Mike Harmon wanted to race this weekend, but that wasn’t going to happen during NASCAR events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte. So the driver from Birmingport headed to Georgia, where he can wheel a race car around a dirt track. Meanwhile, Shane Hmiel stayed behind the wheel of what had been Harmon’s #24 Chevy until the GIC Motorsports team left Talladega in April. Harmon’s future with the team that races in NASCAR’s Busch series remains uncertain, and he is looking at possibilities for another ride elsewhere. James Whitener, owner of the team, confirmed that Hmiel is his driver for the rest of the season. As for Harmon, Whitener said, “He’s definitely looking. He wants to drive. There is no doubt about that.” Whitener put Hmiel in the car when sponsor Quality Service Plus soured on the 46-year-old Harmon, a former track champion at Birmingham International Raceway who has 84 career starts in the Busch series. The plan is for Hmiel, 24, to run the rest of the schedule except for races that conflict with Hmiel’s full-time ride in NASCAR’s truck series. “Unfortunately, in this day and age,” Whitener said, “it’s not about the racer anymore. Now, it’s all about money. Corporate America wants the young guns, and that’s what we’re doing. Mike and I are good friends,” he said. “Mike’s still with the team, working in the shop.” The possibility remains that the team may field a second car with a different number for Harmon on a limited schedule. “There will be a few races that we run with Mike,” Whitener said. “I might do it out of my own pocket for him.” The Busch race at night at Daytona in July may mark Harmon’s next NASCAR appearance. “We don’t have anything definitely on the books,” Whitener said. “We’re just seeing how it shakes out.” Whitener pointed out that he has made four crew chief changes with Harmon as the driver over the past few seasons. “They just couldn’t get the chemistry, so I just had to see what else I had,” Whitener said. “For whatever reason, we’re running better.” Qualifying is the key, especially for a team low on budget and points and sponsors demanding the car make the race. “Mike has always been better at racing,” Whitener said. “He’ll tell you he hasn’t been great at qualifying. Right now, it’s about getting in the show and getting money on the car.” Whitener said performance is not always about the driver. “Team attitude may be a little different,” he said. “Being down on the mat, not getting everything to go together, just weighs on everybody.”(Alabama Live)(5-30-2004)
