This Week’s Budweiser-Rheem Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 391 from the Richard Childress Racing Sprint Cup Series stable. This chassis was built new for competition in 2012, and was driven by Harvick earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway where he finished 11th and ninth, respectively.
Going for a Loop in the Queen City ... Since the implementation of NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics in 2006, Harvick has competed in seven Sprint All-Star races. The 2007 event winner ranks second in Closers (moving up 14 positions in the last 10 percent of laps), fifth in Laps Led (43) and sixth in Green Flag Passes (206).
The Ultimate Experience ... On Tuesday, May 15 Harvick will head to Fairfax, Va., to support friend and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor, Donald “Cowboy” Corrone. Harvick will accompany Cowboy out of the locker room to the octagon and witness the matchup against Jeremy Stephens from Cowboy’s corner. To catch the action tune into Fuel TV at 8 p.m. ET or follow on Twitter at @UFC and @FUELTV.
2012 Pit Crew Challenge ... The No. 29 team will participate in the eighth annual Sprint Pit Crew Challenge, kicking off the 2012 All-Star Week. Three members of the No. 29 team, Austin Craven (front tire carrier), Jason Pulver (front tire changer) and Dustin Necaise (rear tire changer), won individual awards during the 2011 event. The Craven/Pulver team set a record time of 13.901 seconds during last year’s event and hopes to carry that momentum into the challenge Thursday night. The competition begins at 7 p.m. ET on May 17 at Bobcats Arena. The event’s finishing order determines pit selection for the Sprint All-Star Race. Tickets for the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling the Charlotte Bobcats ticket office at 800-745-3000.
Grow One. Save a Million ... The Bakersfield, Calif., native and the No. 29 team will take part in Budweiser’s “Grow One. Save a Million.” pledge to help save a million gallons of water for World Environment Day (June 5) by not shaving. On average, men use five gallons of water each time they shave. So, Budweiser is asking men to grow a beard as long as they can and make their pledge on Budweiser’s Facebook page. Additionally, those who can’t grow a beard can pledge to turn off the tap while brushing their teeth for two weeks or shorten their showers by 20 minutes total over the span of two weeks.
Racing for Education ... Midland, N.C., Mayor Kathy Kitts will be a Harvick fan for the next two weeks. Her town was paired with the driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Charlotte Motor Speedway’s May Race to Education program, which randomly matched up competitors in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with area community leaders vying for a chance at $40,000 in educational grants. If Harvick wins the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race or the Coca-Cola 600, Midland will receive the $20,000 zMAX Race to Education award.
Gotta Have a Rheem ... Rheem will return for their fourth appearance of the 2012 season and join Budweiser as co-primary sponsors this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Rheem is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta and U.S. operations in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Minnesota and North Carolina. In its 86th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Rheem, Raypak, Ruud and Richmond have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing.
2012 FAN DAY ... Harvick is scheduled to participate in an autograph session at Childress Vineyards on May 25 beginning at 2 p.m. ET with Richard Childress and fellow RCR teammates Jeff Burton and Paul Menard at the ‘12 FAN DAY co-hosted by the RCR Museum and Childress Vineyards. For more information, visit rcrracing.com.
Looking Back ...After starting the non-points race from the 10th position, Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser-Realtree Chevrolet team took home a ninth-place finish in the 2011 Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway after battling handling problems throughout a majority of the 100-lap event.
In the Rearview Mirror: Darlington Raceway ... Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team collected a 16th-place finish in the Southern 500 after battling handling issues at Darlington Raceway. Harvick now sits eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship driver point standings.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
Is it a relief taking a break from points racing to compete in the All-Star race?
“It is. Our All-Star race is a lot different than other sports. With the All-Star race they put a million dollars in front of you. Anytime they put that much money in front of anybody it’s going to cause things to rise to another level. Take the points away from that and you really have some unique scenarios that come up. It’s always fun when you know there is really nothing on the line but to win. If you do, then usually there is a big check waiting for you at the end so that gives you some bragging rights and a lot of money.”
What’s the biggest challenge about getting around Charlotte Motor Speedway?
“Charlotte (Motor Speedway) is just one of those places that you have to have everything going well. Especially the All-Star event it seems like everybody brings their latest and greatest stuff to see if it will make it through the inspection line and not blow up. That means you have to have your best stuff there and you have to put a night together with all the short segments this year and the bonuses for trying to win the segments you’ve got to try to make something happen. It’s just a unique race.”
What do you think of the format (of the All-Star race)? Where do you want to be at the end?
“Well, you want to win one of the segments to try to have the track position. If you can do that it will take some pressure off that last pit stop. If you don’t win one of those segments the best you’re going to do is fifth going into the last segment. It’s a unique format. I think you could spin it 100 different ways and it would still be the All-Star race.”