Day 2 at NHMS: Kevin Harvick is the guy Earnhardt fans wish they were getting

Sylvania 300 weekend coverage presented by Mainely Motorsports

I’ve come to the conclusion that Kevin Harvick is the personality that "Earnhardt Nation" mistakenly thinks Dale Earnhardt Jr. is.

Harvick is the rough-around-the-edges professional. Harvick is the guy who says what he thinks in plain language, popular or not. He’s that guy that you swear lives across the street – wearing a T-shirt and jeans to mow his lawn on a Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Earnhardt has been curt, ducking fans by literally squeezing through fenced off areas and simply not producing enough on the race track. Asked what his late father would have thought of the Chase, Earnhardt’s exact answer was "Hell, I don’t know."

No expansion on that thought, no aw-shucks-good-ol’-boy saying what all of the God-fearin’, beer drinkin’, short-track lovin’ loyal old-school NASCAR fans desperately wish he was.

Harvick, by contrast, was in the infield media center at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday morning answering questions about Kevin Harvick Inc. driver Ron Hornaday, and Hornaday’s admission that he used steroids to treat the rare Graves’ Disease.

In a sweatshirt and jeans, Harvick didn’t put on airs. He answered questions directly and even invited more from the media after

"We’re not afraid to talk about any of it," Harvick said directly, willing to tackle the issue head-on.

Harvick is the guy that will wreck you off of the final turn to win the Daytona 500 or, heck, even a 40-lap dirt late model race somewhere – and then, as conventional wisdom dictates, buy you the beer with a laugh and a smile an hour or so later to congratulate you for the effort..

Earnhardt, on the other hand, would never run that Late Model race – and if he wrecked you to win at Daytona, you’d be licking your wounds with your family and crew members because Earnhardt himself would be long gone on a private helicopter to go drink with his closest friends at a gated-off home in the suburbs of Charlotte.

Because Harvick is the guy that Earnhardt fans wish they were pulling for.

*****

So it turned out that it wasn’t such a Heluva Good! Pole Day after all.

*****

I’ve never felt so bad for a driver as I did for Paul Menard, who was speaking to a group of Sylvania VIP’s in the hospitality tent on Friday night – some four hours after qualifying was rained out on Friday.

Menard entertained such hard-hitting questions as "How long is this oval?" to "What do you do when it rains?" Menard was more than graceful in answering questions.

But things got a little messy when someone asked him how long he’d been a professional race car driver.

"That’s a tough question to answer...." Menard said.

Of course it is. When you don’t actually draw a paycheck because it’s Daddy who foots the bill for everything, it’s hard to consider yourself "a professional." But give the guy credit, he deftly answered by saying that racing is what he does "from 9 to 5." Unless it’s race day, and then he does it for about 35 minutes, give or take.

*****

Here’s your inspirational line of the day, one thrown out by esteemed colleague SHAWN COURCHESNE OF THE HARTFORD COURANT very – very! – early on Friday morning:

"When you’re the only dog in the circus, you can only do tricks for so long before you have to stop to take a (crap)."

If you have any idea what that means, you’re three steps ahead of yours truly.

*****

Turns out, Kyle Busch says he’s not that smart – or at the very least he can’t remember anything. Busch, who leads the Sprint Cup Series with 8 wins this year, said he relies on practice and qualifying each and every week.

"I can tell you about what happened in a race, but I can’t tell you a thing about which line I used or where I broke or anything like that," Busch said. "It’s always good to get back for a little refresher course."

*****

You know what I hate? I’m just going to put it out there.

Foaming hand soap in public restrooms.

I mean, that kind of defeats the purpose of soap, doesn’t it?

And, while we’re at it, it reminds me of something else I detest. Public restrooms.

Comments

[Kari]

Travis, Dale Sr. has been gone for 7 years now. I think those fans have figured out who they want to root for by now. I think they've also figured out that Dale Jr. is not Dale Sr. No one is. Not even the flavor of the month Kyle Busch, even though the press seems desperate for the fans to like the guy.

Are you getting a commission from the Kevin Harvick Fan club? Just kidding! Anyway, apparently Dale Jr. was rude to you at one time but I don't think your personal issues with him are going to change who anyone roots for. Sorry!

[Diane]

No way do I wish Dale Junior was Harvick. I do not need the audacity of a headlining blogger to assume for me how I wish my driver to be..
Go Dale Junior!

[ginger]

You are dead wrong. Trade Earnhardt for Harvick....you've lost your mind. Why would we want synthetic when we've got the genuine article. You forgot to mention Earnhardt has class, whereas Harvick doesn't even know the meaning of the word. I don't know who you've been associating with, but I can tell you you're hanging with the wrong people. Maybe you're just trying to get some fans for Harvick...can't blame you for that...but if you think you're going to get Jr fans to switch to Harvick...well you know the saying, "it'll be a cold day in Hades."

[April24]

You are going to get a lot of grief from Jr Nation for this but I agree to a point. Harvick is more "real" than Jr will ever be. Jr nation believes they "know" Jr but what they really know is the image that he and his sister have crafted for him. Sponsors seem to get Harvick too, love the Tylenol commercial - new girlfriend - priceless and you can so see Kevin really saying that ;)

From TB:

Exactly my point. Well said.

[Fro]

Apparently, someone needed some hits on their weblog, with some colorful comments in return.

From TB:

What can I say? I'm a hit-seeking, basement-dwelling, nothing-better-to-do blogger...