Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team co-owner and driver, Kevin Harvick, will climb behind the wheel of the No. 33 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for 22 races in the 2008 Nationwide Series season. The two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion (2006 and 2001) will bring his knowledge and experience to assist with returning Nationwide Series driver, Cale Gale.
For kindergarten graduation in 1980, Kevin received a go-kart and began his racing career. In the ten years that he competed on the go-kart circuit, Kevin earned seven National Championships and two Grand National Championships. During that time, he also learned the value of dedication and discovered the joy of success that would transform to fierce determination that defines Kevin Harvick.
Kevin left the go-kart circuit to begin competing in the local Late Model Series before moving on to the Featherlite Southwest Series – a regional touring division of NASCAR – in 1992. While completing high school, Harvick ran a limited schedule for two seasons and then in 1995 was back on track competing in a full season and earning Rookie of the Year honors.
Deciding to pursue a career in racing rather than study architecture in college, Kevin progressed to the Winston West Series. Two years later, Kevin won five races on his way to the 1998 Winston West Series championship.
A brief stint in the Truck Series introduced Kevin to acclaimed car owner Richard Childress. Childress, having seen potential in Kevin’s hard-charging driving style and offered him a ride in the Nationwide Series. Harvick accepted the offer.
In February of 2000, the blue-and-white ACDelco Monte Carlo pulled out of the garage area at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with rookie Kevin Harvick behind the wheel. A remarkable two-year campaign in the Nationwide Series had begun.
Kevin won three races and finished third in the points on his way to the Rookie of the Year title. On the track, he was known for his aggressive driving but off the track, his affable attitude and ever-present smile earned him the nickname “Happy.”
Kevin began 2001 as the favorite for the Nationwide Series title, and completed the year a Sprint Cup Series superstar. After losing Dale Earnhardt in a wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500, car owner Richard Childress asked Kevin to assume driving duties for the GM Goodwrench Service Plus Monte Carlo on the Sprint Cup circuit. Despite the intense schedule and difficulty of driving full-time in two series, Kevin agreed and began the most incredible year of his life.
For having started on such a terrible note, the 2001 racing season was one of the most memorable of Kevin’s career – both personally and professionally. On February 28, 2001, Kevin married DeLana Linville, whom he calls his “best friend,” in a beautiful Las Vegas ceremony. Despite not having time for a honeymoon, Kevin and DeLana’s first year of marriage was filled with incredible moments that DeLana called “wedding presents.”
Those “wedding presents” included two Sprint Cup wins – the first coming in Kevin’s third start – and a Nationwide Series championship, which Kevin earned on the strength of 20 top-five finishes and five wins. Kevin also earned Rookie of the Year honors on the Sprint Cup circuit, finishing ninth in the point standings.
Kevin became the first driver in NASCAR history to run full-time on both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series – a total of 70 races – in one season, and the first to be named Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year the same season that he earned the Nationwide Series championship.
In the fall of that same year, Kevin and DeLana ran their first KHI entry in the NASCAR Truck Series. The truck, built in a friend’s garage, set the stage for what is now a full-fledge racing operation. In August of 2004, Kevin and DeLana opened a 70,000 square foot facility in Kernersville, N.C., that became the home of KHI. The next year, KHI fielded its first full-time Nationwide Series team, winning the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The 2005 season was also successful for KHI’s truck team, as they finished fourth in points, winning an event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Since his start in NASCAR’s premier racing series seven years ago, Kevin has had many memorable career moments. He is currently one of only seventeen drivers who have won a race in each of the National Series (Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup) and is one of only two drivers who has won at least two races in each series.
Kevin went on to win his second Nationwide Series championship in 2006, competing in all 35 events. He recorded nine victories, 23 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes, holding an average finish of 4.6, all the while competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He earned five victories, 15 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, and finished fourth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Adding to his career highlights, Kevin finished the 2007 Nationwide Series fourth in the Owner’s Point standings after visiting victory lane six times and earning 11 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes in only 26 starts. At the same time, Kevin competed full-time in the Sprint Cup Series, finishing the season 10th in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Topping off the year, Kevin and wife DeLana became Championship Owners as Ron Hornaday and the No. 33 Camping World team claimed the 2007 NASCAR Truck Series championship.
__________________ Rome did not create a Great Empire by having meetings--- They did it by killing all people who opposed them!
Date of Birth:
December 8, 1975
Hometown:
Bakersfield, CA
Spouse:
DeLana Harvick
Children:
None
Website:
www.kevinharvick.com
• Autograph Policy: The best way to obtain an autograph from Kevin is to go to a scheduled driver appearance. That being said, requests for Kevin's autograph may be mailed to:
Kevin Harvick Incorporated
ATTN: Autograph Request
703 Park Lawn Court
Kernersville, NC 27284
If you have a special something that you would like Kevin to sign for you, please send the item - along with self-addressed packaging with proper return postage - to:
Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Autograph Request
703 Park Lawn Court
Kernersville, NC 27284
If you require Kevin's autograph for a charity event or fundraiser, please indicate that on your address label (Autograph Request - Charity/Fundraising) and include a note with the date of your event. Please allow plenty of time for us to process your request and get it signed. We cannot guarantee that we will get the item sent back to you in time, but we will make every effort to do so.
Please Note:
* Due to the large volume of incoming mail, items do occasionally become separated from their envelopes or packaging. There are also occasions when mail does not make it to its destination, or items are damaged in transit. Kevin Harvick Inc. is not responsible for the loss, damage and/or return of items sent to be signed.
* All items must be a licensed product of Kevin Harvick or Kevin Harvick Inc. Items that are not officially licensed will be returned without an autograph.
* If you do not send sufficient postage for return, you WILL NOT receive items back. You MUST include a self-addressed envelope/package with proper postage for return.
* Autograph requests are limited to two items per household, per year. Any additional items sent within the 12-month period will be returned without an autograph. (Kevin only has so many hours in his day, and he wants to make sure that as many fans as possible are able to get his signature.)
* If you send a large scale diecast to be autographed, please remove it from its packaging, and send it to us wrapped in bubble wrap or some other protective paper. Otherwise, Kevin will autograph the box it comes in.
* When requesting autographed postcards, please include a self-addressed 9" x 12" envelope with proper postage.
* Please also allow an appropriate length of time for returns, as Kevin signs each autograph request personally. Currently it can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months (sometimes longer, depending on his schedule) for your item to be signed and returned.
__________________ Rome did not create a Great Empire by having meetings--- They did it by killing all people who opposed them!
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