BOWYER ON BOARD: Driver Clint Bowyer will kick-off the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Impala for Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) on February 19 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Bowyer has two preview starts with KHI in the Nationwide Series at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in 2004. The Emporia, Kansas native will compete in nine events this season in the No. 33 Rheem machine.
DAYTONA SUCCESS: KHI is no stranger to success at Daytona. The team returns to the newly resurfaced 2.5-mile superspeedway as the defending race winner. Tony Stewart drove the No. 4 Ritz/Oreo Chevrolet Impala to victory lane last February giving KHI their third season-opening win. Behind the wheel of the No. 33 car, Stewart grabbed KHI’s first win in the Nationwide Series in the 2005. The following year, Stewart not only claimed victory again but also gave KHI its first one-two finish as the No. 77 KHI Chevrolet Impala placed a close second behind the No. 33.
Bowyer also knows his way to Daytona’s victory lane. After starting from the pole, the driver led 48 laps en route to winning the July Nationwide Series event in 2009. This season’s opener will mark Bowyer’s 12th-career series start at the track. In addition to a win, he has collected seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Bowyer has completed 99.9 percent of laps attempted and has an average finishing position of 6.7.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: In 2011, KHI will celebrate their 10th year of competition in NASCAR. Team co-owner Kevin Harvick made KHI’s first start in the Truck Series event at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in 2001, narrowly missing the win by inches to series veteran Jack Sprague. Ten years later Kevin and DeLana Harvick have two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships to their credit and multiple wins with a host of drivers to boast in their over 80,000 square foot facility in Kernersville, North Carolina. During 2011 all KHI vehicles will carry a commemorative decal as the company celebrates their accomplishments over the last 10 years.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Rheem team will utilize chassis No. 067 this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Chassis No. 067 is a new chassis that has undergone extensive testing in the wind tunnel during the off season.
NEW TO THE RHEEM TEAM:
Driver Scott Speed will join the KHI family and the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet team for two Nationwide Series races this season. Speed will pilot the No. 33 car at Iowa Speedway on August 6 and at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on August 20. Speed made 13 starts in the Nationwide Series in 2009. He collected one pole and posted eight top-10 finishes.
BOWYER’S THOUGHTS ON DAYTONA:
What are your thoughts going into the race at Daytona International Speedway?
“I’m really excited to get behind the wheel of this No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet this season. KHI builds quality equipment and they’ve shown they are definitely competitive every weekend. I will have great teammates with Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart. Both of those guys are really good superspeedway drivers so I’ll definitely look to hook up with them. I’ve been fortunate to win at Daytona in the Nationwide Series and I’d love nothing more than to start the season right off the bat in victory lane.”