Richard Chilcress Racing is struggling mightily this year, and that's no secret.

While Jeff Burton has had some good runs, he's had four races go to the dogs, he claims, because of the double file restarts.  Clint Bowyer just hasn't been the contender that he was last year.  And Kevin Harvick?  Well, Happy seemed to have been just shrugging it off, taking it all in stride.

Until now.

With the success that Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman have found this year, and the relationship Kevin already has with Tony (Tony has driven the KHI Nationwide car on many occasions) Kevin has decided to make a move.

Although RCR and Harvick have a contract that runs through the end of 2010, Kevin has apparently requested an early release of that contract, for the end of the 2009 season.  And that's not all.  He has sponsorship with Shell/Penzoil through 2010 and reportedly wants them to follow him, rather than the team.

Okay, so what exactly is Kevin planning?

Of course, it is all speculation, but here's what we do know.  Kevin Harvick Inc. under Kevin and DeLana Harvick fields three very successful NASCAR teams, one in the Camping World Truck Series another in the Nationwide Series and a third in the ARCA/REMax Series.  Ron Hornaday, diving the KHI Chevy Silverado, has a Truck Championship.  However, they don't have a Cup team and, to date, there have been no indications that he would be starting one.

Step over to Stewart-Haas Racing.  Tony joined up with George Haas and jumped full bore into Cup racing for 2009, and sits on top of the Sprint Cup leaderboard with seven races to go until the Chase Cutoff, something unheard of for a owner/driver in over a decade.  However, Tony doesn't have any kind of a Nationwide team, and until now, now publicised or rumored plans to start one.

Monday, Danica Patrick visited Stewart-Haas Racing. 

Can we add it all up?  And if we do, what do we get?

Let''s see.  Stewart already has support from Hendrick Motor Sports.  Harvick has been working with Richard Childress, as a driver in the Cup Series and as a silent partner of sorts in the feeder series.  This year RCR is struggling, while HMS stays right on top, with five of the top twelve in HMS built equipment.

If Kevin, DeLana and Tony were to form a partnership of sorts, this would allow a kind of super team.  The strength that KHI has shown in the ARCA, Trucks and N'wide series could only get stronger, and it would provide a spot for Ms Patrick, should she decide to jump ship, to gain some seat time in a stock car, all while doing so in a dominant team, one of her biggest demands.  Kevin could move into a third SHR car for 2010, with Danica joining them in 2011.

Super team or what??

Of course, this is all just speculation of a rabid NASCAR fan, but what fun to imagine?