Kevin Harvick believes Tony Stewart should have gotten more recognition from tracks

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick doesn't think NASCAR tracks have been doing enough to honor his soon-to-be retired teammate, friend and boss, Tony Stewart.

Harvick criticized the NASCAR industry this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway for failing to give Stewart a big sendoff -- perhaps similar to the one four-time champion Jeff Gordon received on a weekly basis last year.

"I don’t think anybody did a very good job of giving him the credit that he deserved throughout the year at the racetracks and from a sports standpoint," Harvick said. "That has been very disappointing from my standpoint."

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Stewart said before the season he did not want the same treatment Gordon received and was not willing to do weekly appearances in the media center with track presidents like Gordon did. Some tracks still gave Stewart gifts anyway -- and most honored him with a No. 14 somewhere on the track -- but it wasn't near the level of attention given to Gordon.

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"I know that Tony probably would say that he didn’t want that, but I don’t think anybody has done a very good job of giving him the credit for the time that he has put in and had in the sport," Harvick said. "A three-time champion, multiple race winner, IndyCar champion and winner and to auto racing in general. It's been pretty disheartening to me to see the lack of credit that he has gotten.”

Stewart has two races remaining in his NASCAR career: Sunday at Phoenix and next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck