Kevin Harvick
No. 33 Rheem “Sun Runner” Chevrolet Impala SS
Able Body Labor 200 Race Recap

Harvick Continues Strong Weekend for KHI with Second-Place Finish
Fifth Top-10 Finish in Five Nationwide Starts for KHI

PHOENIX, Ariz. (November 16, 2009) — Fresh off his fourth career Truck Series victory at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) on Friday evening, Kevin Harvick climbed behind the wheel of the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Rheem “Sun Runner” Chevrolet for the Nationwide Series Able Body Labor 200 Saturday afternoon. Starting the race from the third position, Harvick ran the entire race in the top four before finishing second. The finish marked Harvick’s 11th top-10 finish in 15 Nationwide starts at PIR and his fifth top-10 finish in five starts for KHI.

“Our Rheem ‘Sun Runner’ Chevrolet was really good this weekend,” said Harvick following the checkered flag. “From the time the guys unloaded, we were good. I wish we could have come up one spot better, but it was still a good day for the team. Great job to Ernie (Cope, crew chief) and the guys.”

Ready to repeat his Friday night win, Harvick started the race from the third position and quickly realized he had a car capable of competing up front in the 200-lap event. Settling into his position, Harvick ran laps equal to leaders Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards through the first caution on lap seven. Radioing the team that the car was not bad, Harvick restarted the race on lap 12 from the third spot.

Continuing to run in the third position, it became clear that passing would be hard on the one-mile track. Working towards second-place Edwards, Harvick was able to make the pass on lap 37 as the car became a little tight in the middle of the turns and loose off.

With a long green-flag run and cars on the lead lap dwindling, the No. 33 team began to prepare for their first scheduled stop of the day under green-flag conditions. As crew chief Ernie Cope prepared to bring Harvick down pit road on lap 78, the caution flag waved on lap 77 for debris. Taking full advantage of the caution, the team pitted for four fresh tires with an air-pressure adjustment and fuel. With a solid stop, Harvick restarted the race on lap 83 from the third spot.

Quickly after the restart, the caution waved again on lap 91 followed by another caution on lap 97 for a multi-car accident that resulted in the race being red flagged for track officials to clean the track.

With the race back under green on lap 104, Harvick moved back into the second position on lap 105 and settled in behind race leader and eventual winner Edwards. With the handling of the car becoming too loose, Harvick was able to maintain his position as Edwards pulled away to over a five second lead by lap 150.

Harvick opted to make his final stop of the race on lap 152 under caution for four tires with another air-pressure adjustment and fuel. Restarting the race from the third position on lap 155, Harvick wasted no time moving back into second. Several laps later, the final caution of the day waved and opting for track position, the team stayed out on track to restart the race from the second position on lap 163. Unable to pass the dominant car of Edwards, Harvick finished the 200-lap event in the second position.

Edwards won the race followed by Harvick, Reed Sorenson, Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski.

STATS RECAP

November 14, 2009
Phoenix International Raceway
Able Body Labor 200

Race: 34 of 35
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Started: 3rd
Finished: 2nd
Owner’s Point Standings: 4th (+/- 0 spots, 693 points out of 1st)
Race length: 200 laps/200 miles
Banking: 11-degrees in turns 1and 2
9-degrees in turns 3 and 4
3-degrees on the frontstretch
9-degrees on the backstretch
Track layout: 1 mile
Shape: Tri-Oval
Number of Race Cautions: 6 for 29 Laps
Red Flag: One Time for 13 minutes, 18 seconds
First Practice: 8th (27.793 seconds; 129.529 mph)
Final Practice: 19th (28.159 seconds; 127.845 mph)
Qualifying: 3rd (27.125 seconds; 132.719 mph)

Next on the Nationwide Series Schedule:

Date: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Event Name: Ford 300
Driver: Ryan Newman
Sponsor: Copart

Broadcast Time: 4:00 p.m., ET on ESPN2 and 4:00 p.m., ET on MRN Radio