Kevin Harvick to merge team with RCR
09/09/11 NASCAR driver/owner Kevin Harvick announced that he "will be shutting down his trucks program at the end of this season," meaning his 140 race-related employees "will be out of work." Harvick described the Camping World Truck Series as "a tough model business-wise." Harvick: "We've scrimped and scraped and got the sponsorship and things that you need, and GM has been a great supporter of everything that we've done, but from a business standpoint … it just didn't make sense." Kevin Harvick Inc. will "now be more personality- and promotion-driven, focusing on Harvick's fan club, web site and similar elements." Still no mention that he is doing this (quitting trucks and merging his Nationwide team with RCR) because our sources say he is getting a divorce from wife DeLana who ran the day-to-day operations of KHI.
09/07/11 Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick Incorporated have reached agreement on a collaborative effort that will have KHI's current NASCAR Nationwide Series program merge with RCR beginning in 2012.
The decision is the coming together of the best of the two organizations. KHI will continue to be involved on the business and competition sides with RCR and KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick will still be very active in the Nationwide Series program (note no mention of DeLana). The No. 2 and No. 33 teams will continue with drivers Elliott Sadler (No. 2 Chevrolet) and a combination of RCR's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in the No. 33 Chevrolet. The merger will benefit KHI's current sponsors with increased resources and business-to-business opportunities.
"KHI and RCR have worked together very closely over the last several years," said Kevin Harvick. "DeLana and I are fortunate that Richard has always been supportive of KHI over the last 10 years. We feel like this merger will benefit our on-track performance as well as provide our sponsors with more opportunity off track. We will still be very involved and are excited about the Nationwide team's new direction."
RCR and KHI have enjoyed more than a decade of success in the Nationwide Series. RCR earned 55 victories and five championships from 1999 to 2010, with Harvick responsible for 32 victories and three championships (overall in 2001 and 2006, owner-only in 2003 with co-driver Johnny Sauter). KHI has earned 10 victories since beginning its program in 2004.
"A few years ago, Richard Childress Racing moved its NASCAR Nationwide Series efforts to Kevin Harvick Incorporated to assist KHI in strengthening its overall program," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "When Kevin and DeLana decided they were interested in consolidating operations, it made sense to merge our efforts. RCR is committed to the Nationwide Series as part of our overall team and driver development efforts. This move will continue the close collaborative effort RCR and KHI have enjoyed for the past 10 years." RCR PR
09/02/11 Rumor has it that Kevin Harvick is divorcing his wife DeLana, I wear the firesuit in the family, Harvick. They own the KHI Nationwide and Truck series team and we hear it will be sold to Richard Childress Racing.