June 12, 2010
By Brenda Benedict
DeLana Harvick, wife of #29 Kevin Harvick, reacted to last Sunday's remarks by Joey Logano in the perfect manner. She has proved that not only is she a good businesswomen but that she has a sense of humor. She has turned remarks that were meant to disparage her and her husband into a positive situation for her, her favorite charities and women in general.
The confrontation started in last Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway.
With only two laps left in the Gillette 500, Logano was looking at a top-five finish. Harvick let Logano pass him but promptly brushed Logano's back left side causing him to spin and lose his great finish.
In a post-race interview, Logano expressed his frustration, stating, “It’s probably not his fault. His wife wears the firesuit in the family and tells him what to do.”
Logano was referring to the fact that DeLana often wears a firesuit during races on pit road with her husband's sponsor logo. She may be the only Sprint Cup wife to do that.
Instead of responding with words that would escalate the feud, DeLana Harvick decided to poke fun at the situation. She quickly designed and produced a t-shirt that says, " I Wear The Firesuit In My Family” with the Harvick’s “Happy” logo underneath on the front. All proceeds will be donated to the Kevin Harvick Foundation, a charity supporting the Victory Junction Gang Camp.
Michigan International Speedway decided to help out. They are offering the t-shirt as part of a ticket package for the Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday.
Harvick's have also decided to give some of the profits from the sale of the t-shirts to a local Michigan woman's shelter. Michigan International Speedway issued the following statement.
"For a limited time, race fans who purchase a $33 race ticket for the VFW 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race will receive an “I wear the firesuit in the family” T-shirt, a tee personally endorsed by Harvick. Proceeds raised from sales of this package will go toward AWARE, a women’s shelter in Jackson, Mich., and The Kevin Harvick Foundation."
The proliferation of feuds this year has made racing more interesting. DeLana Harvick's response to Joey Logano's statement proves that she understands that NASCAR is foremost entertainment. She is adding to this entertainment and doing it in a good natured and fun manner.
In a press conference on Friday, Clint Bowyer spoke of the seriousness of Sprint Cup racing compared to the fun he had at Eldora this week. Eldora is Tony Stewart's dirt trackwhere Cup racers annually perform to raise money for various charities.
The Prelude to the Dream was held this past Wednesday with Jimmie Johnson winning the event. Bowyer felt that this was an example of racing with more fun and even suggested it might be wise to expand that type of racing to more tracks not necessarily all dirt tracks
After all, it is just racing and not the end of the world with verbal sparring matches. Harvick may have just landed a great 'left jab' in this match. Hopefully Logano will see the humor in the situation and do his part for battered women in Michigan.
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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.
