Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick give Stewart-Haas Racing two of the 16 drivers vying for the Monster Energy Cup Series championship when NASCAR’s playoffs begin Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
Danica Patrick deserves to be in NASCAR Hall of Fame, says Kurt Busch
In the wake of Danica Patrick announcing she will leave Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the season, teammates offered high praise for what she’s accomplished.
Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
Busch and Harvick, however, almost seem an afterthought with the news that teammate Danica Patrick won’t be returning to SHR next season. Patrick made the announcement on her Facebook page Tuesday. Her decision likely signifies that the first female to win a pole in NASCAR’s top division and lead a lap in the Daytona 500 might be wrapping up her career as her options to continue racing in Cup are limited.
A lack of sponsorship was the primary factor in SHR and Patrick parting ways. In addition to Patrick revealing her departure Tuesday, SHR also announced Smithfield Foods would join the team as primary sponsor for one of its four cars, which has not yet been disclosed.
“Danica has been a huge part of this sport and turned a lot of people on to racing that might not have otherwise been turned on to racing,” Harvick said. “The impact and the footprint that she has brought to our sport is big.
“I hope that Danica gets a sponsor because she’s an important part of our sport.”
Despite the shadow Patrick’s decision casted over SHR, neither Busch nor Harvick believes his championship hopes will be impacted. Both say the team is focused on winning the organization’s third championship in seven years, and no personnel moves will take away from that commitment.
Harvick enters the playoffs as the sixth seed, with Busch the 12th seed.
“I think those are pretty much standard procedure things that are going to happen,” Harvick said. “There’s going to be changes, and it’s not just our organization that has changes. Things change, and you have to be a part of those and work through those things because that’s really a part of business and it’s a part of sports. I think there’s obviously been a lot going on behind the scenes, and you can just see the end result of it yesterday.
“I think there is more settled than unsettled. I think as you look at our situation, I look at all the moving and changing and things, and I haven’t seen anything that’s not for the better at this particular point. I think as long as we’re making changes and everybody feels like they’re getting better, I think you’re going to strengthen the whole organization.”
Patrick joined SHR in 2012 after a successful tenure competing in the IndyCar Series — she was the first female to win a major Indy car race and her third-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 is the highest for a female. In her first year with SHR, she ran select races before moving to a full-time schedule the next year.
But during Patrick’s six years with SHR, co-owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, her competitiveness leveled off — especially compared to her teammates. While Busch, Harvick, and Stewart all won races and qualified for the Cup playoffs last season, Patrick failed to record a top-10 finish.
This season, the performance disparity was much the same. Busch and Harvick each won, with Clint Bowyer, who replaced the retired Stewart, the first driver not to make the playoffs. Patrick is currently 28th in the points standings with a best finish of 10th with 10 races remaining.
“I’ve always been a believer in Danica’s ability as a racecar driver, and that continues to be the case,” Stewart wrote on his Facebook page. “She’s one of the most fearless people I’ve ever met. She has never backed down from a challenge. In fact, she’s sought out new challenges throughout her career, and that’s what brought her to NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing.
“Making the jump from IndyCar to NASCAR is not easy, yet she had the courage to do so and put up better numbers than a lot of other drivers who have tried to make that same transition. My support for Danica is unwavering. We’re going to end this season strong and make the most of these last 10 races.”
Busch offered Patrick currently praise, saying she deserves a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“I see more female racers around our country and around the world interested in racing,” Busch said. “She paved the way. She’s a true pioneer in this day and age of social media and the power of media recognizing that she’s moving the needle even though she wasn’t running consistently up front.”
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