No lame duck here: Harvick leaves Childress after impressive season

I think it speaks volumes both about driver Kevin Harvick and car owner Richard Childress that they are parting ways after Homestead this weekend, but here they are all season in what some believed would be a lame-duck campaign, yet winning races and making noise in the Chase.

You also have to enjoy the irony that it was one year ago at Phoenix that Kevin announced he would be leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of 2013, yet went right out and won that Phoenix race just like he did Sunday. That No. 29 bunch has been anything but a lame-duck team. They have won four races plus the Sprint Unlimited non-points race and one of the qualifying races at Daytona back in February to kick off the season.

What is even more impressive to me was Sunday's win at Phoenix coming so close on the heels of the episode that happened in the Camping World truck race between Kevin and Richard’s grandson with the verbal bombs Kevin delivered to the media. There was a lot of bad blood after that because it wasn't just something internal; it involved Kevin blasting Richard’s family. You know that had to go pretty deep below the surface.

For them to look past and get past all that so quickly, go out there and do their jobs as professionals really, really says a lot about everyone involved. Honestly, it may have been one of the most unusual situations that consequently bred success that we have ever seen in NASCAR. Again, I just think it shows the professionalism of Kevin, Richard and everyone at Richard Childress Racing.