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Gateway: Kevin Harvick NASCAR Nationwide Race Recap
Returning to Gateway International Raceway for the first time since 2006, Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Jimmy John’s Chevrolet dominated the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 before a fuel mileage miscalculation relegated the team to a 17th-place finish.
Starting the race from the third position, Harvick moved into the lead on lap three and with a ‘freaky fast’ Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, quickly began to extend his lead over the second place car of Brad Keselowski. With a fast car and happy with the handling, Harvick continued to run the fastest laps on the track, extending his lead to over two seconds by lap 20.
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With the race continuing to run under green-flag conditions, crew chief Ernie Cope made the call to bring Harvick down pit road on lap 58 for the first scheduled stop of the evening. The team changed four tires, added fuel and made an air-pressure adjustment to the front tires to help with the handling of the car. As pit stops cycled through the field, Harvick was eventually shuffled back to the second position on lap 65 behind eventual race winner Kyle Busch.
As the race continued, several cautions slowed the race before Harvick regained the lead on lap 93 as the caution flag waved. The team opted to bring Harvick down pit road for four tires and fuel. The race restarted on lap 99 with Harvick in the 11th position as teams began to try varying pit strategies.
With a mission to get back to the front, Harvick moved into the top five on lap 107 and was once again scored as the leader on lap 129.
Stretching the lead of the No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet to over one second from second-place contender Busch and leading a race high 105 laps, Harvick looked poised to continue his success at the track he won his first Nationwide Seires race until he radioed the team on lap 171 that he was out of fuel. Making his way to pit road, the team changed two tires and added fuel. Returning to the race after losing three laps to the leaders, Harvick was able to cross the finish line in the 17th position.
Kyle Busch won his first race at Gateway International Raceway, followed by Reed Sorenson, Carl Edwards, Mike Bliss and Brad Coleman.
STATS RECAP
July 18, 2009
Gateway International Raceway
Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250
Race: 19 of 35
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Started: 3rd
Finished: 17th
Owner’s Point Standings: 5th (+/- 0 spots, 449 points out of 1st)
Race length: 200 laps/250 miles
Banking: 11-degrees in turns 1 and 2
9-degrees in turns 3 and 4
3-degrees on the straight-a-ways
Track layout: 1.25 miles
Shape: Oval
Number of Laps Led: Three times for 105 laps.
Number of Race Cautions: 7 for 34 Laps
First Practice: 16th (33.984 seconds; 132.415 mph)
Final Practice: 9th (33.540 seconds; 134.168 mph)
Qualifying: 3rd (33.278 seconds; 135.224 mph)
Next on the Nationwide Series Schedule:
Date: July 25, 2009
Track: O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis
Event Name: Kroger 200
Driver: Ron Hornaday
Sponsor: Vlasic Pickles
PaddockTalk Perspective
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