Voluntary Termination: Kahne, Harvick have options

Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne have been quite vocal in their desires to drive elsewhere in 2011, in an effort to grab the few seats that will be open to drivers of their caliber. Athlon Sports contributor Vito Pugliese takes a look at where these two might end up.

Dealing with a problem employee, even if said employee is productive, can be a tricky proposition for any operation, particularly in NASCAR. They can have an adverse affect on company morale, sponsorship support and create difficulties in recruiting and retaining talent, which may be encouraged to jump off the Titanic before it strikes whatever may be sitting just below the water line.

Case in point, drivers Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne. Both are among the most successful drivers of their era, instantly recognizable, and popular with fans and sponsors alike. That said, when drivers of their stature speak, people are going to listen, particularly when they voice discontent or hint at the prospect of venturing elsewhere. The palatable “anywhere-but-here” sentiment that both conveyed last season set the Silly Season machine into warp drive, accelerating the talk of driver swaps nearly a year before their contracts were up, not quite unlike the posturing and pursuing that takes place in Formula One.

Both drivers have expressed an interest in leaving their respective rides for different reasons — Harvick’s Richard Childress Racing Chevys have lacked speed and performance, while Kahne has not known for sure what brand of car or team name he would be racing under since last summer. Each have a unique history in the sport, and their unquestionable talent makes them the two hottest commodities on the market since Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. threw their helmets in the ring in 2007.

For those that may not remember, it was Harvick that was charged with the task that nobody would have wanted to undertake: replacing Dale Earnhardt Sr. in what was the iconic No. 3 ride following his death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. The 25 year-old responded like a seasoned veteran, winning two Cup races that season as well as the Nationwide Series championship. Since then, he has garnered prestigious wins in the Brickyard 400 (2003) and the Daytona 500 (’07) in what is now the No. 29 Chevy.

Kahne, on the other hand, was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s Jeff Gordon, whom it had snatched from the Blue Oval Brigade late in 1992. However, along came Dodge, making a comeback into the sport spearheaded by Gordon’s former crew chief, Ray Evernham. The fledgling operation won Kahne over from Ford after a bitter contract dispute in late 2003, and Ford was left standing with empty pockets once again. Kahne performed well, and was instrumental in helping return Dodge to prominence in NASCAR, winning seven races his first two years on the Cup circuit.

The last few seasons have been a rocky road for Kahne, though. His familiar No. 9 machine has passed ownership from Evernham to George Gillett and now to a quasi-Jack Roush organization, while the make has morphed from Dodge to, ironically enough, Ford.

How has this shaped his outlook for 2010 and beyond? Kahne addressed the topic just last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“In the middle of this year or towards the end of this year, when I decide to make my decision of what I’m gonna do, if I don’t feel like we’re gonna be able to run with the Hendrick cars for the next three or four years, then I’ve got to make a change,” he said. “If I feel like we can, then I’m gonna stay right where I’m at.”

Sure … just go out and smoke Johnson, Martin and Gordon. Should be fairly easy for a team that, just a couple months ago, was looking at closing the doors, right?

When Harvick announced he wanted out of RCR during the midst of its travails last summer, what really was the true motivation for doing so? Was it to send a shot across the bow to get Childress more involved in the struggles of the race team? Putting out feelers for what sponsors or teams might be interested in his services? Or was it to get a jump on the other free agents in the field that will need a new contract for 2011?

Incidentally, Harvick is currently leading the Sprint Cup point standings and won the Bud Shootout at Daytona a month ago. Message delivered; request granted.

While both drivers have appeared to be resigned to go elsewhere, there are a number of interesting options for Harvick and Kahne, should they opt to leave RCR or RPM. Where might they end up?

Stewart-Haas Racing
This would seem the most likely destination for either driver as both are friends with Stewart and the new car owner appears open to expanding his current two-car team, provided the circumstances are right.

Although not the traditional beer-swilling type, Budweiser seems quite happy with Kahne as its driver and spokesman, going so far as to sponsor his World of Outlaw car. Shell-Pennzoil may very well be in the Kevin Harvick business. Its contract is up along with Harvick’s this year, and it’s thought it may follow the driver, not be assigned one via RCR. Chevrolet would no doubt love to keep Harvick in the fold, and any make would welcome a talent like Kahne.

So the only real question goes back to whether Stewart wants to expand his operation any further. Were he to build upon the model that saw him bolster his burgeoning racing empire with friend Ryan Newman as a teammate, adding either Harvick or Kahne could only be seen as further strengthening what is already a rock-solid program currently in its second year of competition.

While Stewart-Haas has room for two drivers and cars, look for Smoke to take the baby-steps approach when it comes to putting any more irons in the fire. One additional team is realistic … two teams? It’s a bit of a stretch.

Joe Gibbs Racing
The team that won in only its second attempt at the Daytona 500 and brought a USAC Sprint and Silver Crown driver from Indiana to prominence, Joe Gibbs Racing appears to be the one organization that has the capability to keep pace — or possibly challenge — Hendrick Motorsports for NASCAR dominance.

JGR has a far reach into almost every major racing series in America, including AMA Supercross, and has made the Nationwide Series its own personal playground with Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin combining for 29 series victories since the start of the 2008 season.

On the Sprint Cup side, Busch has amassed 12 wins in his two-year association with Gibbs, while Hamlin took four trophies last season and contended for a title. Sophomore phenom Joey Logano already has a Cup win under his belt as well as a Rookie of the Year championship and two top 10s thus far in 2010.

This is the organization that is most likely to land Kahne — and it wouldn’t even have to displace a driver to do so, as Hamlin, whose contract is up this season, will be re-signed. Assuming Roush Fenway Racing doesn’t prematurely cut ties with David Ragan, the long-rumored fourth car at JGR could be Kahne’s for the taking – and would establish it as the prime contender to displace Hendrick Motorsports from its pedestal.

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing
Jamie McMurray has a one-year deal for 2010 to drive the original DEI No. 1 entry for what is now Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. Might this be an option for either driver next season? Doubtful, as McMurray’s Daytona 500 win certainly has earned him accolades as his second consecutive restrictor plate race victory.

The likelihood of either Harvick or Kahne ending up here is remote, and as long as he keeps momentum up, the feel-good story of the year should translate into an extension for McMurray.

Besides, I’m guessing the comments Harvick made a few years ago calling Teresa Earnhardt “a deadbeat owner” during the tumultuous time that ultimately led to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s departure, would probably preclude his joining this operation.

With NASCAR’s four-team limit, even for upper-echelon drivers like Harvick and Kahne, the pickings are going to be slim for 2011 unless contracts are broken and deals bought out, with sponsors likely dictating the final outcome of any driver changes.

And one can’t help but wonder if Harvick’s RCR bunch continues its early-season ways (he currently sits atop the point standings) and if Kahne can parlay his top-10 showing in Vegas to more intermediate track magic, might the drivers be better off staying right where they are? In Silly Season, anything is possible.