This Week’s Jimmy Johnn’s Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 371 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s Brickyard 400. This former No. 33 racer was transformed to a No. 29 entry during the off-season and will run its first competitive laps this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Freaky Fast! Freaky Good! ... Jimmy John’s joins Harvick and the No. 29 team for their fourth of six races during the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season. The 36-year-old driver made his first NASCAR appearance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2001. The Richard Childress Racing veteran driver has completed a total of 1,749 laps of the 1,761 of the total laps contested at the 2.5-mile track. Harvick has collected one win (2003), four top-five and seven top-10 finishes, one pole award (2003) and has led 92 laps at this historic track. Harvick is the only Sprint Cup Series driver to win the Brickyard 400 from the pole position.
Going for a Loop at the Brickyard ... Harvick has made seven starts at the Indianapolis-based facility since the inception of NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics in 2006. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has run 781 laps within in the Top 15 while completing 176 Quality Passes ranking him seventh in both categories. Harvick holds a 93.5 Driver Rating and an average Speed in Traffic of 167.200 mph positioning him ninth amongst his fellow competitors. The 2003 Brickyard 400 Champion has also been credited for leading 41 laps, which positions him 10th in the category of Most Laps Led.
Points Racing ... With 19 points-paying events in the books, Harvick remains sixth in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 85 markers behind the leader. Harvick has collected three top-five and nine top-10 finishes thus far this season, completing 99.76 percent (5,475 of 5,488) of the laps contested.
Find a Jimmy John’s ... Jimmy John’s, known for fresh, quality products and freaky fast service, has 21 locations in the Indianapolis area, including one less than two miles from IMS at 5945 Crawfordsville Road. Visit www.jimmyjohns.com to view the Jimmy John’s menu, find your nearest location, order online or download the Jimmy John’s mobile application.
A Little R & R ... What does a professional athlete do with an off weekend? Go to the beach? Head out west on a hunting trip? During the series second and final off weekend of the 2012 season, Harvick passed on the opportunity for a weekend getaway and volunteered for diaper duty. The first time dad spent the week at his North Carolina home getting in some quality time with his newborn son, Keelan Paul, and wife DeLana.
Meet the Press ... Harvick will be available to members of the media on Saturday, July 28 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time at the back of the No. 29 Sprint Cup Series hauler.
See the Man ... Harvick will join Team Chevy drivers on Friday, July 27 for Chevy Day at the Brickyard. The 2003 Brickyard 400 Champion will join drivers Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Danica Patrick in an autograph session beginning at 11 a.m. ET, followed by a Q&A session at 12:50 p.m. ET at the Chevy Stage located on the infield of IMS. Harvick will revisit the Chevy stage Sunday, July 29 at 10 a.m. ET for an additional Q&A Session.
Tire Testing ... Following the Brickyard 400 the No. 29 team will make their way to Michigan International Speedway to take part in the Goodyear tire test session on Monday, July 30. The team will utilize chassis No. 381 from the RCR stable, which was driven at Kentucky Speedway by Harvick in June.
The Last Time Around ... Last season, Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet team took home an 11th-place finish during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after starting the race from the 19th position, fighting a tight-handling car and gambling on pit strategy late in the race.
In the Rearview Mirror: New Hampshire Motor Speedway ... Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem team finished eighth after battling handling issues throughout the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
You have won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and hold an average a 10th-place finishing position, why do you think this track fits you so well?
“I don’t know, but it’s a good track to have fit you though. It’s been a very good race track for us over the years, for whatever reason it seems like we always run well there. Hopefully we can do the same thing this year because it’s fun a fun race to win. To experience that back in 2003 was pretty cool, and hopefully we can experience that again this year.”
After winning the Brickyard 400, do you feel you rank up there with the Indianapolis 500 winners?
“I think those are two different worlds. It’s a very small group of guys that have actually had the chance to win the race and get their name on the Brickyard 400 trophy. For me growing up, that’s what I wanted to do, I wanted to race Indy Cars and be at the Indianapolis 500. So to win at Indianapolis (Motor Speedway) during the NASCAR race is kind of a childhood dream come true.”
Talk about the pride and personal satisfaction that comes with winning marquee events like the Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500.
“We have been fortunate to win a few of the bigger, crown jewel races of our sport. To be able to do that and enjoy those particular days and put your name on those trophies is something that you want to do in your career.”