PHOENIX, AZ -- Every February, the state of Arizona plays host to major league baseball players as they prepare for the upcoming season. The state's temperate February weather is also conducive for some of NASCAR's best drivers to get into game shape. With the opening of the 1999 truck season still six weeks away, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Kevin Harvick is one of those drivers taking advantage of a "spring training" opportunity to keep his driving skills sharp. Harvick will be piloting the No. 75 Porter-Cable Power Tools Chevrolet in the 22nd annual Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway. The race is 3:00 p.m. MST on Sunday.

"The Copper World Classic is a fantastic event and it offers me a great opportunity to prepare for the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season," Harvick said. "I love running at Phoenix International Raceway and competing in the Copper World Classic will only help me when the truck series returns here on March 27."

The Copper World Classic will be Harvick's second NASCAR Southwest Tour Series tune-up after competing in the season-opening event last month at Tucson (AZ) Raceway Park. Harvick put on an impressive show during that event, coming from the last position in the field to challenge for the lead in the late stages of the race. On a restart with 25 laps remaining, Harvick was spun out by a lapped car, which relegated him to the rear of the lead lap. He charged back to finish 8th.

In addition to his NASCAR Southwest Tour Series races, Harvick and the Porter-Cable Racing team have been testing new trucks in preparation for the season opening event at Homestead (FL) Motorsports Complex on March 20. The team recently finished a successful Ford manufacturer test at Homestead, where Harvick posted some of the fastest times among all Ford truck teams.

"The Porter-Cable Racing team is really excited about the upcoming truck season," Harvick said. "We really think we have a great package put together for the season and our recent test confirmed it. We wish we could start the season tomorrow, but we will use the time to test and run a couple of races to stay sharp."

Source: Porter-Cable
Posted: 2/4/99