Author: Mike Hembree
Date: Jan. 27, 2015
CHARLOTTE – Approaching the final Sprint Cup race of last season and his ultimately successful bid for the series championship, Kevin Harvick relied on the advice of six-time champion Jimmie Johnson to help him through the weekend.
Now, with Harvick a few weeks away from the beginning of the search for a second title in a row, he's looked to another friend – motorcycle racing champion Ricky Carmichael – for tips.
"Ricky Carmichael has kind of been the guy I've talked to about a lot of things that have happened over the past four or five years and what he thinks," Harvick said Tuesday during NASCAR's media tour. "He's given opinions just as my friend.
"We've talked about how you get motivated to win a title after you've won one and how you look at the fear of failure after you've succeeded. He tells me the second one comes easier because you know what to expect."
He tweeted a photo of Carmichael -- who has won numerous titles and X Games medals -- and Harvick's son Keelan riding at Carmichael's farm on Jan. 21: ''Fun day with @RickyCarmichael at his farm! @KeelanHarvick took his first ride on a motorcycle with the GOAT!''
There are numerous chess moves to anticipate in seeking the Cup championship, particularly with the radical changes that were made to the Chase for the Sprint Cup format last year. No matter how concentrated the preparation and how dedicated the team, tiny gremlins can clog the system.
"It's hard to get it all to line up, even if you feel like you're at the top of your game," Harvick said. "I don't think it's out of the question [to win back-to-back titles], but it's going to be hard to do."
After admitting that he was a bit on edge approaching his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing last year, Harvick said he's now as comfortable as at any time in his 14-year NASCAR career.
To view this article as it appears on USAToday.com, click here.