Stenhouse comments on being let go from Roush Fenway; Harvick blasts sports management company; Spire responds to Kevin Harvick

Ricky Stenhouse Jr has spent the last 8 years driving in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing. Before that he spent an additional three years in their NASCAR Xfinity Series ladder program.

In 2011, Stenhouse claimed the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. In 2012, he did it again.

More recently, Stenhouse is the most recent driver to grab a MENCS win for the organization. He’s picked up two of those. He’s the first Roush Fenway Racing driver to claim wins since Carl Edwards abruptly left the team and retired in 2016.

Earlier this week, Stenhouse got call…

TALLADEGA, AL – APRIL 26:Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fifth Third Bank Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26, 2019 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr on being let go from Roush Fenway Racing

“Tuesday night, I got a text to stop by the shop,” Ricky Stenhouse Jr told NBC Sports.

Wednesday morning, drinking coffee and getting ready to go workout. My agent calls and says, ‘Hey, they told me to come to the meeting.’ You know, I kinda started speculating then. 11am or so, I kinda found out. An hour and a half before everybody else.”

“But, it’s like I’ve told people. Like I called Jack and told him. It sucks that it’s gotten to this point. But, looking back… Being able to come from Mississippi, racing dirt cars and sprint cars.”

“What I was able to do there. Then, come win championships and races for Jack. I’m thankful for the opportunity that I’ve had over 11 years.”

“I still feel like I’ve got unfinished business in this series. Hopefully I can find something to showcase that.”

“The frustrating part is there’s really no clear answer as to why, how, when. I just know it’s last minute for my team and I to go look for something else.”

“Like I told Jack, I was pissed off and angry. But, at the same time, I never thought I’d have a shot to come race for Jack Roush. We’ve had some tough conversations over the years. This is probably the worst one. But, all in all, no hard feeling to Jack.”

“I’ve been there so long that it was home. And, I don’t know anything else. I’m kinda nervous, I guess, about that. Then again, I think change is good sometimes,” Stenhouse concluded.

DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 01: Kevin Harvick in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 01, 2019 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Kevin Harvick blasts bad management in Stenhouse deal

KHI Management is set to take over duties of representing Ricky Stenhouse Jr in 2020. Harvick was triggered with the little warning Stenhouse was given due to a poorly written contract.

“We’re trying to help him through a pretty bad situation and a really, really, really, really bad contract that was already written before we had been involved,” Harvick said Friday after Cup qualifying at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

“It’s unfortunate timing. Those particular business practices are tough to deal with just because of how late in the season it is and how few cars there are. Based on everything that we’ve been involved with, nothing had ever been talked about.

“When I had tough moments at (Richard Childress Racing) and things were bad, we would sit down and we would talk through things and we’d say OK this is what we need to do, this is what I need to do better, this is what I think the team needs to do better. You had real life conversations. Just to drop the hatchet in a surprise meeting with seven days to go is pretty bad business ethics in my opinion.”

“You’re blindsided by the decision,” Harvick said. “We’ve been trying to help Ricky though the situation. Spire hasn’t done anything for him all year but it’s their contract that they’re living under.”

“We’ve tried to be a little bit of an assistance in trying to help him forward through a process where he doesn’t have anybody. Ricky has got a great reputation in the garage, well connected. He’s the only driver at Roush Racing that has won races since Carl Edwards left.”

“That’s the unfortunate thing. He’s a Cup winner. He’s a two-time Xfinity Series champion. It’s just a bad timing and it sucks,” Harvick concluded.

Spire Sports + Entertainment on Ricky Stenhouse Jr

“Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is not only one of the most talented drivers we have had the opportunity to represent, he is a better person. We were fortunate enough to be with Ricky all the way from his winged sprint car days … to NASCAR and watched him grow up right in front of our eyes.

“We went through a lot with Ricky both on and off the track and were always humbled as he approached his life with a Southern matter of factness few have.

Spire Sports + Entertainment responds to Kevin Harvick

“Ricky gave us notice that he was terminating our agreement in December 2017. A settlement was reached and he was free to sign with any agency if he so chose to do so.”

“We were puzzled at the comments of Mr. Harvick today as neither RSJ nor Spire had any further obligations to each other. However, Ricky remained a friend to all of us and we continued to cheer him on every weekend. It goes without saying, but he knows we are always here to help in any situation but we respected his decision and his reasons behind it.”

“We were shocked to read this week that Ricky would not be driving for Roush beginning next season. Apparently, his current management team was as well. Finding out this late in the game that you have to find your client a job in a shrinking market can be a little jarring and maybe that was behind the comment.”

“We sympathize with our friends at KHI Management, as well as to our former client who gave his heart and soul to Roush Racing and brought not only wins but championships to that organization.”

“It was not easy watching him struggle in the Cup series while Roush admittedly searched for their footing, yet Ricky continued to give it his all every week. Perhaps it had run its course as we read this week, but we have no doubt that whatever team is fortunate to have Ricky as their driver will reap the benefits of having a driver that stands on the gas every time he is on any type of racetrack and has integrity and values off of it.”

More

Chris Buescher to No. 17 at Roush Fenway Racing; Ricky Stenhouse Jr out

Spire Motorsports was setup with a bank loan of $6 million; Daytona winners

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Chris Buescher | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | KHI Management | Kevin Harvick | Spire Sports + Entertainment | Spire Motorsports | NASCAR