Harvick provides the Chase Media Day entertainment
MIAMI, Fla., – While each of the four drivers competing for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be a first-time champion if he wins the title, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are no strangers to the media festivities that precede the final race of the season.
In 2010, Harvick and Hamlin were present with Jimmie Johnson. Then, Hamlin was clinging to a 15-point lead (old format) over Johnson and Harvick was 46 points back. Both Harvick and Johnson spent the session putting the pressure on Hamlin, who had just squandered at least 18 points to Johnson the previous race at Phoenix.
Wednesday, Harvick was having some stone-faced fun again. But while Hamlin was stationed to Harvick’s right, it was the driver on his left, Joey Logano, whom Harvick directed his comments toward.
As Logano was addressing how the four drivers plan to race each other for the title (there were no promises of fender-banging from any of the drivers), Harvick brought up Logano’s performance at Talladega.
Logano threw a key block on the last lap at Talladega to help keep Harvick away from the lead and teammate Brad Keselowski in it. Keselowski won the race and advanced to the third round of the Chase. Had Harvick won, Keselowski would have been eliminated.
“I thought you were going to say you were going to send Brad out there to be a moving chicane like you were at Talladega,” Harvick said.
Logano, perhaps expecting Harvick’s antagonization, laughed it off and answered promptly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Kevin,” Logano responded.
“Maybe you should ask Roger,” Harvick said, referring to Team Penske owner Roger Penske.
“He’s not here right now,” Logano answered.
After the exchange, Ryan Newman, the other title contender, (semi?) jokingly asked if he could answer the question.
Because the four drivers are battling heads-up for the championship and the highest-finishing driver wins the title, there is a chance that teammates of the drivers in contention could play a role with strategy, or make it harder for a title-eligible driver to complete a pass.
When asked if he was joking with Logano about Talladega, Harvick said he wasn’t and then expounded when asked about the teammate variable. Harvick will have teammates, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and team co-owner Stewart in the race. Logano has Keselowski, Hamlin has Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth and Newman has Austin Dillon and Paul Menard.
“You know, we’ve had this conversation in our shop, and it’s just a race, because I believe – and I think Tony Stewart believes and all the management believes that in the end, trying to do those things like at Talladega, karma catches up with you,” Harvick said. “I’m a firm believer in karma. At some point it comes full circle.”
In 2010, the talk about Hamlin might have gotten to him, though he said Wednesday it didn’t. At one point four years ago, he even made a comment about how awkward it was.
Logano wasn’t fazed, laughing about it again after the news conference while in his breakout session.
“I actually kind of think it’s a compliment,” Logano said. “Because if you think about it, I’m up here with three of the best drivers here and teams. And that’s really cool. It’s a privilege to be here. And then to have one of them nervous about you means even more. I’m not here to play head games, I’m here to win a race, and he can play around as much as he wants. I’m having fun with this.”
Hamlin was happy to stay away from the fray.
“I think everyone knew that was coming, probably,” Hamlin said. “Joey’s the new guy, he’s the young guy, and obviously he’s got a great shot at a championship. And everyone’s going to look for every advantage that they can get, whether it be coincidence or not that the person kind of poking fun is the person that gets under the other person’s skin.
“You know, Kevin didn’t beat me in 2010. I finished second to Jimmie. Jimmie wasn’t necessarily the one prodding. I think it’s more coincidence than anything, but you knew that Kevin was going to have a little fun out there, and obviously he’s got some bad blood it looks like with some of the Penske guys anyway, so I’ll just let all that play out and we’ll just go out there and have fun and see what happens.”
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
