What Harvick Achilles and T.O. have in common: there is no 'I' in team, but there are two in Kevin Harvick

Sporting News, The, Sept 9, 2005 by Lee Spencer

Driver 29, where are you? The wreck that took Kevin Harvick out of the race--and out of the Chase--last Saturday at Bristol wasn't Harvick's fault. Blame Dale Jarrett's deliberate bump of Ryan Newman for the chain-reaction collision that smashed up Harvick's car. Blame Harvick for the rest of the situation.

As the No. 29 team worked feverishly to repair Harvick's Chevrolet, Harvick was nowhere to be found. Turns out he was in his motor home, sulking like Achilles in his tent on the plains of Troy.

Word traveled quickly around the garage that Harvick had refused to return to the car, even after the team restored it to running condition. Harvick and his team denied that rumor, but Scott Riggs reportedly was ready to drive the No. 29 before Harvick decided to do so.

With only Bristol and then two races left before the cutoff for the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, Harvick was 14th in the standings and needed every position and every point he could get.

This missing-in-action scenario should sound familiar to Eagles fans, who wondered when or whether Terrell Owens would show up at the team's training camp at Lehigh University.

Like Owens, Harvick has been a cancer to his team. Like Owens, Harvick isn't likely to win over the fans, no matter what he does. Even if Harvick goes on a tear and wins the last 12 races of the season, the response from race fans likely will be somthing like the jeers Santa got from Philly fans.

Harvick's team owner, Richard Childress, should borrow a page from Eagles coach Andy Reid's Don't Play-book and park his driver for a couple of weeks. Let Childress Racing up-and-comer Clint Bowyer have some seat time. Owens is a lost cause, but with Harvick, the message just might sink in.

It wasn't that long ago that Harvick was rumored to be the leading candidate to replace Rusty Wallace in the No. 2 car. At the time, he said he was committed to the No. 29 team and was expected to sign a lifetime agreement with Childress. But as the Chase loomed closer and Harvick appeared destined to miss the playoffs--again--the climate changed.

Last Friday, when reporters asked about his status for next season, Harvick replied, "I'm checking things out and really just trying to see how it all goes. We'll race to the end of the year and see what happens."

The recent infantile behavior by Harvick is not unlike Owens' posturing while waiting for the Eagles to renegotiate his contract that calls for a $3.25 million salary for this season.

After GM Goodwrench opted not to renew its sponsorship of the truck team Harvick owns, the door was open for him to pursue options with other manufacturers. Don't be surprised to see Harvick driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Toyota in 2007.

Harvick could learn a lesson from Matt Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion. His engine failed in the opener at Daytona, leaving him 42nd in points. He has struggled for much of the season, but Kenseth never has pointed fingers--and he never has given up. He climbed to 15th entering Bristol, then won the pole and the race and jumped four positions in the standings. He is now 11 points out of the top 10 and a spot in the Chase.

Harvick blamed the team and the car. Now 16th in points, he'll need a miracle to crack the top 10.

Hey, Kevin, how about accepting some of the responsibility? Until then, enjoy the awards banquet from your easy chair.

INSIDE DISH

Jeff Gordon's determination Saturday night at Bristol led to a sixth-place finish and propelled him to 10th in points-his first appearance in the top 10 since the June race at Pocono. Once again, Gordon, a four-time Cup champion, proved he isn't giving up. "The way our season's gone, no matter how good we're running, no matter how bad, you just never know what's going to happen," says Gordon, who remains optimistic with just two races remaining in the Nextel Cup regular season. He has a total of five victories at those tracks, California and Richmond.

Bristol Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith offered $20 million apiece to Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee to play a football game in the track's infield. The speedway holds 160,000, and there were reports that 15,000 more seats could be added. Putting 175,000 screaming football fans in BMS would bring new meaning to Thunder Valley. * Brian France denies rumors he is relinquishing his job as NASCAR chief executive officer to start an NFL franchise in Los Angeles. "I'm having a great time, and I have the support of our board and family, and we're having a great year," France said last Saturday at Bristol. "We have the car of tomorrow coming up. I want to expand us internationally over the next five or 10 years, and I still want to stay on course with our diversity efforts." * Expect penalties and fines from NASCAR this week after it reviews last weekend's antics on the racetrack. In the Busch Series, Reed Sorenson's crew chief, Brian Pattie, was busted for soaking tires and is suspended indefinitely. Soaking tires makes them grip better. A more costly consequence will come from Dale Jarrett's retribution punt of Ryan Newman in the Cup race. NASCAR penalized Jarrett immediately by parking him for two laps. Jarrett finished 31st and fell from 11th to 14th in the standings. Newman, who was knocked from the race, finished 39th and precariously sits ninth in points. * Scott Riggs' alignment with Evernham Motorsports for 2006 finally is official. At 34, Riggs is not considered ancient in driving circles, but after two years in Cup, it is time for him to showcase his talent. "I still haven't proven what my capabilities are and how competitive I can be as a driver," Riggs says. "I wanted to make sure I went somewhere that was on the way up, an organization that was strong enough and wide enough and deep enough." Riggs, who is 27th in points with MBV Motorsports, will have Chris Andrews as his team manager. A crew chief hasn't been announced. * Don't discard your Nextel Cup gear just yet. Because of the recent merger of Sprint and Nextel, fans can expect to see more co-branding, starting with Sunday night's race at California. A name change for the Cup Series will not occur before 2007. * Elliott Sadler has increased his exercise program to stay at the top of his game. Sadler, who is 13th in the standings and 34 points behind 10th-place Jeff Gordon, is optimistic going into California, where he's the defending race winner. "We're taking one of my favorite cars," Sadler says. "That's important because the driver will feel more comfortable." Sadler says gains have been made by the engine and body shops.