Car owner Richard Childress gives driver Kevin Harvick a hug in Victory Lane on Sunday at New Hampshire. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Harvick win worth the trip for excited Childress

Owner cut short trip to Alaska on hunch RCR driver would win

LOUDON, N.H. -- The man behind the bottle couldn't stop smiling as the cork flew over the crowd and the champagne sprayed through the air late Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire International Speedway.

He also couldn't see missing this moment.

Kevin Harvick led 196 laps to win the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire. Credit: Autostock

Sylvania 300 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Kevin Harvick Chevy 2. Tony Stewart Chevy 3. Jeff Gordon Chevy 4. Denny Hamlin Chevy 5. Brian Vickers Chevy 6. Elliott Sadler Dodge 7. Jeff Burton Chevy 8. J.J. Yeley Chevy 9. Dave Blaney Dodge 10. Matt Kenseth Ford • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here Chase Standings After Loudon (9 races remaining) Pos. Prev. Driver Behind 1. +2 K. Harvick -- 2. +3 D. Hamlin -35 3. -2 M. Kenseth -41 4. +5 J. Gordon -50 5. +3 J. Burton -64 6. +1 M. Martin -75 7. -1 Dale Jr. -81 8. +2 K. Kahne -110 9. -7 J. Johnson -139 10. -6 Ky. Busch -146 Victory LaneKevin Harvick celebrates his Sylvania 300 win at Loudon Chase finishersGordon, Dale Jr. and Hamlin talk about the Loudon race Final lapsCars go crashing across the finish line behind Harvick Set backChase contender Jimmie Johnson slams into the wall damaging his car Tough racingKyle Busch crashes into the wall and takes a spin Early cautionKyle Busch involved in a spin bringing out the first caution Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Richard Childress cut short his hunting trip in Alaska and flew nearly 4,000 miles on Saturday because he had a feeling one of his drivers competing in the Chase for the Nextel Cup would win the first of the 10-race playoff.

Kevin Harvick did, giving his boss a moment to remember.

Not only did he win the race, but he gave Richard Childress Racing the points lead for the first time since March 14, 1999, when Mike Skinner led after the fifth race.

That's a total of 270 races outside of the lead, not what one would expect from an organization that won six championships under the late Dale Earnhardt.

"It means a lot,'' said Childress as he wiped the champagne and sweat from his face. "Just to be in this Chase, for all the men and women that's worked so hard to get our company back in position to run for a championship, I can't tell you what that means.

"It just feels good to be back competitive and winning races.''

The win was Harvick's fourth of the season. Childress took great pleasure in signaling that with four fingers each time he and the rest of the No. 29 team switched hats for another picture in Victory Lane.

But the real sign he wants to make is No. 1, as in Harvick's first title and the first at RCR since Earnhardt's last in 1994.

"Like I told people earlier before we got in the Chase, if we make the Chase we'll be a contender,'' Childress said.

Childress' day was made even better by Jeff Burton's seventh-place finish that moved him to fifth in points, 64 behind Harvick.

"It's just unbelievable the feeling you get out of this,'' Childress said. "To see everybody's enthusiasm, to see a young driver like Kevin, how pumped up he is ... seeing how Jeff Burton and that whole group is pumped up ... this is why I'm here.''

Childress began last week by flying to Chistochina, Alaska, after Harvick's win at Richmond. The trip included two stops for fuel in his private plane, a stop in Anchorage, Alaska, to switch to another plane for an hour and a half flight, and a 30-minute drive to get on another plane for an hour flight.

Once there, Childress had to hike 14 hours up a mountain to an elevation of 8,000 feet.

"It was a long day,'' he said.

Fortunately for Childress, he didn't have to make many trips up the mountain. He bagged a trophy doll sheep that had 42-inch horns, perhaps an omen that good things were ahead.

"To get that doll was like winning the lottery,'' Childress said. "It was a huge deal to get that.''

Winning on Sunday was bigger.

Winning the championship in nine weeks would be even bigger, particularly for an organization that was so down a few years ago that Harvick said he should have been fired.

Childress laughed at the mere suggestion.

"I know that he's a championship-caliber driver,'' Childress said. "I told him one time we're going to go to the stage together in New York City. That's what we're going to do.''

And for the record, Childress plans to be there all the way.

"We could have taken a little bit of a right turn and ended up in North Carolina,'' he said of the decision to come to New Hampshire. "I want to stay as involved in this thing as hard as I can right now.''