Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Barber Foods team finished second after battling handling issues and lapped traffic during the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. The Bakersfield, Calif., native started the 200-lap event from the fourth position and quickly reported the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was too tight in the corners of the 1.058-mile track. The team worked on the car’s handling during their first scheduled pit stop on lap 82 taking four tires, fuel and making chassis and air pressure adjustments. Back on the track, Harvick maintained a position within the top 10 but reported the Barber Foods Chevrolet became increasingly loose during the long green-flag run that followed. Throughout the course of multiple scheduled two and four-tire pit stops, the team found the right combination of adjustments for their driver, allowing Harvick to move toward the front of the field, taking over the lead on lap 155. As the final laps wound down, the two-time Nationwide Series champion continued to increase his lead over the field until interference from lapped traffic slowed his pace, allowing the No. 22 car to move around him with 21 laps remaining. With the remainder of the race run under green-flag conditions, Harvick was unable to regain the lead and ultimately crossed the finish line in the second position.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“I’m really proud of the No. 33 Barber Foods team and the effort they put in today. We had a great car and a great chance at winning this race. I hate that a car that was many laps down to the leader cost us track position at the end, but that’s racing.”