CUP: Harvick To SHR In 2014

Sprint Cup

CUP: Harvick To SHR In 2014

Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart are good friends…

Tom Jensen | Posted November 09, 2012 Avondale, AZ

Kevin Harvick is leaving RCR for Stewart-Haas Racing after next season. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick have been close friends in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for some time and in 2014 they apparently will become teammates as well.

According to a report by ESPN.com’s Marty Smith, Harvick has signed a contract to move from Richard Childress Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, where he will join Stewart, Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick in a four-car powerhouse team.

During his Friday afternoon media availability at PIR, Stewart declined to address the Harvick situation, but an SHR spokesman confirmed the team’s interest.

“I will tell you this, when we have something to tell you guys, we’ll tell you,” said Stewart. “I’ve always said that. You guys can throw darts, but when we have something to tell you that’s different than what we’ve got going on, we’ll obviously tell you.”

"Stewart-Haas Racing's driver lineup is all set for 2013, but if you're talking about 2014 and if Kevin Harvick is available, that's something the team would have to look at. Any team in this garage would do the same,” said SHR spokesman Mike Arning in an e-mail response to SPEED.com and other media outlets.

"From the moment Stewart-Haas Racing was formed, becoming a four-car team is something it's been striving for,” Arning said. “They have the infrastructure to accommodate a fourth team, and if everything aligns properly, it's something they'll do. So, if a driver the caliber of Kevin Harvick is available, it's something they would pursue."

For his part, Harvick issued the following statement: “Once I know what my future plans are I will make sure everyone is brought up to speed, but as of right now I am focused on finishing this season on a strong note, and continuing to build our program going into the 2013 season at RCR with the ultimate goal of winning a championship.”

Harvick, expected to be one of the Sprint Cup championship favorites in 2012 after finishing third in both 2010 and ‘11, has had a hugely disappointing season and is 11th in points, mathematically eliminated from title contention with two races left to go on the season.

Richard Childress Racing, Harvick’s home for his entire Sprint Cup career, has struggled mightily this year, going winless so far. The last time the team failed to win a Cup race in a season was 2009.

Harvick made his Cup debut with RCR in February 2001, at North Carolina Speedway, just one week after the death of Dale Earnhardt.

In 428 career Cup starts with RCR, Harvick has five poles, 18 victories, 90 top-five and 186 top-10 finishes.

It is expected that Austin Dillon, one of car owner Richard Childress’ racing grandsons, will move up to the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2014, with younger brother Ty Dillon close behind.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.

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Tom Jensen

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