Apr 26th, 2010 by T.C.
Isn’t it funny how things work out? Just a few short days after Shell announces it is leaving Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick following this season for Penske Racing and Kurt Busch, Harvick goes out and wins in dramatic fashion at Talladega. I swear, sometimes truth is stranger then fiction. The win will no doubt add fuel to the debate about where Harvick will end up next season. During a press conference on Friday at Talladega, Harvick said he’d be with a Chevrolet team next season, but didn’t go any further. So the question remains, where will he drive in 2011?
Late in 2009, it appeared that Harvick was attempting to get out of his contract with RCR so he could bolt for Stewart-Haas Racing. The thought was that he would leave and take long time sponsor Shell/Pennzoil with him to SHR, allowing Tony Stewart and Co. to start a third team. No such situation ever materialized though, and Childress held Harvick and Shell to their deals through 2010.
Between Harvick’s relationship with Stewart and the possible defection last season, many people have been left wondering if Harvick might still end up at SHR. The major road block for Harvick at SHR might now come in the form of Kasey Kahne. After he announced his deal to drive for Hendrick Motorsports starting in 2012, many have speculated that either he or Mark Martin could drive a third car for SHR next season. SHR has strong ties to Hendrick, and this deal would allow Stewart and Gene Haas to start their third team on Mr. H’s dime. Harvick now appears to not have a sponsor in his back pocket, and even if he did, Stewart may still be hesitant about bringing him on. SHR Competition Director Bobby Hutchens told Yahoo! Sports’ Jay Hart last week that their chances of expanding to a third team for 2011 are 50-50. So if that’s true, the chances of expanding to a fourth team for Harvick are probably even worse.
The only other major Chevrolet player in the garage area that could take on another team is Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. EGR presents an interesting opportunity, but considering they may have sponsor trouble for the #1 team after this season, they may not be looking to add a third team.
The only other option for Harvick that has been floated, is for him to take his current Nationwide/Truck team, Kevin Harvick Inc., and expand into the Cup Series. With the infrastructure in place at KHI, this could certainly be feasible, but it would be very difficult for Harvick to remain competitive against the super teams as a one car operation. An alignment with Childress or Hendrick would help considerably, but it wouldn’t guarantee success.
All of these reasons lead me to believe that Harvick’s options for 2011 might be very limited. In fact, he may only have once or two choices. The major hurdles that Harvick faces in trying to find a ride and/or sponsor for the future are his age, and his performance. Harvick is 34 years old and he’s not getting any younger. He’s trying to compete against kids that are much younger then he is, and who are often more appealing to sponsors. On top of that, Sunday’s win at Talladega was the first points paying win for Harvick in over two years, going back to the 2007 Daytona 500. His performance this season has been much improved over 2009, but he must continue to improve to be valuable.
So what is my prediction for Harvick and his future? I honestly think he finds a way to stay at RCR. It’s his best chance for success, and he will have both the Childress folks and his own working hard to find sponsorship. It would be a surprise to me to see him drive for anyone other then the only owner he’s every known.
We’re Kind Of A Big Deal…
I just wanted to take a quick second to point out a big moment for us that happened on Sunday during the Cup race. Mike Joy, from the NASCAR on FOX team, mentioned our site and a post I did last week about double duty crews during the race broadcast. I wanted to give a HUGE thanks to Mike for doing that, as we know he’s been a reader of ours for some time. You’re the man! I also wanted to say welcome to any new folks that may have stopped by because of the mention. Take a look around the site and feel free to comment, ask questions, and hang out!
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