Nascar Rules

[the H team]

Lap 103 Brad Keselowski is now seventh to Jimmie Johnson's 13th.

[the H team]

Lap 110 Kevin Harvick is in ninth place.
Lap 108 Kyle Busch's margin over Denny Hamlin has shrunk to 7/10ths of a second.

[the H team]

Lap 113 Denny Hamlin has caught Kyle Busch!
Lap 111 Jeff Burton is pitting. He reported a vibration.

[the H team]

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Reports Friday that Kevin Harvick will leave Richard Childress Racing for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 didn't come as a surprise. Rumors had been swirling for the past few weeks that Harvick would join his buddy Tony Stewart once his RCR contract expired. Neither Harvick, Stewart nor Childress denied the ESPN.com report Friday, which cited sources saying that Harvick had signed a contract to drive for Stewart after next season.
Kevin Harvick departure: Harvick's nickname is "Happy," but his mood often turns dark when things go badly. (AP Photo)
Childress wasn't happy that people wanted to talk about 2014 on Friday and said he was focused on finishing 2012 and on 2013.
But the big question is whether Childress will be glad when Harvick is gone.
Harvick is a great driver. There's no denying that. His motivation and determination make him a tough to beat when he has a car capable of winning. He performed well under the spotlight when he took over following the death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500.
But he also is a driver who has a hard time handling losing, especially when he thinks his team and organization are not performing as well as possible.
He flirted with leaving RCR the last time his contract was up in 2010 but opted for a three-year deal. After back-to-back third-place finishes in the Chase in 2010-11, he asked for a new crew chief. Childress gave him one, but that didn't work out, and Harvick had his former crew chief back in August.
Harvick has one desire — win a championship. When he doesn't see that materializing, he can turn sour. He isn't a driver who will rally the troops with encouragement; he rallies with his intensity and fight.
Childress likely isn't interested in a fight right now. Everyone knows that the emergence of grandsons Austin and Ty Dillon has reinvigorated him. Austin most likely will race in Sprint Cup full time in 2014 and Ty will be one or two years behind.
Childress already has had to dodge the perception that his grandsons and their teams take precedence over the rest of the operation, that he's more concerned with their careers than anyone else.
If Austin Dillon got to Cup and Harvick didn't perform well, that perception would only grow larger. If Harvick got even a small sense of it, it wouldn't be surprising for him to go in a deep funk that would make life miserable for everyone at RCR.
So maybe this is the right time for Harvick to thank Childress for more than a decade of Cup racing, for buying his Nationwide Series operation and move on. The grass might not always be greener on the other side, but some different scenery could be what Harvick needs.
SHR could be the perfect place for him with Stewart running the show. Stewart has driven for Harvick in the past and they are good friends. Everyone will remember Stewart's butt-grab of Harvick's wife, DeLana, earlier this year that was caught on national TV. Now Stewart will be part of the family.
But running an occasional race together is different than a full-time driver-owner relationship. Harvick and Stewart are both fiery personalities, and if they both let their emotions get to them, it could be a problem. The good times could be really, really good. The bad times could be really, really bad.
Meanwhile at RCR, Childress, who might also have another opening if Jeff Burton's contract isn't renewed after next season, will have his choice of several drivers for 2014. Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle are among those who could be available after next season. Kyle Busch (could RCR really go there?) also could be a free agent.
They are all proven winners. They could help the Dillon brothers adjust to Cup racing. If they do question whether the Dillons are the priority at RCR, it won't eat at them as much as it would Harvick. They very well might be a better fit for RCR than Harvick in the next few years.
So while Harvick's pending move is a bit shocking today, everyone at RCR might not be sweating his departure. It could be best for everyone involved.

[the H team]

Lap 117 Denny Hamlin is right there! Paul Menard appears to be closing in as well.
Lap 115 Mark Martin continues to maintain a spot in the top 10.

[the H team]

Lap 119 Paul Menard is right behind Kyle Busch for second place.
Lap 118 Denny Hamlin wrestles the lead away from Kyle Busch.

[the H team]

Lap 124 Kyle Busch has dropped to fourth place.
Lap 122 Kevin Harvick, Juan Montoya and Mark Martin are on pit road.

[the H team]

PHOENIX -- For each of his 12 seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Kevin Harvick has driven for Richard Childress Racing.
That will change in 2014.

More From ESPN.com

Richard Childress was not in the mood to talk about Kevin Harvick's potential move to Stewart-Haas Racing, writes David Newton. Blog



Multiple NASCAR industry sources confirmed to ESPN.com on Friday that Harvick has signed a multiyear agreement to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing beginning with the 2014 season.

Harvick will remain at RCR in the No. 29 Chevrolet for the 2013 campaign, sources said.

"I'm looking forward to finishing out this season on a strong note with RCR and continuing to build our program going into the 2013 season with the ultimate goal of winning a championship," Harvick told ESPN.com on Friday at Phoenix International Raceway, when he was asked about his future. "Anything beyond that, once I know what my future plans are set, I'll let you know."

RCR owner Richard Childress obviously was irritated by the report.

"I've got a contract for 2013 and this is 2012,'' Childress said. "I'm not talking to you about nothing (regarding that).''

Asked if Harvick has told him he will not drive for RCR beyond 2013, Childress said, "You need to go talk to them people. Don't talk to me about it.''

Under Stewart-Haas' plan, sources said, Harvick will drive a fourth SHR Chevrolet, teaming with Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick to form a four-car stable.

[+] EnlargeJerry Markland/NASCAR/Getty ImagesKevin Harvick will join Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.



"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," SHR team spokesman Mike Arning said. "Any team in this garage would do the same.

"From the moment Stewart-Haas Racing was formed, becoming a four-car team is something it's been striving for. 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."

Harvick's Cup career began in 2001, when he stepped into the most famous race car on the track and one of the most famous race cars the sport ever had known -- Dale Earnhardt's Chevrolet.
When Earnhardt died in the final corner of the 2001 Daytona 500, Childress called on the then-Busch Series up-and-comer to take over. The car's number was changed to 29, and three races later, Harvick was a Cup Series winner.
In all, he has 18 career victories at NASCAR's top level.

Harvick contemplated leaving RCR the previous time his contract was up in 2010. But in good faith, he chose to remain with the man who gave him an opportunity at the big time.

But this time around, sources noted, Harvick believes Stewart has the ability to motivate him, and that was a critical factor in his decision.

It is not unprecedented for a driver to sign with a team a full year before joining it.



In 2010, Kasey Kahne signed with Hendrick Motorsports for the 2012 season. He finished the 2010 campaign with Richard Petty Motorsports, then moved to Team Red Bull for 2011 before joining HMS this season.
News of the Harvick move came the same day RCR announced Austin Dillon will drive the No. 33 in next season's Daytona 500 with sponsorship from Cheerios.
Team owner Childress is openly grooming his organization for his grandsons, Austin and Ty Dillon, who are competing in NASCAR's lower national levels.
RCR is running three teams in the Sprint Cup Series after Childress let Clint Bowyer leave for Michael Waltrip Racing this season.
Only Harvick made the Chase, while Paul Menard is ranked 16th and Jeff Burton 19th in the standings. All are winless in the standings.
Elliott Sadler, though, is tied with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. atop the Nationwide Series standings with two races to go in the championship race.
Sadler has been let go by Childress for next year. Austin Dillon is third in the Nationwide standings, while Ty Dillon is second in the Truck Series standings.

[the H team]

Lap 126 Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle make their stops.
Lap 125 Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Paul Menard pit.

[the H team]

Lap 128 Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart drop onto pit road.
Lap 127 A.J. Allmendinger, Danica Patrick and Aric Almirola stop.

[the H team]

Lap 131 Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman are pitting.
Lap 130 Denny Hamlin gives up the lead to pit. Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano and Sam Hornish Jr. are also stopping.

[the H team]

Lap 134 Brad Keselowski stayed out long enough to lead a few laps! He's now on pit road.
Lap 133 Clint Bowyer is pitting.

[the H team]

Lap 135 Jimmie Johnson stops.

[the H team]

Lap 139 The leaders after the cycle of green-fl&g pit stops are Denny Hamlin, Paul Menard, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski.

[the H team]

Lap 149 Brad Keselowski is up to fourth place, six seconds behind leader Denny Hamlin.
Lap 148 Denny Hamlin leads Paul Menard by one second.