Harvick OnLine: Top Story: 2007 Team Preview: RCR

2007 Team Preview: RCR
By: Pete Pistone, Racing One
February 5, 2007

There may not have been a bigger turnaround in 2006 bigger than what took place at Richard Childress Racing.

RCR driver Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton raced their way into the "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup," while rookie Clint Bowyer turned in an impressive freshman performance to give car owner Richard Childress a stellar season.

"Last year was a great year for us here at RCR, and we're going to set the bar even higher this season," Childress said. "We've grown a lot here over the years and that's due to a lot of hard work by a lot of great people. There's a lot of history here and a lot of wins as well as championship that we're really proud of."

Harvick, who signed an extension to stay with RCR early in the year, enjoyed one a career season in 2006. In addition to his Busch Series title, Harvick scored five NEXTEL Cup wins and finished fourth in the final standings.

“We had a plan last year, and we kept to it,” Harvick said. “And we’ve got a plan this year. You have to get off to a good start the first five weeks, and if you don’t, then you’ve got to make adjustments and get them going good the next five weeks."

Harvick's goal to start the year off on a positive note will come in different colors this year, with long-time RCR partner GM Goodwrench stepping down as the No. 29's full-time sponsor with Shell taking its place.

"The new sponsor, Shell-Pennzoil, for me is good," Harvick said. "It kind of gets you out from underneath that shadow of everything that we had with Dale. It’s hard for me to beat down somebody else’s path when you’re used to beating your own path.

"Not that Goodwrench wasn’t, but it’s just so much in the past that everything had to do with."

Read the full story at racingone.com