USA TODAY International Edition
Win special for soon- parting Harvick, Childress
AVONDALE, ARIZ. As his driver and team owner traded heartfelt memories, poignant observations and even tears, crew chief Gil Martin interrupted the lovefest between Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress.
“If you want to make some really good press, next week lock Jimmie ( Johnson) in a Port- a- Potty so this can really look good,” Martin said, prompting laughter from a room full of news reporters after Harvick’s victory Sunday in the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. “It would be a Cinderella story. It would be a good thing to write about.”
The No. 29 Chevrolet is a longshot title hopeful entering the season finale at Homestead- Miami Speedway, but Harvick’s fourth victory of the season and fourth at Phoenix still held special meaning.
In his final race with Richard Childress Racing, Harvick will have a shot at his best finish with the team. Though he trails Johnson by 34 points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings, he is six behind Matt Kenseth for second.
“There’s no better way to go out than to do what we’ve done this year,” said Harvick, who has finished a career- best third in points twice ( 2010 and ’ 11). “We went to Martinsville, and I said things that I shouldn’t have said and put everybody in a position that was not good. But we had conversations that probably made us closer as people and probably make us closer as friends.”
After crashing with Ty Dillon, one of Childress’ two grandsons who race for RCR, in the Camping World Truck Series race Oct. 26 at Martinsville Speedway, Harvick called Ty and Austin Dillon “spoiled rich kids” who “had everything fed to them with a spoon” with no respect for NASCAR.
Harvick called it one of many stormy situations he endured at RCR but credited Childress with teaching him many life lessons, including being a dad to his young son, Keelan. “That really put into perspective everything that we’ve been able to accomplish and things we’ve been through together,” said Harvick, who will join Stewart- Haas Racing after driving for RCR since 1999. “It’s more of a family conversation than it probably was a racing conversation.”
Said Childress: “We committed to each other early in the year that we’d give 100%, and Kevin has. You spend a lot of time with each other, so you’re going to have your spats and just got to make it work.”
But can the roller- coaster relationship end with RCR’s first title since Dale Earnhardt’s in 1994?
“We’re talking about locking ( Johnson) in the Port- a- Potty,” Harvick said with a smile, “so that should sum it up. We’ve probably had the best Chase we’ve ever had and ( are) 34 points behind. They’re just good.”