nelNelson Piquet Jr. signs with Kevin Harvick Inc. for full 2011 truck season

Former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr. will compete full time in the Camping World Truck Series for Kevin Harvick Inc. in 2011. The truck will be one of three out of the KHI stable. The crew chief, truck number and sponsors will be announced at a later date. Piquet Jr., 25, competed in five truck races last season for two different teams.

Speeding Penalty Derails Kevin Harvick's NASCAR Title Run

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Kevin Harvick and his team owner, Richard Childress, were diplomatic in the moments following Sunday's Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Diplomatic, but not satisfied. Harvick was not happy.

Harvick, who entered the final race in third place in the championship -- 46 points behind Denny Hamlin -- had positioned himself to make a heroic, if unlikely run at his first title, dethroning four-time champ Jimmie Johnson and capitalizing on Hamlin's Sunday afternoon of misfortune.

After racing near the front all day, Harvick exited the pits in first place for a restart on lap 188 of the 267-lap race -- only to be penalized for speeding on pit road (right).

NASCAR said his No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was too fast entering the pits and he was sent to rear of the lead-lap cars, dropping him back to 29th place. Harvick was understandably livid on the team radio when he received the news and still maintained after the race that he was directly behind a car -- on its bumper -- and therefore couldn't have been speeding.

"I don't think that penalty will ever settle in my stomach,'' Harvick said in a post-race press conference. "When you read me off of my pit road times of 49.6, 49.4 50.8 and then 49.6; and there's only a handful people that get to see them, I won't ever settle for that.

"I don't know how you can be speeding when you're on the bumper in front of you and if the other guy is not speeding. So that's about it. ''

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Kevin Harvick Comes Full Circle From Dramatic Cup Debut

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Sitting on stage just to the left of his two championship rivals for a final NASCAR championship contenders press conference, Kevin Harvick leaned back in his chair and smiled, listening to Sprint Cup series points leader Denny Hamlin and second place Jimmie Johnson trade barbs and confidently explain how they planned to rise to the occasion in Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

At times they looked awkward and uncomfortable with the situation -- each arguing the other was under greater pressure -- while Harvick, a 46-point third place underdog, couldn't have appeared more settled, looking every bit his nickname, "Happy" Harvick.

Pressure? That was 10 years ago.

"It seems like it has worked backwards for me with coming in and taking over Dale's (Earnhardt) car,'' said Harvick, 35, who was picked by Richard Childress to drive the late seven-time champion's car in the days after Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.

"You started with the biggest press conference you'll ever be a part of in your whole life. You start with the weight of the world on your shoulders. As it's gone through the years, it's actually gotten easier. It's almost like you've gotten prepared for these situations before you even got started.

"There is no pressure this week. It's so easy, we're having fun, we're relaxed. We realize we have a small deficit to overcome and we've done it throughout the year beating both cars. So we're having fun with it.''

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Kevin Harvick Says Denny Hamlin's Crew Chief Stuck Foot in Mouth

Kevin Harvick said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway that Denny Hamlin's crew chief, Mike Ford, stuck his foot in his mouth with his bold, confident statements last weekend after Hamlin won the race at Texas. The victory gave Hamlin the lead in the Chase to the Sprint Cup by 33 points over Jimmie Johnson, with Harvick close behind, 59 points back.

"I think Mike should take his own advice to his driver and not insert your foot into your mouth when you don't do something that winds up being something that you say it should be," Harvick said. "I think the comments that he made after the race about being better than the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) team and all that stuff, I think he's just trying to stir stuff up."

It's clear that the fender-rubbing has become just as intense in the media centers as on the race tracks as the Chase comes down to the finish with a tight points race between the three top contenders.

Ford was critical of Johnson's team for replacing the pit crew and said the 48's goal "is more about trying to win a championship for the company and not the team."

He went on to say: "I think our race team is better than their race team, and I'm not going to tiptoe around them."

Said Harvick, "The only good thing that comes from being cocky like that is you better win because if you don't, you're going to have to answer a lot of questions about your comments when you get done. I think when you're trying to intimidate the guy who's won four championships in a row, I think you might need to go rethink your strategy and just go out and worry about racing because it's not really something that was probably necessary."

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