DRIVER: Kevin Harvick / No. 88 Great Clips Chevrolet RACE: Blue Jeans Go Green 200 (200 laps / 200 miles) TRACK: Phoenix International Raceway
DATE: Saturday, March 1, 2014
Quotes | Kevin Harvick
“I’m really looking forward to getting to Phoenix and working with the JRM guys for the first time. We have high goals for this season with our program over there, and I anticipate hitting the ground running this weekend with a chance to win right out of the box.”
Notes | No. 88 Team
JRM DEBUT: Phoenix marks Kevin Harvick’s first NASCAR Nationwide Series race for JR Motorsports. The two-time series champion is currently slated for 13 NNS races this season, including six of the season’s first eight races.
PHOENIX PHENOM: Harvick’s nine victories at Phoenix International Raceway across NASCAR’s three national series are tied for most all time (Kyle Busch). His NNS resume at the track includes one victory, 15 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 21 starts. His most recent NASCAR victory came in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visit to the one-mile facility in November 2013.
CONSISTENTLY CONTENDING: In 24 combined NNS starts over the past two seasons, Harvick tallied three wins, 17 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. At Phoenix alone, Harvick scored 15 top-10 finishes in his past 16 starts, with a nine-race stretch of top-five finishes from 2007 to 2012.
IT’S GONNA BE GREAT: Great Clips, the world’s largest hair salon brand, will be featured as primary sponsor of Harvick’s No. 88 Chevrolet at Phoenix. Returning for its second year with JR Motorsports, Great Clips will also serve as an associate partner on Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet this season.
NO. 5/88 TEAM: Led by veteran crew chief Ernie Cope, the No. 5/88 currently plans to run a part-time schedule with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick. Earnhardt Jr. piloted the No. 88 Chevrolet to an 11th-place finish at Daytona and will be back behind the wheel at Las Vegas (March 8) before the team makes the change to No. 5 with Harvick at Bristol (March 15). The team is working to fill out inventory for the remainder of the season with additional drivers.
FINE-TUNED: JR Motorsports is debuting a new podcast on Dirty Mo Radio this week called “JRM 360 The Podcast.” It will air each Friday throughout the season and feature the personalities of JR Motorsports. Regan Smith will be the first guest on “JRM 360 The Podcast” this Friday.