This Week’s Rheem/Menards Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 520 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable, which was built new for competition in 2012. This chassis was first put to use when Tony Stewart captured an eighth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in February. Harvick then drove this Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway in May where he collected a 22nd-place finish after being caught up in a late-race incident.
Nationwide Back-to-Back ... Friday night’s event at the 2.5-mile superspeedway will mark Harvick’s seventh of 14 scheduled Nationwide Series appearances, and second of three back-to-back races, in the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet. In his first six Nationwide Series starts of the 2012 season, the 36-year-old driver has collected four top-five and five top-10 finishes.
Sunshine State Racing ... Harvick has made 18 Nationwide Series starts during his NASCAR career at Daytona International Speedway, collecting three pole awards, one victory (February 2007), 12 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. He has completed 100 percent of the laps contested and holds an average starting position of 9.1 and an average finishing position of 6.5.
Going for a Loop ... According to NASCAR’s Data Loop Statistics, created in 2006, Harvick holds solid stats at the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based facility in the Nationwide Series. The two-time series champion has an average Driver Rating of 106.6 placing him third in the category. Harvick also ranks third in Green Flag Passes (1,455) and Laps in the Top 15 (1,156). The 36-year-old driver has led 113 laps, ranking him fourth in the category. He also sits fifth in Fastest Driver Early in a Run (186.174) and Fastest Laps Run (49).
Get to the Points ... The No. 33 RCR Chevrolet team sits fourth in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 42 points behind the No. 18 team. The No. 33 team has collected seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes between five different drivers (Stewart, Harvick, Brendan Gaughan, Paul Menard, Ty Dillon and Max Papis) thus far this season.
About Rheem ... Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) 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, and is a primary sponsor of RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
In the Rearview Mirror: Kentucky Speedway ... Harvick and the No. 33 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet team finished third in the Nationwide Series event at Kentucky Speedway Friday night despite battling a persistent loose-handling condition.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on driving the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway?
“I’m looking forward to climbing back into the driver’s seat of the Rheem/Menards Chevrolet this weekend at Daytona (International Speedway). The team and I ran well last weekend in Kentucky, I was really hoping for a win, but we just couldn’t get the car where we needed it to be. I have a good track record at Daytona (International Speedway) and really enjoy competing there, so I’m hoping we can capitalize on the momentum we picked up last week and make things happen this weekend.”