The Ryan Newman Foundation

“ROCKET MAN” TEAMS UP WITH KHI FOR ATLANTA

Ryan Newman, known as “The Rocket Man,” slides in behind the wheel of the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) American Commercial Lines (ACL) Chevrolet for the first time at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). Newman has never driven in the Truck Series, but has an astounding pole record in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with seven poles in thirteen Sprint Cup starts at AMS. The paint scheme will include the Ryan Newman Foundation logo. Newman is currently tied for the all-time pole record in the Sprint Cup Series. Newman has two starts in the Nationwide Series and has one pole and a second place start in that division.

Ryan Newman Quotes:

THIS IS YOUR FIRST TRUCK RACE. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

“It’s the first time I’ve had the opportunity to run in the Truck Series. Everyone has always told me how much fun they have running the trucks, and now I’ve got the shot to see what it’s like. I expect to go there and have fun. But in saying that, we should have a shot at the win in the end. KHI has two really strong trucks. My teammate is Ron Hornaday, who is currently second in points, and I think he was second at Atlanta earlier this year so I expect we’ll have a really good truck - a top-five or top-10 truck. And by halfway, I’d like to be in a position where we have a shot at the win.”

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO RUN A TRUCK SERIES RACE FOR KHI?

“First off, I have never driven a truck before and it was really something that I wanted to have the chance to do. Secondly, Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) are good friends of mine and (wife) Krissie’s, and when the seat came open in their 2 truck, we talked about it and he asked me if I would be interested. The timing was just right. It’s kind of a difficult time for them with having the need for a driver to fill the seat for the last few races, and I am glad to help them out at Atlanta this weekend.”

WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN A TRUCK AND A SPRINT CUP CAR?

“I don’t know since I haven’t driven one yet. I’m sure I will be talking to Kevin and Ron a lot over the weekend so that we can get the No. 2 truck up front.”

WHAT IS THE KEY TO RUNNING A FAST LAP AROUND ATLANTA?

“From what I understand, running the truck there, you are wide open. It’s a really fast track, trucks stick really well. The biggest thing I will have to learn is how the trucks race. It seems like they get pretty loose inside each other.”

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 ACL team will bring chassis number 014 to Atlanta Motor Speedway. The chassis took to the track earlier this season at AMS where the No. 2 team earned their first top-10 finish of 2008 with a sixth-place finish. Chassis 014 also competed at Bristol (Va.) Motor Speedway and was rebuilt after the event due to a crash. The team refers to this chassis as “Old Faithful” due to the fact that this is the oldest downforce truck the No. 2 team has in their stable of chassis. “Old Faithful” also has a consistent record of being solid throughout a race and coming on strong at the finish.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: The No. 2 ACL team had a disappointing finish last week at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. With KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick behind the wheel, the No. 2 team made the call to pit for fuel only on lap 35. Harvick conserved fuel and saved his equipment for a charge at the leaders in the closing laps. However, the No. 2 team came up a few drops short, as the truck sputtered going into turn four on the final lap.  Harvick was able to coast across the finish line and salvage a 15th-place finish.     

ABOUT AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES: 

American Commercial Lines is a leader in the marine transportation and manufacturing business.  Through its subsidiary companies, ACL owns and operates approximately 2,800 barges and 160 towboats; transporting a vast array of cargos such as grain, coal, steel, chemicals, petroleum products, edible oils, fertilizers and construction materials on the U.S. inland waterways.  ACL also owns the largest single-site manufacturing facility for vessels in the United States, offering technically advanced marine design and manufacturing capabilities for both inland and ocean service vessels.  ACL is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol ACLI.  For more information about ACL generally, visit www.aclines.com.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.:

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001, is a 70,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C.  KHI houses two full time Truck Series teams: the No. 33 Camping World/VFW Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday as well as the No. 2 American Commercial Lines (ACL)/RVs.com Chevrolet Silverado. KHI is also home to the No. 33 Camping World/Rheem Chevrolet driven by two-time Nationwide Series champion Kevin Harvick, Ron Hornaday and Cale Gale and the No. 77 Rheem/VFW Chevrolet driven by Cale Gale and Ron Hornaday competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  2008 marks KHI’s fifth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions.  Please visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information.