MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 28, 2010) — Kevin Harvick pulled off the perfect weekend in the Kroger/Tide Chevrolet Silverado, scoring his second consecutive win in 2010 and fourth consecutive win after leading both practices and starting first in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
After leading the weekend’s two practice sessions by laying down fastest lap times of 19.998 seconds (94.690 MPH) and 19.978 seconds (94.784 MPH) respectively, Kevin Harvick was granted the number one starting position when rain cancelled qualifying and the field was set by 2009 Owner’s points.
Upon taking the green flag, Harvick immediately pulled ahead of the pack, gaining a 2.1 second lead and encroaching on the back of the field within the first 10 laps. Harvick went on to lead the first 80 laps of the 250-lap race in dominant fashion as competitors battled fiercely behind him.
With a nearly perfect-handling truck, the No. 2 Kroger/Tide team, led by returning veteran crew chief Butch Hylton, made only minor adjustments when the team entered the pits for the first time during the race’s third caution, removing a round of wedge and making an air-pressure adjustment. Following the restart, Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) teammate, Ron Hornaday took over the lead on lap 81, leading nine laps before surrendering the lead back to his team co-owner. When the team pitted for four tires and fuel under the sixth caution of the day on lap 135, the No. 2 was the first truck out of the pits, but six trucks employing pit strategy chose to stay out, resulting in a seventh-place restart for Harvick and marking the first time the race was not led by a KHI entry.
Restarting on lap 139, it took only one lap for Harvick to advance to sixth, and by lap 145 the Kroger/Tide Chevrolet was in the fourth position. Methodically picking off his competitors, Harvick regained the lead on lap 190 and maintained it until the checkered flag. After working closely together on the final restart, Ron Hornaday’s No. 33 Longhorn Moist Snuff Chevrolet finished second, giving KHI its fourth one-two finish in the Truck Series.
“I’m really proud of our Kroger/Tide team, our truck was very good on the racetrack,” said co-owner/driver Kevin Harvick. “Our guys worked really well together and we were great all day. The guys built this truck in only 15 days from start to finish, and we really didn’t have to do anything to it throughout the entire race. Our two teams communicated well on that final restart and I’m glad we were able to pull off a one-two finish. Overall, it was a very good day for our team and our company.”
Harvick’s Kroger 250 win was his second of 2010, and his fourth consecutive victory in races entered. Harvick will attempt to match Ron Hornaday’s 2009 feat of five consecutive victories when the Truck Series competes at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway on Friday, April 2.
STATS RECAP
Race Info
March 27, 2010
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Race: 3 of 25
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Started: 1st
Finished: 1st
Laps Led: 187
Race length: 250 Laps/131.5 Miles
Track layout: 0.526-mile
Shape: Oval
Next on the Truck Series Schedule:
Date: April 2, 2010
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
Event Name: Nashville 200