FanHouse Richard Childress

The story that will keep us talking until next weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- well, at least not the Jeremy Mayfield one -- took a new turn Wednesday.

Richard Childress Racing denied a report from Sports Illustrated and said that both Kevin Harvick and the sponsor of his No. 29 Chevrolet will return in 2010 per their contracts, rather than head to Tony Stewart's Stewart-Haas Racing as was originally reported.

Still muddy though was the report that Kevin Harvick had asked for his release from RCR thanks to the driver foregoing comment so far and his spokesman issuing a "no comment" about the situation.

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears gave all the right answers in deferring to the boss' orders, but clearly neither driver was exactly overjoyed by Richard Childress' decision this week to swap their two crews.

"Everybody's positive about it,'' Harvick said, walking quickly to his team trailer after NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday.

"When you own the company you have to make the decisions you think are right.''

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Sure, NASCAR has the high-wattage personalities. Drag racing has the raw speed and IndyCar racing can't be beat for pure, wheel-to-wheel excitement.

But this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway represents the truest form of racing in America and is arguably the toughest 24-hour race in the world.

The starting grid is eclectic and richly-talented; the racing diverse and pure - right turns, left turns, high-speed high-banks and tricky chicanes; the conditions unique - daylight, moonlight, rain or shine.

Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. following in his father's footsteps and joining Richard Childress Racing at age 32?

Boston FOX affiliates are reporting exclusively that RCR has finalized a deal with Junior and that an announcement could come as early as tomorrow.

There was a lot of bogus reporting (not by FOX) the other night, so ... take that for what it's worth.

Childress does have a press conference scheduled at Darlington Raceway Friday morning, which could be about ... anything.

So fans, how do you feel about splitting the #8 down middle and turning it into a #33?

A few weeks ago, you could find each of these drivers in the Top 10 in NASCAR Nextel Cup Standings. For two of them, that is no more, and for one, two more weeks of horrendous finishes would make the three 3 for 3. Here's how it happened -- and cue the Tom Petty.

Jeff Burton
Following his win four races ago at Texas, Burton sat just 8 points behind point leader Jeff Gordon and looking poised to continue his surge to the top. The next week at Phoenix, Burton's team never got a good handle on his Impala, but managed a 13th-place finish. At Talladega, a crash took Burton out of the race after qualifying 42nd and then Sunday at Richmond, the team blew a motor.

Result: Burton now sits 5th in points, 339 points behind Gordon.

"For rarely are sons similar to their fathers: most are worse, and a few are better than their fathers." ~ Homer

A picture paints a thousand words.

This one taken today of Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt Jr. says, "When is that DEI exclusive negotiating period up?"

Dale Sr. was 33 when he "went from an erratic, disappointing career path to the team that would make him legendary: Richard Childress Racing."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. turns 33 in October. Maybe he should go there, too.

This is not nostalgia talking. This is up-to-the-minute reality. RCR is on the rise again, ready to dominate again. Childress still holds the rights to the vacant No. 3 in NASCAR, with one driver in mind.

Junior has often said he would seriously consider the standing invitation at RCR late in his racing career.

But if he doesn't get exactly what he wants, should he just throw the towel in at DEI and accept it now?

Well ... that question begs another.

Which is more important to Junior? His own racing career ... or his father's legacy?