Kevin Harvick Inc. co-owner honored with Triad-area business award

Kernersville, N.C. (April 29, 2011) – Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) co-owner DeLana Harvick has been selected as a recipient of The Business Journal’s 12th-annual Women in Business award and will be honored today at a luncheon along with the other award winners in Greensboro, N.C. For over 10 years, The Business Journal’s Women in Business program has honored extraordinary businesswomen in the Triad for outstanding contributions to their profession, employers and community. Sponsored by the Bryan Series at Guilford College and NewBridge Bank, the Women in Business program recognized 15 outstanding business leaders, ranging from entrepreneurs to high-ranking executives.

“It is such an honor to be recognized by The Business Journal’s Women in Business program,” said Harvick. “Going to the race track with my dad as a child really sparked an interest in motorsports. I feel so fortunate that Kevin Harvick Inc. gives me the ability to go to work every day and do something that I love.”

Nominations were solicited from across the Triad by The Business Journal and through a range of partnerships with business organizations. A panel of judges reviewed each application, evaluated the nomination and selected honorees. Judges considered nominees’ performance in their job, their stature in their industry and their engagement in their community in selecting the honorees.

While the majority of the winners work in the Guilford and Forsyth counties, the list also spans the region, from Alamance County on the east to Davidson and Yadkin counties to the west. The honorees also reflect a great diversity of industries, ranging from financial services and health care to technology and sports.

“It is nothing short of inspiring to see what these honorees are accomplishing,” said Mark Sutter, editor of The Business Journal. “They are all extraordinarily successful in their chosen careers, and still find time to contribute to their communities in other ways – as volunteers, board members and advocates.”

Harvick grew up in racing as her father, John Paul Linville, was a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series until 1995. While she would have preferred to follow in her father’s footsteps behind the wheel, she found a successful career in motorsports public relations. Her strong work ethic and professionalism earned the Kernersville, N.C. native the respect of not only the media, but of the racing community as well.

In February of 2001, Harvick married her husband, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick. Together they formed KHI which celebrates 10 years of competition in NASCAR this season. The Harvicks have two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships to their credit and multiple wins in both the Truck Series and Nationwide Series with a host of drivers. With the support of long-time and new sponsor partners, KHI has grown to three full-time Truck Series teams and two full-time Nationwide Series teams which will compete for both the Driver and Owner championships in the two series this year.

In 2010, the duo founded the Kevin Harvick Foundation. Established to support programs that positively enrich the lives of children throughout the United States, the Kevin Harvick Foundation works not only to improve the quality of life, but to help underprivileged youth find and realize their dreams by supporting programs such as the Kevin Harvick Athletic Scholarship Fund at California State University, Bakersfield, Kevin’s Krew, Kevin Harvick Foundation Chase Your Dreams Scholarships and a camper cabin at Victory Junction.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.
Kevin HarvickInc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an over 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. KHI enters 2011 in its eighth full year of competition with three full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams and two full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series teams. With a roster comprised of both up-and-coming and veteran championship-caliber drivers, KHI will compete for the 2011 Truck Series and Nationwide Series championships and continue to establish itself as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

Race Recap | Richmond
10 Brian Vickers
9 Tony Stewart fought a tight race car
8 Jimmie Johnson battles back from a lap down
7 AJ Allmendinger
6 Clint Bowyer
5 Carl Edwards
4 David Ragan
3 Kasey Kahne
2 Denny Hamlin first top 5 since Texas last season

Victory Lane

1 Kyle Busch picks up his 21st Career Cup Series win, 3rd spring Richmond win in a row, second win this season after leading the most laps.

Other Stories on the day

-Pole sitter Juan Montoya found the wall thanks to Ryan Newman

-Kurt Busch had a flat and hit the wall

-Juan Montoya did a little payback move and wrecked Ryan Newman

-Jimmie Johnson sent Joey Logano into the wall

-Brad Keselowski got spun by Landon Cassell

-A big wreck for the 8th caution. Involved were Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Paul Menard, Mark Martin, and others. Bowyer, into Kenseth, spun Gordon who hit the inside wall hard without a safer barrier and came on the radio and said “that one hurt”

1 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 20.989 128.639
2 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet 21.031 128.382
3 33 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet 21.049 128.272
4 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota 21.069 128.150
5 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 21.085 128.053
6 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet 21.092 128.011
7 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge 21.092 128.011
8 99 Carl Edwards Scotts eZ Seed Ford 21.093 128.005
9 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota 21.097 127.980
10 27 Paul Menard Libman / Menards Chevrolet 21.101 127.956
11 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 21.130 127.780
12 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet 21.150 127.660
13 39 Ryan Newman U.S. Army Medicine Chevrolet 21.181 127.473
14 47 Bobby Labonte Kingsford / Bush’s Toyota 21.181 127.473
15 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota 21.184 127.455
16 30 David Stremme EchoStor Technologies Chevrolet 21.193 127.401
17 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet 21.201 127.352
18 43 A J Allmendinger Nautica Ford 21.204 127.334
19 00 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 21.204 127.334
20 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Pretzel Toyota 21.208 127.310

AUDIO PODCAST: RICHMOND PREVIEW SHOW WITH BRAD KESELOWSKI

21 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 21.209 127.304
22 66 Michael McDowell K Love Toyota 21.210 127.298
23 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 21.238 127.131
24 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet 21.244 127.095
25 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet 21.252 127.047
26 87 Joe Nemechek(i) AM FM Energy.com Pellet & Wood Stoves 21.256 127.023
27 6 David Ragan UPS Ford 21.257 127.017
28 38 Travis Kvapil(i) Long John Silver’s Ford 21.278 126.892
29 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet 21.279 126.886
30 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 21.280 126.880
31 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1 / Office Depot Chevrolet 21.308 126.713
32 60 Mike Skinner(i) Big Red Toyota 21.330 126.582
33 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford 21.362 126.393
34 09 Landon Cassill(i) Security Benefit / Thank a Teacher Today 21.369 126.351
35 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford 21.383 126.269
36 22 Kurt Busch Shell / Pennzoil Dodge 21.393 126.210 (WIN A KURT BUSCH DIE-CAST)
37 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 21.397 126.186
38 32 Ken Schrader H&B Railroad / FAS Lane Racing Ford 21.405 126.139
39 34 David Gilliland Gander Mountain Ford 21.443 125.915
40 46 J J Yeley Red Line Oil Chevrolet 21.516 125.488
41 71 Andy Lally # Interstate Moving Services Ford 21.629 124.832
42 7 Robby Gordon Fast Five / Speed Energy Dodge Owner Points
43 37 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Ford 21.517 125.482

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

RICHMOND, Va.—With a dominant car that led 199 laps Friday night, Denny Hamlin won the Bubba Burger 250 Nationwide Series race when the third caution of the race slowed the action after Hamlin had taken the white flag to start Lap 251.

A day after winning his own late-model charity race at his hometown .75-mile short track, Hamlin covered the field in his No. 20 Toyota and picked up his first Nationwide Series victory in his second start of the season. The win was the 11th of Hamlin’s career.

With seven laps left, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ran out of gas while running second to bring out the second caution of the evening. That enabled Hamlin to pit for fuel and tires. It also set up a two-lap sprint to the finish that took the race one lap pasted its posted distance.

Paul Menard finished second, followed series points leader Justin Allgaier, Elliott Sadler and Brad Keselowski. Those were the only cars scored on the lead lap.

“Obviously, we knew that this was a big weekend for us, to try to get things back on track on the Cup side,” said Hamlin, who is 17th in the Sprint Cup standings through eight races after finishing second in the series last year. “I needed a few good nights before the Cup race to kind of get the ball rolling.

“It’s been good so far this week. Obviously, the win last night … and then tonight was a little bit bigger. So, hopefully, we just continue that ladder.”

On the final restart on Lap 250, Menard said stayed with Hamlin until he hit fourth gear and lost ground.

“The last restart was wild, for sure,” Menard said. “I figured if I could have gotten a fender on him, I might have been able to roll around to the outside, but he got a better restart than me.”

Hamlin, who started 11th, took the lead from Carl Edwards, the pole winner, on Lap 44 and expanded it through a cycle of green-flag pit stops. By the time Kelly Bires’ spin in Turn 3 caused the first caution of the race on Lap 124, Hamlin held a nine-second lead over Aric Almirola.

Seven cars were on the lead lap at that point. That number doubled for a restart on Lap 131, thanks to a free pass for Keselowski (as the highest-scored lapped car) and wave-arounds for six other drivers who skipped pit stops in exchange for passage back to the lead lap.

Almirola took a short-lived lead on Lap 132, but Hamlin got back by the No. 88 Chevrolet five laps later and stayed out front as Stenhouse and Menard passed Almirola for second and third, respectively.

Notes: Subbing for Trevor Bayne, still hospitalized as doctors diagnose the effects of an apparent insect or tick bite, Chris Buescher finished 17th in his Nationwide Series debut. … Allgaier leads the Nationwide standings by six points over Sadler. … Adam Stevens picked up his first victory as a Nationwide crew chief.