Sharp acquires KHI truck teams

Eddie Sharp Racing, which fields the No. 6 truck driven by Justin Lofton in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, announced on Friday that it had acquired two Kevin Harvick Inc. Truck Series teams.

“The timing couldn’t have been any more perfect,” ESR owner Eddie Sharp said.

KHI currently fields three trucks in the series -- the No. 33 driven by Ron Hornaday, the No. 8 driven by Nelson Piquet Jr., and a No. 2 truck driven by a lineup of Sprint Cup and Nationwide series drivers, including team owner Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Elliott Sadler.

Kevin Harvick Inc. recently announced that its Nationwide Series program would be merged into Richard Childress Racing and that it was also getting out of truck racing in 2012.

“We are ready to take this opportunity head-on to utilize what Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) have built. It was a marriage made in heaven, because we were ready to move forward at ESR, and this opportunity worked out perfectly. With KHI, you have a turnkey successful program at the ready.

With the acquisition of the two KHI teams, Eddie Sharp Racing will expand from its current one-team operation to fielding at least three trucks and possibly four in 2012. The team will continue to operate out of the Eddie Sharp Racing 40,000 sq. ft. facility in Denver, N.C., and have an alliance with Richard Childress Racing. A driver lineup for 2012 is expected to be made in October. Future plans have not yet been announced for the two current full-time KHI drivers -- Hornaday and Piquet.

According to Sharp, several displaced KHI employees may become employees of his newly-expanded organization. Piquet has driven for ESR in the past, driving an ARCA Racing Series entry for the team.

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