CUP: Harvick Is Happy

Sprint Cup

CUP: Harvick Is Happy - For Now

Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings...

Tom Jensen | Posted February 24, 2010 Charlotte, NC

Kevin Harvick finished a close second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Kevin Harvick is in a good space these days, with much to feel positive about.

Harvick the driver is atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings just two races into the 2010 season. Harvick is in the final year of his contract with Richard Childress Racing and along with Kasey Kahne is one of the most coveted drivers in the upcoming Cup free-agent class. Whether he stays at RCR or moves on, he figures to have a decent payday ahead.

And Harvick, the co-owner of Kevin Harvick Inc. – along with wife DeLana – is coming off a championship season in the NASCAR Camping World Series with Ron Hornaday Jr. and has a pretty stout NASCAR Nationwide team as well.

So far, so good.

As for what lies ahead, well, that remains very much up in the air. Harvick, who was this week’s guest on NASCAR’s Wednesday teleconference, deferred questions about his future.

“We are just going to go out and do the things that we have been doing and race as hard as we can,” he said.

Of course, “race as hard as we can” is somewhat of an understatement. Every top team races hard; what RCR has done in the wake of a disappointing 2009 is both totally redo its management structure, as well as change its technical direction. Doing either of those tasks is a challenge. Doing them both at once is downright daunting, but that’s what it took to return the team to competitiveness.

“The model that you base yourself off that's so successful is obviously the Hendrick organization,” said Harvick. “I think they are always - they always seem to be one step ahead of everything that's happening. In order to get to that level, we have to figure out exactly what we need to do consistently to keep pushing things forward, and I guess the hard part is to continue working in every area and work within your budgets and work within all of the things that come with running the race team in order to be successful going forward.”

Harvick said RCR has achieved success in doing that already this season.

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Tom Jensen

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