Harvick steals race as Junior runs out of gas

Kevin Harvick/Courtesy: motorsport.com

Geez, what a weird day of racing on Sunday. The nightcap was every bit as strange as the Indy 500. Kevin Harvick got the wind in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte late Sunday night thanks to a very late charge and a bit of luck.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. all but had the race won on the last lap. But thanks to bad luck and a couple of late race incidents with other cars, he ran out of gas heading into the last turn...literally.

Harvick who began the 2-lap restart at the end of the race in 6th, somehow navigated through traffic and blew by Earnhardt for the win. Earnhardt coasted across the finish line with a 7th place finish.

Ironically, Earnhardt was driving a car with the National Guard sponsorship prominently displayed on the hood. Rookie Indy car driver J.R Hildebrand, who crashed while in the lead in the last turn of the Indianapolis 500, his car was also sponsored by...wait for it....The National Guard.

No irony there at all, just a cruel coincidence for a couple of really unlucky drivers.

The last 2 laps of the race. Courtesy: TheNARLtv/FoxSports:

Harvick And Busch Get Probation

((HT: NASCAR on FOX/youtube))

Remember what happened at the end of the Darlington race this past weekend...???


After the visit to the hauler, each driver has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR races until June 15 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – involved in an altercation on pit road after the conclusion of the race).

“These penalties are a result of what occurred on pit road after the race was over,” said Kerry Tharp, senior director for communications, competition. “They are about maintaining a safe environment on pit road.”

Now, let's see if everyone behaves...
The HQ somehow doubts it...

Kevin Harvick vs. Kyle Busch...getting physical

Post-race incident/Courtesy: Nascar.com/Getty Images

 For those of you (us included), who missed the end of last nights Southern Showtime 500 at the Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, you/we missed quite a race.

The winner, was Regan Smith, a first time race winner. Congratulations to him.

However, that win was far overshadowed by the near brawl between Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch as a result of an incident near the end of the race.

If you watch the video, you'll see Harvick and Busch's cars come one in front of the other on pit row after the race ended, Harvick gets out of the car, go over to Busch's car and appears to throw a punch. Busch wants no part of it, nudges Harvick's car, which rolls into the wall and drives off. We might also mention, Harvick spun out Clint Bowyer leading into all the shenanigans.

It gets better.

The two teams were parked next to each other in the garage area. Hostilities ensued and the teams had to be separated. Both drivers were immediately sent to the principal's office (The NASCAR trailer)

You can read NASCAR.com's full account of the craziness RIGHT HERE

As bad as this sounds, in a backhanded way, it's going to be good for NASCAR, a sports that was THE up-and-coming Sport that has seemingly lost all of its momentum the past couple of years. They can use the attention, good...or bad.

As for Mr. Harvick and Mr.Busch, you can expect fines of some sort, but that probably will be it. The two have had an on-and-off feud for the past couple of years now and yes, it's escalating. But NASCAR isn't going to suspend two of its best drivers unless they just do something completely idiotic. And while this was certainly stupid...and on several levels really funny, it doesn't quite reach idiotic level...yet.

 NASCAR.com provides us with the video. The craziness comes about the 1:40 mark.

Joey Logano Does Not Like Kevin Harvick

And, apparently, Delana is the one that wears the "fire suit in the family" if you listen to Logano talk...

Late in the Pocono race, the 20 and 29 cars were heading to the same place on the race track and Harvick would not yield his position. Logano spins, the caution comes out, and Joey gets rather heated...

((HT: NASCAR.com/NASCAR on TNT))


Oh... Denny Hamlin won the race...

Jeff Gordon Is Not A Happy Teammate, Johnson Admits Fault

Back to the end of the stock car event at Talladega from Sunday afternoon...

It was the first-time ever in the history of the Green-White-Checker format of "Overdrive" that we went to the third attempt to get it done...

Or as Fox's Mike Joy calls it: "Checkers or Wreckers"

Here's your checkers...
((HT: NASCAR on FOX/MT89MotorSports))


And here's your wreckers that took out Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton...
((HT: NASCAR on FOX/500bennu))


So, naturally, the 24 is not pleased with the 48...
Have you ever seen Gordon this way...???
((HT: NASCAR on Fox/StewartHaasNewman))


MONDAY UPDATE: The 48 has fallen on the sword in this one...

"I misjudged the closing rate," Johnson told The Associated Press. "We all make mistakes, I am no different.

"Certainly, that was my fault. I made the mistake there."

Johnson also said that he would have hung around the track had he known that Gordon was so pissed at him. He had already bailed by the time Dick Berggren asked the 24 what the burr was under his saddle...

"I would have stuck around if I knew what was waiting for me," Johnson said in a phone interview with Jenna Fryer.

"There's no doubt after the fact that frustrations are high, the wreck just compounded it," Johnson said. "I think he was speaking out of frustration."

Harvick Future Unsure In 2011

Kevin Harvick says he doesn't know where he's driving next season, but he has had a lot of talks so far with team owner Richard Childress.

Harvick's future with RCR may have taken a huge hit after Shell's decision to transfer from the Harvick #29 to Kurt Busch's ride starting next season. Harvick says he "doesn't particularly agree" with the way the swap came down.

"There's sponsors that come and go," Harvick told David Newton of ESPN. "This particular situation there were a lot of business-to-business decisions that took place."

Busch's #22 car will have Shell while Brad Keselowski will drive the #2 in 2011 with Miller Lite staying there. Penske is losing Mobil as a sponsor, so they picked up Shell. Newton also says Bud is in play because of Kasey Kahne's departure for Hendrick. This also makes the HQ wonder about Sam Hornish and the #77...

Harvick says he will likely stick with Chevrolet no matter where he lands next season, and says there's no "pressing need" to make a decision now.

Harvick is fourth in the points race entering Sunday...

Here's the Big One from last week that involved Harvick- something he may have to avoid to improve his bottom line for the rest of the season...
((HT: SlicedSmoke14/NASCAR on Fox))

Harvick Wants Out At RCR...?

((HT: ESPN/Newton))

Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick ((pictured, thanks autoracingdaily.com)) would like to be released from the final year of his contract that expires in 2010, a source close to the situation said on Wednesday.

"He's making that evident," the source said.

Harvick is 25th in points and hasn't won a Sprint Cup race since the 2007 Daytona 500.

According to a report on SI.com, Harvick would like to move to Stewart-Haas Racing and take his primary sponsor, Shell/Pennzoil, with him. The report said Shell's contract expires after this season, but multiple sources told ESPN.com the deal runs through 2010.

Sources added that it is unlikely RCR owner Richard Childress would let both the driver and sponsor go, particularly in today's economic climate.

In a statement released Wednesday, Richard Childress Racing said it expected Harvick to honor his contract.

"Richard Childress Racing has a multiyear contract with Shell-Pennzoil that includes the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Shell-Pennzoil remains a great partner for RCR and Kevin Harvick as well as our sport overall. RCR also has a multiyear contract with Kevin Harvick that includes the 2010 season. That said, Shell will be the sponsor and Kevin will be the driver of RCR's No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS in 2010."

Harvick moved into a full-time Cup ride for RCR in 2001 after the death of Dale Earnhardt. He has since formed his own Truck Series and Nationwide Series teams under Kevin Harvick Inc. Before that he drove in the Truck Series for Spears Motorsports.

Tony Stewart and SHR teammate Ryan Newman are among several drivers sharing a ride in Harvick's No. 33 Nationwide car this season. Among the sponsors are Old Spice and Army, which are primary sponsors for Stewart's Cup team.

A spokesman for Harvick had no comment when contacted by ESPN.com.

UPDATE: Richard Childress, pretty much, squashed it... at SI.com

Kevin Harvick is under contract with Richard Childress Racing for one more season, and the team expects him to drive the No. 29 in 2010.

RCR released a statement Wednesday responding to a report on SI.com that Harvick wanted out of his deal and was hopeful of moving to Stewart-Hass Racing.

Richard Childress says RCR has a multiyear contract with Harvick and sponsor Shell-Pennzoil. Childress says "Shell will be the sponsor and Kevin will be the driver of RCR's No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS in 2010."

Harvick is 25th in the points standing this season. He hasn't won a Cup race since the 2007 Daytona 500.

Here's that win at Daytona in 2007
((HT: NASCAR on FOX))

GM Announces NASCAR Cutbacks

((HT: ESPN))

General Motors has told NASCAR teams it is cutting back on its support in all of the sanctioning body's professional series.

Among the teams already notified that they will lose funding are JR Motorsports, owned by Sprint Cup star Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick Inc., co-owned by Cup star Harvick and his wife, DeLana. JRM races in the second-tier Nationwide Series, while KHI has entries in Nationwide and the third-tier Camping World Truck Series.

Cuts are also expected in the top-tier Sprint Cup series.

Chevrolet spokesman Terry Rhadigan said Friday that GM, reorganizing through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said cuts would be made soon.

"Our discussions are indeed NASCAR-wide," he said.

Rhadigan would not say if one series would be affected more than others, nor would he say the size of the cuts or how much GM spends on NASCAR. The automaker, through its Chevrolet brand, provides cash and other support to teams, including engines and parts.

Rhadigan, however, said GM has no plans to withdraw Chevrolet from the stock car sport.

"Racing is still in Chevrolet's DNA, and I don't think that's going to change," he said.

Both JRM and KHI issued statements, acknowledging they must adjust their business models to address the funding cuts.

"We are fully capable of adjusting our business model to accommodate this change, and with the backing of Hendrick Motorsports, we will continue to lend our full support to Chevrolet," Kelley Earnhardt, general manager of JR Motorsports and Earnhardt's sister, said in a statement.

"The manufacturer support GM provides at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level is more critical in nature than in the Nationwide Series, and I hope Chevy is able to continue supporting that level, as the promotion of NASCAR works well for its demographics."

The GM cutbacks are the latest in a series of economic blows to the sport.

The global economic crisis led to more than 1,000 team members being laid off at the end of last season, and Chrysler, which just came out of bankruptcy, has cutback its funding of Dodge teams this year. Earlier this week, Richard Petty Motorsports laid off nine employees and reduced salaries throughout the company, a byproduct of Chrysler's Chapter 11 filing.

Ford, also facing financial problems, cut back its support in the truck series heading into this season.

"Obviously, Chevrolet has millions of fans, and they want to see Chevrolets on the track," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. "At this time, we don't have any reason to believe that that won't be the case, at least in the short term."

RCR Flip-Flops Crews For Talladega

((HT: FoxSports))

Richard Childress will swap the crews for slumping drivers Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears following this weekend's race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Both teams have underperformed this season, the first in which Richard Childress Racing is fielding four full-time cars. Harvick has slipped six spots in the standings to 16th over the past two weeks, while Mears is 22nd and off to a slow start in his first year with RCR.

The drivers will swap their entire crews after Sunday's race.

"The decision to interchange the (teams) was made to make both programs stronger and more successful," team owner Childress said Wednesday. "Our main objective has always been to have all four of RCR's teams qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Neither team has had the success this season that we know they're capable of, so we decided it was time to make a change to improve the two teams and the overall strength of RCR.

"We feel this change positions us to achieve that goal."

Todd Berrier and his crew will move from Harvick's No. 29 team to Mears' No. 07 next week. Berrier has been with Harvick since the Nationwide Series, and took over the Cup program in 2003. The duo won eight Cup races together, including the 2007 Daytona 500 and the 2003 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Berrier also led Harvick to the Nationwide Series championship in 2001.

Gil Martin will take his crew to Harvick's car. He has been with the No. 07 team since the 2006 season, and led Clint Bowyer into the Chase the past two seasons.

Martin previously worked with Harvick on the No. 29 car in 2002, leading Harvick to a win that season at Chicago.

"Todd and Gil are proven winners who have strong and successful teams behind them," Childress said. "Chemistry is an important part of any successful organization and I felt it was time to change the makeup of these two teams. We've done this before with positive results."

RCR is considered one of the top four organizations in NASCAR, but its teams have yet to collect victories at the same pace as Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush-Fenway Racing. All three teams have multiple victories this season, but RCR is so far winless.

Still, Bowyer has been strong driving the expansion No. 33 team, which is comprised of many of the crew members who helped him to last year's Nationwide title. Bowyer was as high as second in the standings early this season, but has slipped to sixth over the past two weeks.

Jeff Burton, the fourth RCR driver, is 11th in the standings.