Chatecke » Crosby spent several days in isolation and was

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Long after the checkered flag fell at Phoenix last weekend, where Kevin Harvicks win earned him his first real shot at a NASCAR championship, he found a surprise visitor waiting in his motorhome. Sitting on the couch was three-time champion Tony Stewart,te playing the role of both friend and team owner. He explained to Harvick what to expect this week as he headed into Sundays season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Harvick is probably the favourite in a four-driver field to win the Sprint Cup title. He was the last person sitting in my motorhome and he said, Alright, heres how your week is going to go and here is what you are going to do and heres how you are going to do it, Harvick said. Hes been an owner, hes been a friend and hes been somebody Ive been able to lean on over these last nine weeks. Its not much different than 2012, when Stewart helped Harvick navigate the biggest decision of his career. Harvick was in a rut at Richard Childress Racing, the organization that had signed him in 1999 to a Nationwide deal and put together a long-term plan that would move him to NASCARs top series in 2002. But Dale Earnhardts death in the 2001 season-opening Daytona 500 forced Childress to move Harvick up immediately, and he found himself driving Earnhardts car as a 25-year-old under an enormous spotlight. Although he won early, the ups-and-downs in performance at RCR were frustrating and Harvick found the organization could never quite get him close enough to the championship. Hed spent a dozen years with Childress, had one more season on his contract, and had to decide whether to dig in his heels with the only team he knew or to start over elsewhere. Stewart promised Harvick if he moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, hed help him win a championship. He was ready for a change, Stewart shrugged. The bond is deep between Harvick and Stewart. Last week in victory lane, Stewart appeared to be crying when he greeted Harvick, who later revealed it was the first time hed ever seen Tony even a little bit emotional. Part of it was the excitement of seeing Harvick one step closer to his goal, part of it was the relief during a difficult season for Stewart. Its the worst on the track in Stewarts 16-year career, and hes struggled personally since his sprint car struck and killed driver Kevin Ward Jr. on Aug. 9. Obviously hes been through a lot this year, and if we can be that one shining moment that makes his day better, that would be, for me — I just want to see my friend smile, Harvick said. Harvick has thrived from the moment he first drove one of crew chief Rodney Childers cars. The No. 4 Chevrolet was among the fastest on the track in a series-wide December test and Harvick and Childers have not slowed down since. The chemistry was instant and helped the duo feel comfortable in stepping into a leadership role at SHR; it also kept them from faltering when Stewart was away from the team following Wards death. Harvick, who will race Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and former SHR driver Ryan Newman in the finale, has four wins this season. Two of them — at Charlotte and Phoenix — earned him automatic berths in the next round of the Chase. He has a career-high eight poles, and his 2,083 laps led are easily the most in the series. Theres not a team in the garage that doesnt believe that Harvicks win total would be at least doubled if not for late-race setbacks. When it became clear that his pit crew wasnt strong enough to guarantee an error-free, 10-race Chase, Stewart gave Harvick the crew that had helped Stewart to the 2011 championship. Every part of the last 11 months has validated the decision Harvick and his wife, DeLana, made two years ago. I am as happy as Ive ever been, Harvick said. In 2012, we made some pretty big decisions to race in 2014, and you just never know how those things are going to pan out. I am as proud of the situation and the life decisions that DeLana and I made to get to this point. To see them be as successful as they have been, its been pretty rewarding. The same goes for Stewart, who marvels at the first season Harvick has put together at SHR and the determination that team has shown through three rounds of the new elimination-format Chase. You know how hard it is to get here, especially with the intensity weve seen in the Chase this year, Stewart said. And here we are with a shot to win this championship. To be a part of this opportunity with him, to do it with a good friend, is really special because this is something I really want for him. Air Max 270 Offerta . 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Air Max 270 Scontate . -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wanted to keep Logan Mankins with the team for a long time.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby skated with his teammates on Thursday morning and could return to the lineup on Thursday night against Colorado.Crosby has missed each of Pittsburghs last three games after being diagnosed with the mumps last weekend. Crosby spent several days in isolation and was cleared to practice on Wednesday.ddddddddddddGoaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will start for the Penguins after a test for mumps came back negative. The team is still awaiting test results for defencemen Olli Maatta and Robert Bortuzzo.Penguins forward Beau Bennett is out indefinitely after testing positive for the virus on Monday. ' ' '