Ryan Newman to Drive Kevin Harvick Inc No. 33 at Homestead

MIAMI – Ryan Newman will close out the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) as he makes his fifth start of the year in the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Copart Chevrolet this weekend at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

In three previous Nationwide Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, Newman has recorded one win, one top-five and two top-10 finishes with an average start of 7.3 and an average finish of 6.7. He has led 88 laps and completed 100 percent of laps attempted (600 of 600).

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You have one win in the Nationwide Series at Homestead. What are your keys to victory at the 1.5-mile track?
Ryan Newman: “Homestead is a good race track. I like it a lot better since they have added the progressive banking. You can pass in multiple grooves, but typically the high side is the place to be. You have to go where the guy in front of you is not. I’ve had a lot of fun racing at the track before. I have a win in the Nationwide Series, but I haven’t had that good of a record there in the Cup Series. I’m looking forward to getting back in the No. 33 Copart Chevy this weekend and adding to the success the team has had this season. Ernie (Cope, crew chief) and these guys have brought good cars all year and know they will do the same this weekend.”

As the Nationwide Series concludes the 2009 season, Newman looks to continue the success the No. 33 team has seen thus far this year. With a total of seven different drivers (Kevin Harvick, Newman, Tony Stewart, Ron Hornaday, Cale Gale, Kelly Bires and J. R. Fitzpatrick) this season, the team has earned two wins (both with Harvick including his first career NNS win in a KHI-owned car), three poles (two with Harvick and one with Newman), 18 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes. With 34 races complete, DeLana Harvick is currently fourth in the Nationwide Series Owner’s Point Standings.

This weekend the No. 33 Copart team will unload chassis No. 049 for Newman at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is another brand-new chassis to the KHI stables and this will mark its race debut.

KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick made his final start of the 2009 NNS season at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), starting the 200-lap event from the third position and running the entire race in the top four before crossing the finish line in the second position. The finish marked Harvick’s fifth top-five finish in five starts for KHI in the NNS at PIR and his 11th top-five in 15 career NNS starts at the track.

KHI teammate Ron Hornaday clinched the 2009 Truck Series championship last week at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), earning his fourth Truck Series championship. Hornaday becomes only the fourth driver to win four championships in one of NASCAR’s elite series (Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon have also accomplished this feat) and the second driver to clinch the Truck Series championship before the final race of the season (Greg Biffle clinched in 2000 at Phoenix). The No. 33 Truck Series team now enters Homestead-Miami Speedway looking to capture the Truck Series Owner’s championship for DeLana Harvick who currently holds a 60-point lead over Billy Ballew and the No. 51 Truck team.