Sweet mercy, what hath Smoke wrought?
Multiple outlets, including Sports Illustrated, are reporting that Kevin Harvick has informed owner Richard Childress that he wants out of his contract one year early. While Harvick is under contract to RCR through 2010, the Shell/Pennzoil sponsorship deal runs out after 2009, and SI is reporting that Harvick wants to take that sponsorship to Tony Stewart's Stewart-Haas Racing. Shoot, these days, who doesn't?
What you've now got is some very big dogs about to engage in a very public fight. Harvick remains one of the best-known and best-connected names in NASCAR, even though he hasn't won a race since the 2007 Daytona 500. Childress is one of the sport's most powerful owners, though he risks a very public embarrassment if he decides to hold Harvick to his contract and then watches Shell/Pennzoil jump ship.
Harvick brings both Nationwide and Camping World series with him, making him both an attractive and an expensive option. Still, as good as he is, he's no Danica Patrick, and SI offers up an interesting Danica possibility indeed: that Stewart would offer her a split Nationwide/Cup arrangement to get her accustomed to NASCAR.
Which, of course, would leave Harvick without a ride. Would SHR go straight to four cars? Six months ago, you'd have said it was out of the question, but would anything surprise you about Tony Stewart these days?
Bottom line: Harvick is playing some serious high-stakes poker here, and he'd better deliver some serious results in turn, wherever he ends up. His sponsors and his owners will be watching very closely indeed.
Harvick asks out of remaining contract year with RCR [Sports Illustrated]
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