#29- Kevin Harvick unloaded on the Sprint Cup team he is leaving after a wreck with team owner Richard Childress grandson, Ty Dillon, during Saturdays Camping World Truck Series race. Harvick, who was driving for another team in the Kroger 200, and Dillon were racing for second when their trucks collided and knocked both from contention. Harvick, who is leaving Richard Childress Racing after 13 seasons in Sprint Cup to join Stewart-Haas Racing, implied that nepotism and lineage were factors in his decision. Ty Dillon has raced in the Camping World Truck series the past two seasons and is moving into Nationwide next year to supplant his older brother, Austin, who is expected to move into Sprint Cup and effectively take over the ride being vacated by Harvick. ‘(Dillon) just dumped me’ Harvick said about the crash. ‘Exactly the reason why Im leaving RCR because youve got those kids coming up, and theyve got no respect for what they do in this sport and theyve had everything fed to them with a spoon.” Dillon slammed Harvick several times during the ensuing yellow flag. Harvicks truck also stopped near Dillons pit stall, where it was accosted by several members of Dillons crew, one of whom appeared to hurl an orange hammer at it. MRN.com reported that Childress encouraged Dillon to hit Harvicks truck under yellow. Childress told MRN.com and the Sporting News that Harvick would race Sunday at Martinsville in the #29 (‘Were still rolling.”) but also said he was ‘very disappointed” in Harvick. ‘Thats all I can say’ Childress said. ‘Ive got too much class to say what I want to say right now. When I say it, I will say it to his face.”( USA Today )(10-27-2013) UPDATE: Kevin Harvick apologized for his comments about teammate Ty Dillon during Sundays NASCAR RACEDAY on FOX Sports 1. Harvick spoke to hosts John Roberts, Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds. What made you angry in yesterdays incident? ‘I think there was just a lot of emotion involved. I hate it for everybody at RCR. You go back and look at the things that happened, and sometimes you regret the things that you say for sure. Yesterday was definitely one of them. I hate it for my guys, and everybody working on the cars. Obviously, when those emotional situations come about; you say things that you really dont want to say. I just want to apologize to all of those guys, work hard today and try and do everything we can to win the race. Were these comments a result of the frustration and the pressure? ‘I think yesterday was just some frustration on how the race ended. You never want to be in a situation like were in, and obviously, the short-track racing and everything that happened, you try to do the right things, and yesterday I didnt do the right thing. We just have to do what we have to do today to put ourselves in a position to be as successful as we can.” Have you had a conversation with Ty Dillon? ‘No. I think its best for all of us to just cool down and have a sensible conversation about things that are going. I wish thats what I would have done yesterday. Its one of those situations that you dont want to be a part of, but I dont have anybody else to blame but myself.” (Fox Sports PR)(10-27-2013) UPDATE 2: Richard Childress fiercely defended his two grandsons Sunday morning, a day after Childress driver Kevin Harvick called Ty Dillon ‘a punk-ass kid” after they wrecked at Martinsville Speedway. Harvicks job might be safe but the relationship with Childress, the owner of Richard Childress Racing, soured after he called Childress grandsons Austin and Ty Dillon spoiled ‘punks” and ‘rich kids” following Saturdays race. ‘What happened on the track was one thing’ Childress said, ‘but the comments afterwards is where Im really upset. Ill never apologize for giving my grandsons an opportunity, just like the France family, the Earnhardt family, the Wood brothers. You go down the list of the people that have been given opportunities. All of them didnt make it. Youve got to go out and earn what youve got, the opportunity in life to succeed. And these boys earned it.” Childress, who talked with Harvick on Sunday morning, said he is committed to Harvick and the team sponsors for the final four races of the season. ‘Were going to give him everything humanly possible to win that championship’ Childress said. ‘Im committed to him for four more races, just like I committed to him the day that he said he was leaving. I shook his hand and committed Id give him 100 percent, and Im going to do it. But Im not going to be backed into a corner.”( Sporting News )
