Monday, September 12th 'What If' Question

(This question was a fan submission)
Last week in Richmond Kevin Harvick made what some view as a shocking announcement.

Starting in 2012 his Nationwide Series team, Kevin Harvick Inc, will be merged with Richard Childress Racing, his Sprint Cup Series car owner. Further, there would be no more Camping World Truck Series teams out of KHI, they're shutting down. Harvick and wife DeLana would be stepping back and focusing on other opportunities and areas.

KHI has been a fixture in the CWTS for years with wins and championships collected like state coins or memorabilia. Ron Hornaday has become the driver with the most championships in CWTS history while at KHI and drivers like Elliott Sadler, Clint Bowyer and others have all won races behind the wheel of a KHI truck. No matter who or where they are, KHI has been a company to contend with.

Lately though they've had stiff competition from another Sprint Cup Series driver who has a CWTS team of his own, Kyle Busch. Last season it was the Kyle Busch Motorsports team that took home the owner's championship in just their first year of competition while a non KHI or KBM driver took home the driver's championship.

In the win column, that was KBM with eight and KHI with seven and most notably Hornaday struggled a year after winning his fourth championship. When KBM was formed, Busch hired Rick Ren who before then had worked for years with KHI and became the winningest crew chief in CWTS history as well as a champion. Ren left his crew chief duties for a management position with KBM.

The two teams have put on a show the last two seasons, going head-to-head nearly every weekend. They've made no bones about wanting to beat each other and drivers want to be behind the wheel of either team's trucks. Now, that won't be the case next year, as KBM will be front and center without their rival and current KHI drivers like Hornaday and Nelson Piquet Jr. are searching for rides.

But ...

What if Kyle Busch hadn't started a truck team, stole Rick Ren & regularly beat KHI trucks - would KHI still be disbanding? #NASCAR

@ARosser14 I doubt KBM has anything at all to do with the Harvicks' decision. If anything he'd be reason to keep going.

@zebmonkey idk what caused KHI to disband. Or if it was abt Kevin putting more into Cup and maybe he & Delana having more private time

@wijrsmokefan I think Kevin's focus is on championship; costs going up; and...I think they may feel it is time to start a family!

@ladybug388 probably not as they'd still probably be a total front running package team & not have the sponsorship issues. Also, there'd be sponsors available in the pot as Kevin could've picked up the people who r choosing to sponsor Kyle #NASCAR

@TJIngerson Yes - Hornaday is a champ and had trouble drawing sponsors. Sponsors want Harvick, but Harvick's time is valuable to him as he wants to win Sprint cup and wants all focus to be there. Ren was just a piece of the overall puzzle, but his departure didn't have any impact in this decision, in my opinon.

@cruetten K&D aren't people to accept failure&trying to beat KB would be a reason to stay-not quit. KB can't be the reason for selling.

@Racetake Ahh, Kyle's team is struggling for sponsors too. The future will tell just how hard that will be on the team.

@jlaracefan14 I doubted that KHI would be disbanding if KBM wasn't around! Let's face it KBM is on a level of their own that has KHI doing what is best, leaving the series to prevent more humilliation from KBM!

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) Whew. Tough call honestly. My mind is saying yes, but it still would be a hard decision no matter what. Maybe it could be the fact the KYLE is beating KHI and not Kyle Busch Motorsports. We know Harvick hates losing to him, so that's my thinking.

Jeff N Amy Stabler (via Facebook) I think that that is a tough one to answer. Who knows really.?. I tend to agree with what Dustin said too. But, I also think that maybe Kevin wanted out cause he wanted the focus to be on a championship too. That question is a very tough one to answer.

Nancy Nuce (via Facebook) Thanks for using my question! My short answer is "No". I think KH is all smiles and fun as long as everything is going well, but can't handle it when the going gets tough. He's in it for the fun and Delana gets stuck with the hard work. I think she got tired of doing it all while he & "Mother Function" acted like irresponsible schoolboys.