DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The magic behind Kevin Harvick’s “magical” season start may surprise some people.
Of course it takes driving talent, a motivated crew and a smart and innovative crew chief (Rodney Childers), but when asked about the secret to the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford team’s success, Harvick conceded it was a less-tech and a whole lot more from-the-ground up, good people, deep roots kind of kumbaya.
Like an artist beginning on a blank canvas with a masterpiece inspiring each stroke, the Harvick team was given free will to create a winning operation and it has already resulted in the 2014 championship and put them in prime position as championship favorites this season. Seven times in the past nine years, Harvick has finished first, second or third in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup championship.
The present day team boasts a series best five wins – only 12 races into the 2018 season, collected the Monster Energy All-Star trophy last week and is looking to earn its third consecutive points-paying victory in Saturday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). It would be the second three-win streak already for Harvick this early in the season.
“Our team, our 4 team in general, is a little bit different than probably most teams because Stewart-Haas Racing allowed us to build it,” Harvick explained shortly after celebrating his All-Star victory Saturday night.
“We didn’t have anything. We hired a crew chief. We courted Rodney [Childers] for, I don’t know, seems like a year and a half, whatever it was. It was a long time. We got that piece done first. Then it was, okay, now you need to go hire everybody on your team. He was on gardening duty, so he got to go and interview every person that was on the race team to start with.
“We got a brand new tractor and trailer. Every nut and bolt in it, every car was built to the specs that blended together with what he wanted and what Stewart-Haas had, the Hendrick relationship at the time.
The methodical approach, with a huge nod of trust between Harvick, Childers and the Stewart-Haas Racing team management has been nothing short of remarkable. And judging by the success this season, only getting stronger.
Harvick has three wins at Charlotte including two Coca-Cola 500 wins in 2011 and 2013. He has nine top-10 finishes in the last 10 races here, including two wins and three runner-up finishes. His victories at Dover and Kansas along with his win in last Saturday’s All-Star race make him the absolute favorite on the grid Sunday night.
And best of all for this team, they can say they have come by this success by doing it “their way.”
“Everything on our team was built around what we wanted,” Harvick said. “That’s not normal. I think as you look at a lot of situations, you’re going to have guys that are going to go into a team. You’re going to get a few of these cars a few of these cars, we’re going to give you a couple guys from over here.
“That’s not the case. When you look at it, young owners, we have a group of racers from top to bottom inside and out that love to race cars. That’s all they want to do. They don’t care what color your shirt is, how many buttons are on it. Just show up and do everything you can to win the race. That isn’t normal in this garage.
“I think as you look at that environment that has been created, it’s just about racing. Everybody’s input, everybody’s involved. It’s a special place to work. For me, it’s the same scenario. It’s the right people, right situation. We all have a lot in common. We all have kids, are similar in age.
“There’s not a generation gap from our ownership group or management or crew chief. If I told Rodney, I’m not going to be at the meeting today, I’m going to watch my son’s baseball game, they would say, ‘Have fun.’ If I’m going to watch my kid play football, baseball, basketball, you have the opportunity to do that, that’s rare. That’s not something we all get to do.
“That’s the type of situation that for me, I just feel like it works. We all respect each other. But we all have a lot in common.”
Source: Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire ServiceNA
