JR Motorsports Announces Additional Sponsorship for Kevin Harvick
Harvick’s 2014 Nationwide Schedule Expands to 13 Races
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 5, 2014) – JR Motorsports announced today an update to Kevin Harvick’s 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series race schedule, as the addition of five sponsorship partners brings his schedule to 13 races.
Headlining the partner lineup is Morton Buildings, which will sponsor Harvick at two venues – Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26) and Kansas Speedway (Oct. 4). Based in Morton, Ill., Morton Buildings specializes in constructing high-quality, long-lasting structures ranging from farm shops, equestrian facilities, hobby buildings, garages, churches, municipal buildings, airplane hangars, custom homes, commercial structures and general storage buildings.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with NASCAR, Kevin Harvick and JR Motorsports,” said Brian Haraf, marketing manager for Morton Buildings Inc. “We are continually impressed with the fan base and the support from the teams and other sponsors.”
Four additional partners have signed one-race sponsorships for Harvick – Great Clips at Phoenix International Raceway (March 1), TaxSlayer.com at Auto Club Speedway (March 22), Tide at Richmond International Raceway (April 25) and Bad Boy Buggies at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Aug. 30). They join primaries Hunt Brothers Pizza (four races) and Armour (three races) to make up Harvick’s current 13-race schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year. JR Motorsports is working to fill out inventory for the remainder of the season with additional drivers.
“Kevin has generated a lot of interest in our racing program from new companies and our returning partners,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports. “His excitement about the upcoming season is infectious and has really lit a fire under everyone at JR Motorsports to match that intensity with all three of our teams.”
Specializing in all-terrain vehicles for both work and recreational use, Bad Boy Buggies has been a Harvick sponsor in each of NASCAR’s top three national touring divisions since 2011. Harvick’s lone Nationwide Series victory in 2013 came with Bad Boy Buggies on his car, as he led 289 of 390 laps in a winning effort at Atlanta.
Tide, an industry leader in detergent products, began sponsoring Camping World Truck Series races for Harvick in 2010. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has taken them to victory lane twice, both at Martinsville (March 27, 2010, and March 31, 2012).
Two of JR Motorsports’ returning partners, Great Clips and TaxSlayer.com, are sponsoring Harvick for the first time but have larger sponsorship relationships with the company. Great Clips will carry associate placement on Chase Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet through all of 2014, and TaxSlayer.com is a cornerstone partner and primary sponsor of Regan Smith’s No. 7 Chevrolet.
ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS: JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 11-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which it has earned 12 victories since its inception in 2007. In 2012 the JRM late model program won the track title at Motor Mile Speedway with driver Josh Berry, giving the company its first championship. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.
The Final Word – Be the changes bad or a fad, NASCAR’s return is sure to make you glad, sad, or just plain mad
Imagine the Super Bowl as Percy Harvin takes the second half kickoff. However, before he gets very far, he is blindsided by someone from … the 2 and 14 Houston Texans? The ball squirts loose, the Broncos pick it up and go in for a touchdown. Momentum shifts, Peyton Manning can find receivers, and Denver comes back to beat the Seahawks. If you think that is bizarre, welcome to NASCAR, 2014 style.
Now imagine Dale Earnhardt Jr finally challenging for the title. He is charging to the front at Homestead, when Dave Blaney, who never had a hope to winning it all, loses control and punts Junior into oblivion. Could happen. Forget consistency, wins will take the crown in the new Chase, they say. Then they say that under these rules, Junior could have won it all last season…a season in which he was winless. NASCAR logic.
Will it cause excitement at the end of the season? Well, you might be able to call it that. It would at least give us some reason to watch that abysmal crew from ESPN one final campaign. Will the new champion be the best of the best over the course of the season? Probably not. The only question we need answered is if the fans will accept who NASCAR deems as its champion under this rather contrived system or if an obviously superior candidate emerges.
Will Jimmie Johnson win his seventh title? Will fans give him credit for it if he does? Will a Hendrick driver win it all, again? Tony Stewart will be back, but its his leg we will wonder about. That, and how Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch play as team mates. Maybe Danica Patrick will be a factor this year, and then again, maybe my butt might sprout wings.
Richard Childress brings back the slant No. 3 for his grandson Austin Dillon while welcoming Ryan Newman to the fold. Martin Truex Jr. is the new man for Furniture Row, and Brian Vickers joins Michael Waltrip’s team. Along with Dillon, we have highly regarded rookie Kyle Larson with Ganassi Racing. There is some young talent coming up with less than seasoned teams, but it is too early to tell if they are for real, or if they will simply be joining the ranks of starts and parks.
Win a race, wind up in the Chase, or at least if you manage to finish among the Top 30. Win a Chase race, and you avoid elimination when they strip four from contention after each set of three events as they move through the Challenger, Contender, and Elimination rounds. Finish best among the final four contenders at Homestead, and you win a championship. Nope, it is not you daddy’s NASCAR, anymore.
While we will have to wait until Phoenix to see the change in Cup qualifying, the junior and truck circuits will start demonstrating this at Daytona. No more single car one or two lap turns, as now everybody hits the circuit at the same time. For the bigger circuits, the fastest 24 after 25 minutes continue for another 10 minutes. The top dozen then go for another five to determine the first six rows for when they take the green flag. For tracks under a mile-and-a-quarter, they all run for 30 minutes, with the top dozen advancing to a second and final round to determine the top spots. Rather than determine who has the fastest car, it should decide who is the fastest racer. That is an innovation that actually makes some sense.
At least something does. The changes coming up in deciding a champion, according to pundits citing nameless experts, has everyone very excited. Yes, about as excited as grandma got when you hurled on her nice shag rug. Let us just say we are interested in how it all turns out. We begin with the Sprint Unlimited for pole winners and former Bud Shootout winners on February 15th. Unless you are a hockey or basketball fan, enjoy the quiet, or at least until the Winter Olympics get under way at the end of the week.
NASCAR Unveils the Deterrent System
In NASCAR, penalties are always inconsistent and there is always controversy surrounding each call. In an effort to make the process more transparent or more black and white, if you will, the powers that be have come up with a new system – the Deterrent System. Infractions are now classified on a scale from warnings to P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6. They have informally handed out warnings in the past but now, they will be tracked and made public. NASCAR reiterated that they will not, under any circumstance, take wins away. They want fans to leave the track knowing who won the race.
NASCAR also has a new Chief Appelant Officer. Bryan Moss will replace John Middlebrook and NASCAR stressed that the decision to make a change was not due to Middlebrook going against NASCAR in multiple appeals last year. Race manipulation is not included in this new system though, perhaps because it will be treated as a separate entity. Along with organizing the process more, this system slams repeat offenders. For a detailed look at the new penalty scale, click on the chart below…
NASCAR Executive VP of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell
“NASCAR’s Deterrence System is designed to help maintain the integrity and competitive balance of our sport while sending a clear message that rules violations will not be tolerated. “This is a more transparent and effective model that specifically spells out that ‘X’ infraction equals ‘X’ penalty for technical infractions. At the same time, we believe the Appeals process allows a fair opportunity for our NASCAR Members to be heard, and have penalty disputes resolved by an impartial, relevant group of people with the ability to handle the complexities inherent in any appeal.This system has been tailored specifically to fit the needs of our sport.”
The appeal process itself will continue to have two levels. The first is a three-person panel, called “The National Motorsports Appeals Panel.” The team involved then has the option to go to the Chief Appellant Officer Bryan Moss. All alterations to the penalty system will be implemented immediately.
