Kevin Harvick has been trying to form his own identity on the racetrack since the first day he sat in the driver's seat previously occupied by Dale Earnhardt.

When Earnhardt, NASCAR's most famous driver, died in a crash during the season-opening Daytona 500 in 2001, Harvick was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Instead of spending that season learning his trade in the Busch Series, with a few Cup races mixed in for experience, the youngster wound up running both series full-time the rest of the season.

Team owner Richard Childress tried to lessen the burden on Harvick, changing the car number from Earnhardt's trademark No. 3 to No. 29, and repeatedly saying that his new driver was not trying to replace Earnhardt but just driving in his stead.

But, over the years, fans have continued to identify Harvick's Richard Childress Racing entry with Earnhardt, especially since the car still carries the GM Goodwrench logos that The Intimidator's cars had sported since 1983.

That will change next season, with Shell Oil replacing GM Goodwrench as the primary sponsor on Harvick's car. The announcement was made Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway.

``I think it is a great opportunity for myself to establish something from ground zero. ... I think it is a great opportunity to kind of establish my own identity in the No. 29 car and move forward with the Shell brand on board,'' Harvick said.

Childress, Earnhardt's boss and close friend, said he doesn't feel like changing sponsors is breaking the final link on that car to Earnhardt, as some people have suggested.

``That will be around for many, many years to come, way past when I and a lot of us are around,'' Childress said. ``Times change, the sport changes, business changes, there are decisions that have to be made that we have to move forward in life with.''