Insider's View: Kevin Harvick

This year has undoubtedly been the most educational year of my career, and I'm about to tell you exactly why.

Last year, after I took over the GM Goodwrench car for Dale, everything was as good as could be, and it was just an awesome year.

Harvick: My relationship with Richard Childress (left) is stronger than ever Credit: Autostock

Everyone had so much motivation and everyone around us wanted a piece of something new and exciting. Because of that, everyone was our friend.

Well, this year hasn't been so good. It's going great now, and I'm as excited as I've ever been, but I'll be honest, it hasn't been what we expected.

I can't say it's been all bad though. I've learned who my friends are, and who I need to surround myself with and put stock in.

Whether it is media, people in the garage, people on my team, whomever, we've really figured out who our real friends are. Though it's not been a great year on track, it's been great experience-wise.

Credit: Autostock

From getting suspended to having horrible luck and other things, it's really narrowed down the people that I know are on my side. I think that's the best thing that could ever have happened to me.

Last year, it was easy to talk to anyone. That's how it is when everything's going your way. But everyone's not on your side. We don't need fair-weather people, and hopefully we've weeded many of those people out.

When we win again -- and we'll win again soon -- we don't need those fair-weather people trying to get back in our corner. We don't want them back.

	Robby Gordon talks with Harvick at Sonoma. Credit: Autostock

We're ready to extend our contract with Richard Childress. It's as good as it's ever been with myself and Richard and everybody involved.

I'm even getting ready to build my house right near Richard's. We're in this together, and we have every intention of proving everybody's doubts wrong.

I've been really quiet lately, mainly because I've been so frustrated with the media. It's obvious that I'm a guy that likes to speak out, but with the way I've been portrayed by the media this year, I haven't said much lately.

Hell, I got bashed for selling my Martinsville hood for charity. For charity!

	Credit: Autostock

It's frustrating to me that people are so lazy that they can't find anything else to write about. Whether they're lazy or just fair-weather or whatever, those aren't people we want or need on our side.

We want those that are with us through thick and thin. There's only been a handful of reporters like that.

You can use the media as your biggest tool, and I was very open and cordial with the media last year when I was so busy. That was probably a big mistake, too, because now they expect me to give them any interview they want -- every time they ask.

Basically our whole personal life is exposed to the public. Anything we do is fair game to write about. I was too open last year, and I've had to put up my guard lately.

	Transmission failure at Pocono ended Harvick's day after only 81 laps. Credit: Autostock

I was so open, so free-flowing. Now, there's only a handful of people to talk to, and that's all I'll talk to.

I know those are the people who will write what they see and not make up stuff. If I did something wrong and they see it as wrong, they'll write it accurately. That's fine. That's fair. I have no need to talk to them when they write is their false judgments. That's not something I need.

Like that deal on the Ford Racing web site. What was that? That's the biggest pile of crap I've ever seen. That's somebody blatantly trying to stir it up.

I understand that, but when you're in the GM Goodwrench car and you're the lead story on the Ford web site, that's the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

That's stooping pretty low. That is as low as you can go on the totem pole to stir up crap. I was pissed. The Dale Earnhardt thing, listen, that's never gonna go away.

But the contract things and the team things, those are hot topics for a week. But come on, when it's said and done, it's over with. Let it die.

There's no reason to dig up this or that. There's no reason a GM Goodwrech story should be on the Ford web site! People don't really understand the relationship Richard and I have. There were some times this year when, sure, I thought is this right? Is this me?

But we went down and sat beside the river and had a long talk. He threw rocks in the river and we just talked, talked a long time about real life situations that we've gone through.

And maybe what we need to change, and we came to the conclusion that we're right for each other and that's' the way it's going to be.

I really think we're on our way now. It really started at Pocono. We went there with everything changed and a new outlook. We had a top-10 car and the damn thing popped out of gear.

All we need now is just a little luck. I get along awesome with most of the guys on the team. They came from the Busch car, and we really understand what each other needs and wants.

Most of those guys haven't won a lot of races, and neither have I.

I need people around me that want to win. Not to just be there for the show, but to win races, and this team is that kind of team.

We're going to stir it up now. Just you watch.