Kevin Harvick apologizes; Richard Childress responds

Jeff Gluck and Nate Ryan | USA TODAY Sports

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kevin Harvick apologized Sunday morning for calling the grandchildren of team owner Richard Childress "spoiled rich kids" after clashing with one of them in Saturday's Truck race at Martinsville Speedway.

Childress, meanwhile, said he isn't sorry for putting Ty and Austin Dillon in Richard Childress Racing rides.

"You've got to go out and earn when you've got the opportunity in life to succeed, and these boys earned it," Childress said. "I'll never apologize.

"These aren't spoiled rich kids. These are hard-working young men that believe in what they're doing. They knew they had to prove themselves. They have to race to be up front to keep a job. And they knew that when I put them in the first car. It's just not fair for someone to make a statement like that. It's not fair to the sport. There are so many families in this sport, it's founded on family. Look at the history from the France family. No one has to apologize for giving their family the opportunity."

Childress said he was more upset by Harvick's words than the crash that virtually eliminated Ty Dillon from Camping World Truck Series title contention. The team owner said that "95% of drivers" understood that families often have to finance the early stages of a career, whether "it's buying a go-kart or building a Late Model so a car owner or sponsor comes along and gives them an opportunity."

Childress said he talked to Harvick 90 minutes before Sunday's Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville and encouraged the driver to win the race. Harvick is tied with Kyle Busch 26 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the Sprint Cup with four races remaining.

"I told him we're going to give him everything humanly possible to win that championship," Childress said. "I'm committed to him for four more races. I shook his hand when he said he was leaving and said I'd give him 100%, and I'm going to do it. But I ain't going to be backed in a corner."

Childress said Harvick never indicated until his Saturday interview that Ty and Austin Dillon were a factor in his decision to leave RCR after 13 seasons. Harvick said Saturday the on-track incident late in Saturday's race showed "exactly the reason why I'm leaving RCR, because you've got those kids coming up, and they've got no respect for what they do in this sport and they've had everything fed to them with a spoon."

Harvick told Fox Sports 1 he regretted both his words and actions, which came during and after a clash with Childress grandson Ty Dillon. The veteran driver is leaving Richard Childress Racing after this season to join Stewart-Haas Racing.

"You go back and look at the things that happened, and sometimes you regret the things that you say for sure," Harvick said." (Saturday) was definitely one of them. I hate it for my guys, and everybody working on the cars.

"Obviously, when those emotional situations come about; you say things that you really don't want to say. I just want to apologize to all of those guys, work hard today and try and do everything we can to win the race."

Harvick said he had not spoken with Dillon — the younger brother of current Nationwide Series racer Austin Dillon — and said he wouldn't until everyone cooled down enough to have a "sensible conversation."

"I wish that's what I would have done yesterday," Harvick said. "It's one of those situations that you don't want to be a part of, but I don't have anybody else to blame but myself."

Dillon said Harvick didn't know the circumstances of what led to the crash and that he was disappointed at the response.

"I used to look up to that guy," Dillon said. "I'm not happy with him. And for him to not even stick around, that's pretty sad, too."

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck and Ryan on Twitter @nateryan