Kevin Harvick Inc. and Elliott Sadler team up for 2011 Nationwide Series

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (November 5, 2010) - Kevin Harvick Inc. announced today an expansion of its NASCAR Nationwide Series program with partner CitiFinancial and driver Elliott Sadler. CitiFinancial and Kevin Harvick Inc. have solidified a multi-year deal to compete full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and run select events in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The partnership will begin on the track during Championship Week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Sadler will run the No. 2 CitiFinancial Chevrolet in the Truck Series event. In 2011, CitiFinancial will be the primary sponsor for 29 Nationwide Series races with Sadler, and one Nationwide race with Kevin Harvick.

This partnership marks both a new beginning for each of the three parties involved, as well as an opportunity to build on past experiences. CitiFinancial, which has maintained a strong presence in the sport since 2004, announced earlier this year that it will be changing its name and will use this sponsorship as a key platform to launch that new brand. KHI is excited to build on its successes in the Nationwide Series and run for a championship in 2011. Sadler will start the next chapter of his 15-year career by reuniting with a former sponsor as he looks to add to his career win total of nine in the top three NASCAR series.

Mary McDowell, President and CEO of CitiFinancial North America stated, “We are thrilled to expand and enhance our incredibly successful presence in NASCAR. Our customers and employees are huge supporters of this great sport, and we could not be happier teaming up with Kevin Harvick Inc. and Elliott Sadler. We have worked with Elliott in the past, so this is somewhat of a reunion for NASCAR fans and for us. By partnering with KHI and Elliott, we have a powerful platform from which we can support our new brand and our business overall. We look forward to a great 2011 season on and off the track.”

Sadler comes to KHI as an experienced NASCAR veteran. The 35 year old made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 1995 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway accumulating 130 starts, five wins, 19 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes. Sadler will compete full time in the Nationwide Series in 2011 and vie for his first series title. During 2010, Sadler will compete in one Nationwide and eight Truck Series races for KHI. He won his first Truck race of his career in KHI equipment at Pocono (Pa.) International Raceway in July. Sadler also qualified on the pole and finished third while representing KHI at Bristol in the August Nationwide Series race.

“Kevin and DeLana and everyone at KHI have really rejuvenated my career,” stated Sadler. “I’ve been in some very fortunate situations throughout my career and I feel like running the races for KHI this year is a perfect example. It opened a lot of doors for me and obviously helped get us to this point. We’re committing to race for the Nationwide Championship in 2011. That’s a very achievable goal and one that I’m very hungry for. CitiFinancial is a partner I worked with when I drove for Robert Yates. We had a lot of fun during those days and I feel like this time around is going to be even better. We’re going to kick this partnership off in Homestead and spend all winter getting ready to run for a championship.”

For 2011, KHI also takes a big step as an organization as they continue to expand. The team ran two full-time Nationwide Series entries in 2006 and 2007, scaling back the program in 2008. Since 2008, the team has earned six wins, 46 top-five and 67 top-10 finishes, including 10 pole awards. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick felt 2011 was the right time to grow KHI back into a two-car Nationwide Series team.

“DeLana and I couldn’t be happier to bring Elliott Sadler on board at KHI,” said KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick. “I think when you can bring somebody with that kind of experience to a team; it brings a very credible element to the program because he’s a proven winner in the Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series. For us, it’s the first time that we’ve had a legitimate shot to make a run at the Nationwide Series championship and that’s really exciting as team owners. We’ve been able to win two championships in the Truck Series, and I feel like the next step as a company is to pursue the Nationwide Series championship and I think Elliott Sadler is the right guy for the job.

"We are also very pleased to be joined by a new partner at KHI,” Harvick continued. “CitiFinancial has been involved in NASCAR for many years, and we are proud they decided to join KHI. Next season we look forward to taking them to victory lane and racing for a championship."

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"... how can you quit on people if they've already quit on you?"

Richard Petty Motorsports Vice President of Competition Robbie Loomis addressed the happenings between an unidentified member of RPM and Kasey Kahne at Charlotte this weekend on Monday.

He started by trying to say that everyone is putting out 100 percent when everything is going well. However, he goes on to say, "It’s those times when you have bad times, it’s hard to fight through those bad times because you know there’s going to be something different you’re doing next year. Probably the hardest part is to keep your focus and attention on it." Paul Menard, Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne are all leaving RPM at the end of the season to pursue better offers. Menard is headed to Childress, Sadler is headed to drive for the Camping World Truck Series or the Nationwide Series for KHI, and Kahne is headed to drive for Red Bull Racing - a yearlong hop before heading to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

Kasey Kahne has not had the best of seasons. It has been up and down - one race he will come in second, the next he gets caught in a crash and ends up 33rd with a DNF. After making the Chase last year, sitting 21st in points is not what Kasey had imagined for himself this year. He planned to finish strong at RPM. However, some people within the RPM organization do not believe that Kahne is trying his hardest.

"When you know that [you’re leaving and it’s] in the back of your mind, it gets harder and harder when you’re having adversity to fight through it," Loomis said. "The real champions in life learn how to fight through those things even on the bad days. It’s all part of a growing process for us all."

Loomis suggests that Kasey Kahne is not championship material. If Kahne was not championship material, then why is Hendrick hiring him? Hendrick is made up of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. In my eyes, all four men are legends within the history of this sport. After 2011, Kahne is headed to the No. 5. There, he will drive with these legends.

"When he gets over there [at Hendrick], with being around Jeff [Gordon] and Jimmie [Johnson], he’ll get to learn a lot through them and how they deal and fight with adversity, too. It was disheartening for all of us. We felt so good going into the race."

Again, Loomis suggests that Kasey does not know how to deal with adversity. If he did not know how to deal with the races that he does not do well, would he still have a ride? I think not.

Robbie Loomis changes the subject after that to say how excited the RPM team is to see A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Menard doing well. But, what about Kasey? What about the equipment problems that he has dealt with all year?

"There are about 12 guys around the car, including guys with AP [brakes], all trying to look at the master cylinders and all that," Loomis said. "Sometimes, you just, I don’t know, it seems like it’s been one of those years. We’ve just had a lot of the troubles fall on him and that car."

But out of the eight cars fielded by RPM and Roush Fenway Racing combined, Kasey is the only driver to have this brake problem. It is unacceptable to think that one out of eight Fords on the track is having this problem and it has not been looked into by anyone other than Kasey and Kenny Francis, his crew chief. RPM should be looking into this and use this information for the future. What if next year A.J. Allmendinger is driving at Charlotte and the brakes fail because of the brake fluid? What would happen then?

Jeff Gluck of sbnation.com made a very good point in his article titled "Aftermath, Charlotte II: Is Kasey Kahne A Quitter?" and that is this: "... how can you quit on people if they've already quit on you?"

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of the site or its administrators.

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Busch vs. Busch: Infineon

Kyle Busch

Nationwide: Brad Coleman again was in the seat of No. 18. He finished sixth after qualifying fourth. He finished third, third and first in three of the four practices and led one time for seven laps.

Cup: Busch had a horrible weekend at Sonoma, one he probably wants to forget. After finishing ninth, 11th and 24th in practices, he started 27th. On the 11th lap, he was involved in an accident with Jamie McMurray, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliot Sadler and Clint Bowyer. While the others were able to get back on the track, Busch wasn't so lucky and went behind the wall for 33 laps. Upon returning, he received a penalty on lap 87 for pulling up to pit. The race finally ended and Busch finished 39th, 34 laps down. He lost the second spot in the standings, falling to third, being replaced by race winner Jimmie Johnson.




Kurt Busch

The elder Busch was on track to have a great race...



The remainder of this article can be read at examiner.com.

Article originally published at LV NASCAR Examiner and republished with permission of author.

Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

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JR Motorsports Teams up with Realtree and Elliott Sadler for Nationwide Series

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Wednesday, June 16, 2010) - Delta Apparel - a leading activewear and headwear manufacturer - has agreed to a partnership with JR Motorsports to promote the Realtree Outfitters licensed brand, which will receive primary placement on the No. 88 Chevrolet for five NASCAR Nationwide Series events this year, general manager Kelley Earnhardt announced today.  Realtree, the camouflage brand made famous by its long-running outdoor-themed television programming, recently signed Delta Apparel to an exclusive apparel and headwear licensing deal with its Realtree Outfitters brand.


One of the five races - the Aug. 20th event at Bristol Motor Speedway - will feature team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel of the No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet.  Two other events - the June 26th race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Sept. 25th race at Dover International Raceway - will introduce Elliott Sadler as driver of the No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevy.  Sadler has signed a 10-race driving agreement with JR Motorsports to drive the No. 88 car.

"I think this partnership with Delta Apparel and Realtree Outfitters is something we're announcing now, but it started a long time ago just on mutual friendship," said Earnhardt Jr.  "Realtree has been in the sport a long time, because there is a common interest in racing and hunting.  NASCAR fans wear Realtree camo."
The complete schedule for Delta Apparel/Realtree Outfitters-sponsored races includes New Hampshire Motor Speedway (June 26), Iowa Speedway (July 31), Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 20), Dover International Speedway (Sept. 25), and Gateway International Raceway (Oct. 23).  Drivers for Iowa and Gateway are still to be determined.

"Our licensing agreement with Realtree has opened significant new markets for our lifestyle t-shirts, caps, and other apparel items in both the outdoor and NASCAR market places in a very short timeframe," said Robert W. Humphreys, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Delta Apparel, Inc.  "This partnership is really true to all of the brands involved."

Bill Jordan, the popular outdoorsman and president of Realtree, said, "Both Dale Jr. and Elliott truly enjoy the outdoors, and both have spent time hunting and filming with us over the years.  We could not be more pleased to have these two drivers behind the wheel of the Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet.

"The partnership among Delta Apparel, Realtree Outfitters and JR Motorsports is the foundation of a multi-media campaign to promote the Realtree Outfitters brand, and the tie-ins among all of these companies and Chevrolet makes this the perfect promotion - touching on families, friendships, NASCAR and the outdoors."
Both Earnhardt Jr. and Sadler are avid outdoorsmen and have hunted multiple times with Jordan.  Much of Realtree's notoriety comes through its television programming on ESPN2, Outdoor Channel and other networks.  Earnhardt Jr. and Sadler have been featured on Realtree Outdoors® in each of the past two seasons.

"Our deal with Realtree Outfitters is one of those partnerships that won't be too difficult getting our fans and team members to rally around," Earnhardt Jr. said.  "Our shop is loaded with avid hunters, starting with (Crew Chief) Tony Eury Jr.  He's a die-hard and big supporter of Realtree.  My uncles - the Gee boys, Robert Jr. and Jimmy - are the best body-hangers in the business, but before they agreed to come to JR Motorsports, they made me promise to give them the entire month of November off so they can hunt... every year.  It was the only way I could get them to come to JR Motorsports, so I agreed.  I've never heard of a contract quite like it."

Sadler's debut for JR Motorsports at New Hampshire will kick off a 10-race schedule for the Emporia, Va.-native in the team's flagship No. 88.  His two races for Realtree Outfitters will be met with eight more for sponsor Grand Touring Vodka.  Those tracks include O'Reilly Raceway Park (July 24), Michigan (Aug. 14), Richmond (Sept. 10), Kansas (Oct. 2), Auto Club Speedway (Oct. 9), Texas (Nov. 6), Phoenix (Nov. 13), and Homestead-Miami (Nov. 20).

"I am grateful to Dale Jr. and Kelley for this opportunity," Sadler said.  "Dale Jr. and I have been friends since our days of racing late models, so it's a great opportunity for us to partner together in the Nationwide Series.  Everyone knows that I hunt every single day during the off-season.  So, this was like a dream come true for me to have a chance to represent Realtree Outfitters at my inaugural race with JR Motorsports.  Last year on a Realtree Outdoors hunt I harvested a monster bull elk, thanks to Bill Jordan. We're mixing together my two biggest passions in life: racing and the outdoors.  I'm going to go out and give it everything I have to put this No. 88 in victory lane for these 10 races."

Sadler is a five-time winner in the Nationwide Series and three-time winner in the Sprint Cup Series.  His first full season in the Nationwide Series featured three victories (Nazareth, Myrtle Beach, and Gateway) and four pole awards.  He responded a season later with two more wins (Bristol and Rockingham) and one pole.

"Elliott is a really good buddy of mine, and I'm happy that he has agreed to race our cars on a limited basis this year," said Earnhardt Jr.  "By now everybody knows our situation.  We are looking for the next full-time replacement for the No. 88, but in the meantime we've called upon some proven racers to keep it up front, capture points, and contend for wins.  Jamie McMurray took on a handful of races and has done an incredible job.  It's been a lot of fun watching him race, and Pops (Tony Eury Sr.) has enjoyed working with him.  I think Elliott will do just as well.  He's a great race car driver."2

Earnhardt Jr.'s turn behind the wheel of the No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet at Bristol will be his third appearance in the Nationwide Series this season.  He competed in the season-opening event at Daytona International Raceway, and will return to the track in July to drive the No. 3 Wrangler Chevy.  Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time series champion and winner of 22 races.

About JR Motorsports:
JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's seven-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 2008 JRM enjoyed a breakout season with four Nationwide Series victories between its two teams. The company followed suit with four more wins in 2009. The JR Motorsports facilities are based out of Mooresville, N.C., and include the JR Nation retail store, Hammerhead Entertainment, and DEJ Realty. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

About Delta Apparel, Inc.:
Delta Apparel, Inc., along with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, M. J. Soffe, LLC, Junkfood Clothing Company and To The Game, LLC, is an international design, manufacturing, sourcing and marketing company that features a diverse portfolio of high quality branded and private label activewear apparel and headwear. The Company specializes in selling a variety of casual and athletic products through most distribution channels for these types of goods. Its products are sold to specialty and boutique shops, upscale and traditional department stores, mid-tier retailers, sporting goods stores, screen printers, and private label accounts. In addition, certain products are sold to college bookstores and to the U.S. military. Its products are also available direct to consumers on its websites at www.soffe.com, www.junkfoodclothing.com, and www.deltaapparel.com. The headwear products can be viewed at www.2thegame.com. The Company's operations are located throughout the United States, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, and it employs approximately 6,500 people worldwide. Additional information about the company is available at www.deltaapparelinc.com.

About Realtree®:
Realtree is the world's leading camouflage designer, marketer, and licensor with over 2,000 licensees utilizing the Realtree camouflage brand. Thousands of outdoor and lifestyle products are available in Realtree camouflage patterns. In addition, Realtree is committed to supporting individuals and groups that work to ensure our outdoor heritage, the conservation of natural places, and the wildlife that resides there. In fact, Realtree is one of the nation's leading contributors to conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Realtree promotes its products and relationships widely on ESPN2, Outdoor Channel, and other television networks, as well as through Realtree.com and many other outlets. For more information on Realtree, visit www.realtree.com.

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