Catchfence

No. 33 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet Impala SS

MAKING SERIES DEBUT: This weekend the Nationwide Series rolls into Iowa Speedway for the inagural NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the .875-mile track, as Kevin Harvick returns to the wheel of the No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet.

In 2007, after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race, Harvick hoped on a plane and flew to Iowa Speedway for the inagural NASCAR event at Iowa Speedway. Competing in the NASCAR Camping World East/West Series race, Harvick finished second to Joey Logano after his car experienced engine trouble.

DOUBLE-DUTY ACTION: In addition to piloting the No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, Harvick will also run the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. Harvick will fly from Pocono to Iowa on Saturday to run the US Cellualr 250 before flying back to Pocono for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race.

WISCONSIN BOUND: Following a busy weekend of racing at Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway, Harvick will go directly to Kaukauna, Wisconsin to compete in the Dixieland 150 at Wisconsin International Raceway August 4. Three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday will join his KHI boss at the track to compete in the event. For more information, please visit the American Speed Association Midwest Tour website at http://www.asamidwesttour.com.

Kevin Harvick

What are your thoughts on racing at Iowa Speedway? “I’m pretty excited about going back to Iowa Speedway for the inaugural Nationwide Series race. Rusty Wallace and his entire team have done a great job with the track. Hopefully we can put on a great show for the fans in Iowa and get our No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet ‘Freaky Fast’ and in victory lane at the end of the night.”

How will having a race under your belt at the new Iowa Speedway help you on Saturday?

“I had the opportunity to run in the NASCAR Camping World East/West race in 2007. We had a great car for most of the race, but lost a cylinder late, which caused us to finish second. However, that opportunity has given our team a good feel of what this track has to offer.”

CHASSIS HISTORY: This week the No. 33 Jimmy John’s team will unload chassis No. 036 from the KHI stables for team co-owner Kevin Harvick. This chassis has three previous starts this season. The most recent start was with Harvick at Gateway International Raceway where he started the race third, led a race high 105 laps, but ran out of fuel late in the race and finished 17th. Prior to Gateway, the only other two starts for chassis No. 036 was at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. Kelly Bires first piloted this chassis in April where he scored a fifth-place finish followed by Cale Gale who earned a 31st-place finish after being caught in a mid-race accident while running in the top 12.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: For race No. 20 of the Nationwide Series, three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday climbed behind the wheel of the No. 33 Vlasic Pickles Chevrolet at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Starting the race from the eighth position, Hornaday ran the entire race in the top nine before taking the checkered flag from the sixth position. The finish marked his fifth career top 10 at the track in the Nationwide Series.

About Jimmy John’s:

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches was founded in 1983 by 19-year-old Jimmy John Liautaud in a converted garage in Charleston, IL. Since its inception, the company has grown to over 825 corporate and franchised locations in more than 37 states throughout the U.S. The company is known for its obsession with fresh, quality products and high-speed execution. For more information, visit www.jimmyjohns.com.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001, is a 70,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. KHI houses two full-time Truck Series teams, including the 2007 series champions. The No. 33 team is led by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday and the No. 4 KHI All-Stars team is comprised of Ricky Carmichael, the most successful motocross racer in American history, J.R. Fitzpatrick and a variety of NASCAR Sprint Cup stars. KHI is also home to the No. 33 Nationwide Series team competing full-time with drivers Kevin Harvick (a two-time Nationwide Series champion), 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman, Ron Hornaday, Cale Gale and Kelly Bires. The 2009 season marks KHI’s sixth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions. Visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release