mike_harper's avatar
Author:
Mike Harper
Login For More
Rate this article:
  • 0/5 Stars
SPEEDtv.com Store
Grand National:America's Golden Age of Motorcycle Racing, by Joe Scalzo
Joe Scalzo’s book captures the spirit of the Golden Age of motorcycle racing.
Our Price: $39.95
Visit Button
Buy Button
Man-Made Thunder
The book examines the sport of stock car racing through the eyes and ears of the men behind the wheel and the wrenches.
Our Price: $49.00
Visit Button
Buy Button
Unisex Sandwich Cap
Unisex Velcro back hat with SPEED logo on front. PINKS logo embroidered on left and PAO logo on right. One size fits all.
Our Price: $24.95
Visit Button
Buy Button
Speedway T-shirt
Men's 6 oz. 100% Cotton Jersey Short Sleeve Tee. SPEED logo imprinted on the front center chest.
Our Price: $24.99
Visit Button
Buy Button
Ferrari Red Classic Hat
100% cotton twill. Ferrari shield embroidered on front, piping on the peak and Ferrari logo embroidered on back strap adjuster.
Our Price: $30.00 ($27.00 Member)
Visit Button
Buy Button
Footer Bg
  • Zoom More Photos Button
  • Camera Icon
ARCA: Harvick Takes on His Boss, Country Joe Racing Making Noise
Written by: Mike Harper
RaceTalkRadio.com   http://www.racetalkradio.com
07/12/2007
Midland, MI
 
Kevin Harvick, (right) and car owner Richard Childress have maintained a good relationship, even when in direct competetition with each other. (Photo: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR) » More Photos
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's competitive times in ARCA. Each week, I continue to be impressed by the level of talent racing in this series. And, the talent isn't limited to the person's name above the door, it also stretches to pit road and to the team owners.

Coming from the NASCAR ranks, we're finding owners who are developing drivers and searching for the next young-gun. But as we find more active drivers taking the leap at ownership in both ARCA and NASCAR, the battle for young talent is shaping up on the track even between two NASCAR personalities who have a close relationship. It's a driver and his owner and they'll go head to head in the business of driver development.

NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick drives for Richard Childress in the NASCAR Busch Series and Nextel Cup Series. Since being under contract with Richard Childress Racing, Harvick has started his own Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series teams and finds himself in direct competition with Childress this weekend in ARCA. While some would think this arrangement would cause conflict on and off the track, the two owners have made the two-company philosophy work by sharing sponsors and drivers without any type of external friction.

This weekend the two owners find themselves battling each other with development drivers behind the wheel of their cars. Cale Gale and Alex Yontz make their second ARCA RE/MAX Series start of the season when they hit the track at Kentucky Speedway. Gale, finished second at Nashville for Kevin Harvick Incorporated and Yontz finished 38th for Richard Childress Racing back in May at Kentucky.

In Gale, Harvick seems to have found a driver that understands his role and sees the ARCA series as a place where he can gather seat time and experience. "There's not a better series to get out on a track and gain experience and get your name out there with the media. It's a good stepping stone," said Gale. " ARCA has been around a long, long time and a lot of development drivers turned veterans like Kyle Busch and Reed Sorenson, all those have come up through ARCA and right on to NASCAR. I think the competition is getting stiffer and stiffer each year. It's important for all developmental drivers to be able to run some ARCA races."

Gale is no stranger to ARCA, he won at Gateway Int'l
Raceway in 2006 driving for NASCAR owner James Finch, beating other development drivers like Steve Wallace, Pete Shepherd, Brad Coleman and Burney Lamar.

The question heading out of Kentucky will be which owner Harvick or Childress will prove to be the better owner in today's developmental driver game?
ARCA’s youngest winner at the age of 16; James Buescher. (Mike Harper Photo) » More Photos

One driver who is new to ARCA this season and deserves some attention is Country Joe Racing's James Buescher. In three starts this season, Buescher has three top 10's and two top fives, including a debut win at USA Int'l Speedway in March.

The win put Buescher in the history book as ARCA's youngest winner at the age of 16. "It feels awesome," says Buescher. "For me to be the youngest is pretty huge and very exciting."

Buescher finished third last weekend at Berlin Raceway, a track he hadn't visited before. Amazingly he started in the 12th position and worked his way past ARCA veterans including finishing ahead of the current points leader and eight-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel. In fact, Buescher finished ahead of ARCA's top ten drivers with the exception of Rookie of the Year points leader Michael McDowell. McDowell finished second behind race winner Brian Keselowski.

Country Joe Racing has an eye for talent. For the past two seasons, CJR has graduated two drivers to NASCAR including capturing the last two ARCA Rookie of the Year titles with Joey Miller in 2005 and Blake Bjorklund in 2006.

This season alone CJR has three top fives and a win with two different drivers. They also sit inside the top 10 in the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series owner standings.

With Buescher's record in a CJR car, I find myself questioning why this young man hasn't found a full-time spot in the ARCA lineup. But given CJR's track record in ARCA, it's difficult to question their intentions because they have a proven driver development business plan that delivers results. And, with these results they keep showing competitors and critics that when it comes to driver development, CJR is a force to be reckoned with.

Mike Harper is an ARCA RE/MAX Series contributor for SPEEDtv.com, and host of Inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series radio show on RaceTalkRadio.com.

RaceTalkRadio.com