Getting the job done

AVONDALE, Ariz. – One race does not a season make, but in Kevin Harvick's case one race could very well go a long way toward fusing his and team owner Richard Childress' respective futures at the hip.

Harvick's victory in Saturday's Subway Fresh 500 here at Phoenix International Raceway – which followed his win in Friday's Busch Series race – may be the final push Childress needs to finally dot all the Is and cross all the Ts on the lucrative long-term contract Harvick has been seeking.

It's not only about time, it's also the right time for a new deal to be struck for both sides.

"We're running really good now, but we've got to keep building," said Harvick, whose deal with RCR expires after this season. "We still feel we have some room to go, but things are going really good."

As an organization, Richard Childress Racing was built upon the back of the late Dale Earnhardt, a marriage that produced 67 wins and six Winston Cup championships.

By comparison, RCR has won only 11 Cup races – and no championships – with drivers other than the Intimidator. Of those 11 wins, six – including Saturday night's triumph – have come from Harvick in the No. 29 Chevrolet.

When Earnhardt was killed at Daytona in February 2001, the once-proud RCR organization completely fell apart. But Harvick has been a major part of RCR's resurgence this year, as it was he who:

• Wanted Childress to be more hands-on.

• Wanted to find a way to get rid of the apathy that had permeated RCR since Earnhardt's death. Harvick wanted the organization to live in the present and the future rather than continuing to bask in the success of the past.

• Wanted equipment that was competitive and would allow him to win races rather than being just another also-ran.

Both Harvick and Childress have talked tough in the past year and have made veiled threats that they could go their separate ways. But Harvick never wanted to make an ultimatum to Childress, nor did he want it to be only about "me, me, me."

Rather, Harvick wanted RCR to once again become what it once was: one of the proudest and most successful organizations in Cup racing. Of course, winning a few championships wouldn't hurt, either.

Suddenly, Harvick has what he wants – or at least sees the potential. He's been one of the hottest drivers on the circuit in the last four races with finishes of second, seventh, fifth and now first since Bristol.

Teammate Jeff Burton has had three top-10s and one other top-five in the first eight races, including a ninth-place finish in Saturday's race.

Fellow teammate Clint Bowyer has been the most consistent rookie this season, and he scored a sixth-place finish at Daytona and was fifth Saturday.

"I feel like everything is in real good balance teammate-wise and everybody helps everybody and does what they can to make sure everybody is going good," Harvick said. "This is the first time I've ever been part of that at RCR. It's usually everybody racing against each other.

"The drivers get along good, the crew chiefs get along good, the Busch crews and the Cup crews communicate well together. Everything is clicking now."

When Childress returns this week from a hunting safari in Africa, he'll find that all three of his drivers are ranked in the top 13 in the Nextel Cup standings: Harvick is eighth, Bowyer 12th and Burton 13th.

"The boss is over there hunting and fighting elephants and tigers and whatever else over there in Africa," Bowyer said. "He'll be pretty happy when he comes back. All three cars [finishing] in the top 10 … that's a heck of a job."

Indeed, after the season's first eight races, RCR actually is the second-most successful organization in Nextel Cup. Only Hendrick Motorsports has an equal number of drivers ranked higher: Jimmie Johnson (second in points), Jeff Gordon (sixth) and Kyle Busch (ninth).

Even though more lucrative deals from other team owners have been pitched to him, Harvick feels a sense of loyalty to stick with RCR, as he believes there still is some unfinished business left to complete.

"Like I've said numerous times, there's a seven-year relationship here. I have a lot of friends on this race team, we've been through a lot of pretty traumatic situations," Harvick said. "We've won championships in the Busch car, we've won races in the Cup car and Busch car.

"We've done everything we want to do except win a Cup championship and be consistently winning races year in and year out. That's what I want to make work. I want to make it all work, do everything and go forward, and I think that'll happen. … I believe everything will work in the right direction, and if it does, that's what I want."

And if he's a smart man, Childress will give Harvick what he wants, because the Bakersfield, Calif., native truly is RCR's best hope to return to prominence.