RETURN TO SITE OF FIRST WIN: In 2000 Kevin Harvick began his rookie season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and scored his first career win at Gateway International Raceway. The victory not only marked his first NASCAR Nationwide Series win, but also his first win in NASCAR’s top-three series (Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup). Since winning at Gateway in 2000, Harvick has gone on to score 33 Nationwide Series victories with his most recent coming earlier this season at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

ST. LOUIS BOUND: With a three-year hiatus, Kevin Harvick returns to Gateway International Raceway for the first time since 2006 behind the wheel of the No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet. Having only three previous starts at the track, Harvick has an average starting position of 3.0 and an average finishing position of 2.3 on the strength of two wins and three top-five finishes. Harvick has completed all 600 laps attempted and has led 221 of those laps.

This marks the first race where Harvick will pilot a Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) car at Gateway, with his previous three starts being for Richard Childress Racing (RCR).

LOOKING FOR NO. 3: Harvick, who won the Nationwide Series races in 2000 and 2001, will look to become the only driver to win three Nationwide Series events at Gateway, to set himself apart from three other drivers who have also scored two wins each at the track: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998, 1999), Reed Sorenson (2005, 2007) and Carl Edwards (2006, 2008).

KHI’S IN-HOUSE SUCCESSES AT GATEWAY: In addition to Harvick’s success, several others at KHI have also had success at Gateway Internationl Raceway. KHI General Manager Rick Carelli won the first Truck Series race at the track in 1998 and 10 years later, spotting for KHI’s No. 33 Truck Series team with Ron Hornaday, he helped guide Hornaday to his first Truck Series win at Gateway. In 2006 Cale Gale won his first Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) race, and by the end of that year was driving for KHI.

BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER KEVIN HARVICK:
With your success at Gateway International Raceway, what does it mean to you to return this year in the No. 33 Jimmy John’s car? “Gateway has been a great track to me over the years. I have two wins in only three Nationwide Series starts and look forward to continuing that success this time around with the No. 33 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet. Gateway is a very unique track with two completely different sets of corners, which makes for some great racing that the fans will enjoy.”