handling issues throughout the 267-lap event.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

What are your thoughts coming back to Chicagoland Speedway and kicking off the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup?
“I really like tracks like Chicagoland (Speedway) where the surface is a little bit worn out, because it makes for better racing. We were fortunate to win the first couple of races here, so Chicagoland has always been a really good race track for us as far as fans and following, too. DeLana (Harvick, wife) and I always enjoy coming in early for the Chase kick off, going into the city and having a couple of low key days before the weekend gets started.”

Talk about the Goodyear tire test you participated in at Chicagoland Speedway in May. Did the team learn anything they can use for the race this weekend?
“We had a really good test. Obviously a lot has changed since then from a setup standpoint because we’ve been trying out some different things recently, but I think we’re a little bit ahead of the curve going into this weekend. I feel pretty good about it. I think it’ll be a good weekend.”

- Richard Childress Racing