Kevin Harvick places 7th in Phoenix in NASCAR farewell

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Kevin Harvick bid farewell to his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career at Phoenix Raceway, asking the question, “What now?” as he climbed out of his car and received a water bottle from his 11-year-old son Keelan. The 47-year-old driver, with 60 wins to his name, finished in seventh place in his final race before transitioning to a role in the Fox Sports broadcast booth for 2024.

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Harvick showcased his racing prowess one last time. With his No. 4 Ford Mustang emblazoned with the “Harvick” name as part of the Busch Light logo, he started on the inside of the second row. Phoenix Raceway has always been one of Harvick’s best tracks, and he didn’t disappoint. With a total of 21 straight top 10 finishes and nine wins at the track, he even briefly led the final race, passing William Byron on lap 93 to the cheers of the crowd.

Harvick, a native of Bakersfield, California, expressed the significance of performing well at a track near the West Coast, stating, “As you look at Phoenix, it’s always just a little extra special. Everyone knows how much it means to me to do good here. A lot of people have been here since the mid-’90s watching me race. So you don’t want to come here and suck. But to do that 21 times, win nine races, I’m so fortunate.”

After the race, Harvick celebrated with his crew, receiving congratulations from fellow drivers, including his teammate Chase Briscoe. Sitting on a cooler, he soaked in the atmosphere, expressing his satisfaction with still being competitive in his last race, saying, “It really hasn’t been about wins and losses, but you never want to flop around. To be able to lead laps in the last race, it tells you how competitive we still are.”

Tony Stewart, three-time NASCAR champion and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, brought Harvick on board in 2014. The partnership was highly successful, with Harvick winning his only Cup championship in his debut season and earning a total of 37 wins in 10 years.

Reflecting on Harvick’s retirement, Stewart praised his diverse skill set, saying, “Kevin Harvick is probably the most well-rounded driver out there. Obviously, he’s a great racecar driver, but he knows how to build championship-winning teams, putting the right people in place. He understands the business and marketing aspects of the sport. I would challenge anyone to find someone in the series as a driver who can do all those aspects as well as Kevin.”

Harvick’s departure marks a significant change for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024. In addition to Harvick, the team will also bid farewell to Aric Almirola, who plans to scale back to a partial schedule after 12 full-time seasons and three wins in the Cup Series. Josh Berry will replace Harvick, while Almirola’s replacement has yet to be announced.

Looking back on his journey, Harvick made his Cup Series debut immediately following Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. Despite a challenging start, Harvick ultimately established himself as a dominant force in NASCAR with 60 career victories, ranking him 10th on the all-time wins list.

Known for his stoicism, Harvick couldn’t help but show a little emotion when reminded that his two children had wished him luck over the radio before the race. “Yeah, well, that’s not normal, so they probably loved that and um … so,” he said, before turning away and shedding a few tears as he embraced his wife.

“For me, it’s been a great ride,” Harvick concluded. “I don’t have anything to complain about.”