December 27, 2004

By Rebecca Gladden

Thank goodness for K-Mart.

The store stayed open late on Christmas Eve for last-minute shoppers like me. I was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of Matt Kenseth pajamas for my son, along with a colorful NASCAR Nextel T-shirt featuring the entire 2005 Cup schedule.

Several shoppers grabbed up Dale Earnhardt, Jr. shirts, while in the Christmas decor aisle, just a few baubles remained. It was there that I noticed two forlorn ornaments in a bin of items already marked down to post-holiday prices.

Yes, long after the Gordon, Junior, and Intimidator items were gone, two NASCAR Christmas ornaments remained.

Two Kevin Harvick ornaments.

I know what you’re thinking: One K-Mart’s leftover bin does not a scientific survey make.

Point taken.

But Kevin Harvick might want to forget his 2004 season as much as local shoppers seemed to have forgotten his merchandise.

The driver of the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet burst onto the Cup scene in 2001 when he was hand-picked by car owner Richard Childress to fill the enormous shoes of Dale Earnhardt. Harvick made the most of the opportunity, winning both the Busch Series Championship and Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors in his first Cup season. In 2002 he took the IROC Championship, and his winning ways continued into 2003 with a notable victory in the prestigious Brickyard 400 from the pole. Harvick finished the '03 season 5th in Championship points.

Which must make 2004 that much more disheartening for Harvick and his fans. The 29 team finished the year 14th in points, without a single pole or victory.

Although he was in and out of the top-ten for most of the season, Harvick had the unenviable distinction of being the only Gillette Young Gun driver to miss the cutoff for the inaugural Chase for the Championship. The season also saw his record of 58 consecutive Cup starts without a DNF, come to an end when he blew an engine in the August race at Pocono.

In fact, Harvick got more press this year for a racing incident in November than for any on-track accomplishments. He traded paint with Kasey Kahne toward the end of the Phoenix race, and afterward confronted Kahne in his car. Harvick claimed that the issue had been resolved after a conversation with Kahne’s crew chief Tommy Baldwin, but he still disparaged the rookie, who finished the season one place ahead of Harvick in 13th: "I told Tommy what was going on," Harvick said after the scuffle. "Kasey's not big enough to get out of his car and fight this battle."

Jeff Gordon, who had also tussled on the track with Harvick earlier in the race, saw things a little differently. "(Harvick) was a little high-strung today," Gordon remarked in the post-race press conference. "I think he took his frustration out (today)."

Frustration would seem an apt description for the Goodwrench team’s mediocre season, but Harvick seemed more puzzled than annoyed: "We've been consistent from pit stops to setup," he noted. "We just couldn't seem to put up anything in the win column. It seemed like there was always something preventing us from reaching our bigger goals."

There has been speculation in racing circles about what that "something" might be.

Along with full-time driving responsibilities in the Cup series, Harvick competed in 20 Busch races and two truck races in 2004. He also wore an owner’s hat, fielding a full-time truck in the Craftsman series through his company, Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI).

According to the KHI website, Kevin started the truck team because he was, "not content with the challenges of chasing a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Championship in 2004."

Hmmm.

Certainly other drivers have started their own race teams, most notably Dale Earnhardt, whose Cup ride Harvick assumed. But in the past, drivers made the move to owner late in their careers; Harvick started KHI in 2001, the same year he moved to Cup. Along with his truck team, KHI will field a full-time Busch car in the new year with Tony Stewart and Tony Raines as drivers.

In an October interview, Harvick was anxious to discuss his company’s rapid growth, including the completion of a new 50,000 square-foot office and shop which NASCAR.com describes as "palatial" and "stunning":

"We ran the first KHI entry back in 2001, which was a truck we built in Ed Berrier's garage," Harvick explained. "With a lot of hard work and dedication, we now have this new facility, and two full-time efforts in two of NASCAR's premier divisions. It's hard to imagine all we've accomplished in three short years."

Indeed.

For all his enthusiasm, the elephant-in-the-room question remains: Does Kevin Harvick simply have too many irons in the fire?

It is possible that Harvick's focus on ownership and team development has detracted from his duties as a Cup driver. While the KHI website boasts, "Harvick’s ability to concentrate on multiple programs was clearly demonstrated in 2001," his lackluster season this year brought the issue to the forefront again.

Whether 2004 will turn out to be a bump in the road or the beginning of a downhill tumble remains to be seen. Harvick’s fans are certainly hoping it is the former. But with driver duties, sponsor obligations, and an ever-expanding role as a team owner and company head, the question of Harvick’s happiness in the new season may depend on his definition of success.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.