Kevin Harvick understands if Camping World sponsors truck series
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Kevin Harvick said he'll be understanding if Camping World decides to take its money from his team and sponsor what is now the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series next year.
Harvick's Kevin Harvick Inc. truck and Nationwide Series teams currently have a relationship with Camping World.
In the past, Harvick has criticized NASCAR for stealing sponsors from race teams, but he said Friday that this situation is different.
“At first glance, you’re like, ‘Wow, what the hell is happening here?’ but I don’t think anybody’s stealing a sponsor here," Harvick said. "It’s just something that seems to work good for them."
Harvick noted that Camping World's race sponsorships – several races have been named for Camping World this year, including consecutive Sprint Cup races at Dover and Kansas – have helped that company reach more potential customers.
"In this case, I don’t think NASCAR necessarily went out and sought Camping World," he said. "I think Camping World, their race entitlements work for them and based upon where NASCAR sits, if they’re going to do something different...those guys have communicated with us well over the last couple days to let us know where that stands."
NASCAR officials say nothing has been decided yet and Camping World is simply in the mix as one of the potential sponsors for the truck series.
"We’ve known that Camping World has been looking at the entitlement," Harvick said. "This has to work for everybody, and there’s definitely not any cherry-picking from NASCAR. This is just one of a few companies that’s looking at something that might make sense for them. That’s something you can’t condemn anybody for."
Harvick said Camping World is signed through 2009 to remain as the sponsor of Ron Hornaday's No. 33 truck and that will not change. However, he said KHI will likely need to fill a 14-race sponsorship hole on its Nationwide team if Camping World departs.
Jack Sprague's No. 2 truck also needs sponsorship, but Harvick said that truck will race regardless. The team recently announced its intention to field trucks for motorcycle-racing legend Ricky Carmichael as well and Harvick says he feels optimistic about sponsorship for that group.
"Camping World has been involved in a lot of entitlements and things, and I want them to do what’s best for them as a sponsor," Harvick said.
"Understanding where everything comes from and how it works, it sounds for them like they think that’s a better avenue. So that’s OK."
