Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Harvick lashes out at Speed Channel for reporting rumor

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Kevin Harvick angrily denied a rumor that he would replace Rusty Wallace in the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge when Wallace retires at the end of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season.

The rumor, which was reported by pit reporter Ray Dunlap during the Speed Channel's broadcast of Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from Texas Motor Speedway, has no basis in fact, Harvick said.

"The bad part about (the rumor) is that I have another year on my contract with (Richard Childress Racing) and a couple of years with Chevrolet," Harvick said. "I think if the facts would have at least been checked on and not just dreamed up over a couple of beers, we probably would have had a much better telecast on the Speed Channel.

"They need to worry about what the hell they're doing and things will be reported a little more accurately."

Harvick insisted he hasn't been talking with other team owners about a job and hinted that he has been working on a long-term deal that would keep him with Childress well into the future.

"No, I haven't gotten calls from anybody because I'm not available," Harvick said. "It's one of those things that's dreamed up.

"Richard and I are working on a lot of things to go forward in the future and there isn't any other home that's going to be available for me."

WALLACE ON MICHIGAN: Rusty Wallace has earned five career victories and 20 top-10 finishes in 42 starts at Michigan International Speedway, site of Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race.

But not everyone at Penske Racing looks forward to the series' two annual visits to the 2-mile superspeedway, Wallace said.

"(Michigan) can be a driver's dream but an engine man's nightmare," Wallace said. "We drivers are out there grinning from ear to ear and blasting down those long straightaways.

"I'll bet you don't see too many of the engine guys smiling and cutting up back in the pits; most of them are nervous as heck. The place is really tough on engines."

BRIEFLY: Las Vegas native Kyle Busch has been the top rookie finisher in five consecutive Nextel Cup races and 10 times in 14 races this season. Busch has climbed from 26th to 18 in points during the past five races. ... Meanwhile, Kurt Busch has dropped from second to 11th in Nextel Cup points in the past five races. ...

Through 14 Nextel Cup races this season, there are nine drivers who won in 2004 but have yet to score a win in 2005: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Jeremy Mayfield, Rusty Wallace and Joe Nemechek. ... Roush Racing drivers have won seven of the 14 Cup races this season. Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won five while Richard Childress Racing and Evernham Motorsports each have one victory. Greg Biffle (Roush) leads all Cup drivers with four victories.

END QUOTE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked, following his 33rd-place finish Sunday at Pocono Raceway, if there would be any additional personnel changes on the No. 8 Budweiser team:

"I'm probably not the person to ask, but hopefully there ain't no driver changes -- that's all I'm worried about."

AT THE BULLRING: Spencer Clark won his third Super Late Models main event during Saturday night's NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series card at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Josh Gross (Legends Masters/Pro), Jonathon Mawhinney (Legends Semi-Pro), Matt Ross (Thunder Roadsters), Michael Morrissey (IMCA Modifieds), Jeremiah Wagner (Bandoleros) and Gary Wyatt (Bullring Bombers) also won main events Saturday night.