Catchfence

“Continues to Chase Elusive First-Career Win at the ‘Beast of the Southeast’”

CONCORD, N.C. (October 16, 2010) - Returning from the West Coast to the hub of NASCAR, the Nationwide Series took to the track at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Friday night for 200 laps of action in the final Nationwide Series new car race of the 2010 season. Looking for his first-career win at the 1.5-mile track, Kevin Harvick started the Dollar General 300 from the 14th position and piloted the No. 33 Rheem Tankless Water Heaters Chevrolet to a 10th-place finish.

“We had a good car,” said Harvick following the race. “Unfortunately, we had a plan and things did not fall our way and we ended up in traffic that affected the handling of the car. The guys have done a great job building the new cars and we’ve been solid every time we’ve competed in them this season, including winning the new car race at Richmond from the pole.”

Starting the race from the 14th position, Harvick quickly radioed crew chief Ernie Cope under the first two early cautions that the car was too loose.

Settling in for a long green-flag run, Harvick made his way to the 10th position when teams began to hit pit road for the first scheduled stops of the night. Slowing the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet on lap 55, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel, a track-bar and air-pressure adjustment to help tighten the handling of the car. As green-flag stops cycled through the field, Harvick was scored in the 14th position on lap 61 as he informed Cope that the car was now looser than the previous run.

Several laps later on lap 63, the caution waved for a spin on the frontstretch. Harvick opted to pit again for fuel and a wedge adjustment. The race restarted on lap 70 with Harvick 12th.

After letting the team know that the changes made to the car so far had not helped the handling, two quick cautions allowed Harvick to again pit on lap 82. When Harvick came to pit road from the ninth position, the team reversed the previous wedge adjustment, made a track-bar adjustment, added fuel and put on four fresh tires. Harvick restarted the race on lap 85 from 17th.

With the race continuing under a long-green flag period, Harvick was able to make his way to 10th on lap 119 when the field began to make green-flag stops. Having pitted off sequence of the leaders, Harvick was able to stay on track longer and moved into the lead on lap 145 before making his final scheduled stop for four tires, fuel and another track-bar adjustment. After pit stops cycled through the field, Harvick was ninth on lap 147.

Able to make it to the end of the race on fuel, the team was hoping for another long green-flag run, but the field again slowed on lap 154 when NASCAR slowed the field to correct a penalty which had been mistakenly assigned to another competitor. Opting to stay on track with eventual race winner Brad Keselowski, who was on the same pit strategy as Harvick, the race restarted on lap 160 with Harvick in the second position.

Slipping a few spots, Harvick was scored in the sixth position on lap 183 when the caution waved. The team decided to pit for the final time for four tires and no gas. Harvick restarted the race 11th on lap 186, with the final caution waving two laps later. Restarting the race 12th, Harvick was able to gain two positions to finish the Dollar General 300 10th.

Keselowski won his fifth race of the year followed by Martin Truex Jr., Justin Allgaier, Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer.

About Rheem:

Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is a privately held company with headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. In its 81st year of operation, the company distributes throughout North America and world markets an award-winning line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating, cooling, water heating, whole-home standby generators, controls, pool and spa heaters, indoor air purification products and commercial boilers.

The nation’s leading consumer products review magazine recently reported that Rheem products have been rated most reliable among all leading brands by tens of thousands of consumers. The premium brands of Rheem Manufacturing Company include Ruud, Raypak and Rheem. Rheem Manufacturing Company is the primary sponsor of Kevin Harvick Inc.’s No. 33 Chevrolet Nationwide® Series car and is an associate sponsor of KHI’s No 33 truck in the Camping World Truck Series.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.:

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release